[familyop]

The following might lend a speck of insight, although it appears to be a government administered news outlet. It appears that some leaders in Italy are advising a cultural change as a remedy. IMO, a study of cultural and civics attributes might be a good idea for one or two of us who might want to do that. I only learned a little in the past from Italian immigrants and descendents who were the majority in a US community, and there are differing cultural paradigms in such communities--from very calm and analytical to very emotional/sensational, from glamourizations of old cultural problems to oppositions against the same,...

Italy On Line
Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office

SGRENA: GASPARRI ON RANSOM, I AM FOR RESOLUTENESS BUT… (AGI) - Florence, March 9th. - "I do not know if a ransom was paid, it is at least what has been said. Personally I would basically be for a stance of resoluteness, but…", declared the communications minister, Maurizio Gasparri, conversing with the chroniclers in Florence and referring to the possibility of a payment of a ransom for the liberation of Giuliana Sgrena. "If I imagine - explained Gasparri - what would have been verified in Italy in the case of a dramatic epilogue… I realise that it is our country that must deal with this kind of emotionalism and sensations".

[familyop]

By the way, the Communications Ministry in Italy does monitor online (Web) news and opinions about Italy while conducting public relations work. Some other countries do the same, some to the extent of having Internet writers on payrolls (e.g., Russia).

[Hardastarboard]

an Italian Communist writer who claims American troops in Iraq may have deliberately shot at her car

Didn't catch this angle on this story. Hell, if I knew she was a Communist, I would shoot at her car. Repeatedly.

[bill1952]

What about the Rule?

[Former Dodger]

Bump for later!

[BB2]

By paying the kidnapper's, they have financed more terror and death, and most probably more kidnapping.

What part of this equation do they not understand?

How many more have to be killed before they catch on?

[bert]

She is close, but no cigar.

The question for investigation is concerned with whether there was an actual abduction and ransom or whether there was payment to the insurgent kitty laundered as a ransom and paid by Italian dupes lacking information to tell the difference.

[familyop]

One ping-y wing-y. Two ping-y wing-y... [snort, snort, guffaw]

[ran15]

"In principle, we shouldn’t give in to blackmail, but this time we had to" That is what they said the last time. I remember the Italians kept stallign until the fundamentalists killed one of the four bodyguards. Then Italy stepped in and paid reportedly millions to release the other 3.

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!