[VeniVidiVici]

I noticed that the passion was absent from President Bush's voice when he commented that the U.S. would pay no ransom for these kidnapped people.

Interesting that you would say that.

Some have suggested that these folks are in cahoots with the captors. I'm sort of leaning toward the notion that maybe they WANTED this to happen.

Though I think it will have the opposite affect that they desired.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Just remember that certain people like Mike Gallager and I think also Savage made asses of themselves by saying they thought Daniel Pearl was faking his kidnapping.

[Jeff Head]

I do not believe these people were in cohoots with their captors, other than the unbelievably misguided notion that they should go over there and try to "help" them...sort of like the foolish, "wanker" human shields.

Thye are just completely liberally idealistic and convicted to bad sense...and yes, it will have the opposite effect that they intended. Thepr captors do not and will not "like", or "appreciate" their help. These poor fools are only now learning that these people simply want to kill us all, including them, and it will lead to their deaths, and it will bring down, and justifiably so, more ordinance on the terrorists heads.

In that sense too...it will have the opposite effect on the terrorists. Good.