Bulgaria vows not to bow to Iraq kidnappers

Sofia, Bulgaria, Jul. 9 (UPI) -- The Bulgarian government said Friday it would not change its policy in Iraq after two of its nationals were kidnapped by militants.

The Al Jazeera television network said Thursday the two, both civilian truck drivers, would be killed by their captors within 24 hours if the U.S. military refused to release prisoners taken during the fighting.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy told the BTV television station Friday his country's foreign policy would not change in the face of such setbacks.

Bulgaria has more than 450 troops in Iraq and is a staunch ally of the United States. In the fighting so far, six Bulgarians have been killed.

The Bulgarian authorities have recommended their civilian nationals to stay out of Iraq.

Bulgaria joined NATO earlier this year and was one of a group of countries from the former communist world to sign letters supporting U.S. policy on Iraq prior to last year's invasion.

What really needs to be done is to execute ten or more of the prisoners they want released for each hostage they murder.

You are missing the point. This is not about releasing prisoners. The terrorists know well that Bulgaria has no say over whether a prisoner is released or not, and that the people in charge (the US) will never cave in to such a blackmail. This is a different game. The terror itself is the objective. They are trying to intimidate current and potential US allies into getting and keeping the hell out of Iraq. You have the right idea about how to respond, though. When an abduction like this occurs, the target country should increase the number of its troops and relax their rules of engagement. Hostage taking must be made counterproductive.

I am proud that my Bulgarian compatriots are showing such courage in the face of such a barbarity. They do need encouragement, though. Please, show your support by buying Bulgarian goods. Please, consider swapping that vacation to France for one to the wonderful Bulgarian sea coast. Extend your vacation to Greece or Turkey and pay Bulgaria and Romania a visit. I guarantee you will be back for more!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.