Posted on 03/05/2005 5:24:34 PM PST by saquin
War zone. $*it happens.
6 to 8 mil can buy a whole lot of weapons to use against our guys and the Iraqi citizens.
"Sgrena’s release was further overshadowed by reports in Italian newspapers that the government of Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, had agreed to pay a ransom of between $6m (£3.2m) and $8m. When two relief workers, Simona Torretta and Simona Pari, were freed last year, intelligence sources said the ransom paid was $5m."
Money to arm the terrorists, which are then used to kill the troops. And they are mad at us?
This better not be true.
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THEY PAYING TERRORIST FOR ?????
She didn't want to be questioned by the pro-American Iraqis.
Wonder why.
I just can't believe they would put that money in the TERRORISTS hands. My God !!!
In other words, they were going much faster than was routine to approach a checkpoint manned by armed soldiers with orders to defend themselves as they needed to.
The Italian story is BS, but let's keep in mind that it's the Italian communists who are giving their version.
Paying ransom money (allegedly) like this will only encourage the spread of criminal gangs - not necessarily related to the insurgency - who kidnap for cash.
I was struck by that quote, too. She didn't say "we weren't going fast at all" or "we were going rather slowly"... she said "we weren't going very fast, considering". That tells me they were going pretty fast (keeping in mind that she has reason to downplay their speed). Also the reports are that it was a windswept, rainy night. Any car approaching a checkpoint near a U.S. base, on that dangerous stretch of the Airport Road, in those conditions at anything but a cautious crawl is courting danger.
Exactly.....I was mad when I first heard this story, blaming US GIs...now Im pi$$ed they payed off the terrorist....that money will be used to kill more US troops.
"Drive fast, turn left" is for NASCAR, not approaching a U.S. checkpoint in a war zone. The silly girl should thank her lucky stars she wasn't perforated as well. Oh, well, what more can you expect from a communist?
Another Al-Jazeera coincidence. Why a "stray" J-DAM hasn't hit their head office yet is beyond me...
300-400 shots and only 1 kill?
This is what happens when you don't know who the enemy is. After a while, it appears to be everyone.
Something else...
<< An official said they had not given any news of Sgrena’s release to the American embassy in Baghdad, or to US military commanders >>
...makes me think the Italians were trying to do this all secretly, to spirit her back to Italy to cover up the ransom payment; she would just magically reappear back home.
No wonder they didn't want to stop at a checkpoint.
My relatives in Italy are saying people think it was an inside job. The journalist works for a far left communist newspaper, sympathizers with the insurgents. They were looking to extort money from the Italian government and the journalist was in on it. Unfortunately, it looks like they got their money.
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