Article

2007-03-22 Afghanistan

Italy "irritated" by allies' criticisms over hostage deal

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve 2007-03-22 08:19|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 In an interview Wednesday with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, the 52-year-old reporter defended the Afghan government's decision, saying human life should be "safeguarded at all costs." "I think it is right to negotiate if it means showing that we are different from the Taliban, that we know how to forgive and that we respect human life above anything else.

Good luck with 'showing that we are different' having any effect on the Taliban. That's why they are killing us. Our wanting to 'protecting life at all costs' is what the vermin are counting on. Dipshit!

Posted by WTF 2007-03-22 08:38|| 2007-03-22 08:38|| Front Page Top

#2 In an interview Wednesday with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, the 52-year-old reporter defended the Afghan government's decision, saying human life should be "safeguarded at all costs."

At all costs? Looks like you kinda forgot that when they gave your driver the chop, eh, Daniele? What did you do "at all costs" to stop that?
What a sanctimonious, hypocritical pig.

Posted by tu3031 2007-03-22 08:48|| 2007-03-22 08:48|| Front Page Top

#3 Amen, tu.

""I think it is right to negotiate if it means showing that we are different from the Taliban, that we know how to forgive and that we respect human life above anything else. "The Taliban control three-quarters of southern Afghanistan. There's 5,000 of them. Releasing two or three prisoners wouldn't make any difference," he told dpa.

So is it about respecting human life or is it about a few not making a difference? Like a desperate teenager trying all alibis until one gains traction.

This is the sick altruist Eurothink carried out to its fullest. I forgive you when you kill me. Over and over. Till there's no more "me"s.

Scramble all you want to try to avoid what happened; it will come back to you at night in your dreams.

Posted by Jules 2007-03-22 09:14|| 2007-03-22 09:14|| Front Page Top

#4 One could argue that this makes you precisely like the Taliban, in that they are willing to trade and sell human lives, too.

Posted by Jules 2007-03-22 09:20|| 2007-03-22 09:20|| Front Page Top

#5 "The Taliban control three-quarters of southern Afghanistan. There's 5,000 of them.

An interesting statement.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-03-22 11:44|| 2007-03-22 11:44|| Front Page Top

#6 And this pig chimes in...

A former Italian hostage, Giuliana Sgrena, kidnapped in Baghdad in 2005, said she believed that the Italian government was obligated to do all it could to save a hostages life. She argued that paying ransom for reporters was a far smaller issue than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

If there is no war, there will be no hostages, Ms. Sgrena, also a journalist, said in a telephone interview from New York, where she is promoting a book about her experience.

Posted by tu3031 2007-03-22 11:59|| 2007-03-22 11:59|| Front Page Top

#7 The Taliban control three-quarters of southern Afghanistan

Damn interesting. I'll wager he divides up the country into 4 cardinal points. So the gunnies control 3/4 of 1/4 which is um......

75% of .25, which is um... damn carry the 6, shoot the 4, round off the 9, a smallish number 19 percentum or so.

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-03-22 13:34|| 2007-03-22 13:34|| Front Page Top

#8 If there is no ~~war~~ ransom, there will be no hostages,

Fixed it.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-22 13:40|| 2007-03-22 13:40|| Front Page Top

#9 May both these traitors to civilization have nasty "work accidents" very soon. They have no concept of honor, or of the sanctity of human life. All they're concerned about is themselves. If even ONE of the released Taliban is caught killing either ISAF or Afghani troops, Idiot Stick deserves to hang for accessory to murder.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2007-03-22 13:56|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2007-03-22 13:56|| Front Page Top

#10 If there is no war, there will be no hostages, Ms. Sgrena, also a journalist, said in a telephone interview from New York, where she is promoting a book about her experience.

There'd be even less terrorism, war and hostage taking if these Euro turds stopped exchanging prisoners, paying huge ransoms and generally appeasing every gang of Islamic thugs that come knocking.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-03-22 14:46|| 2007-03-22 14:46|| Front Page Top

#11 human life should be "safeguarded at all costs

So what do you think about the good people who will end up getting killed directly or indirectly as a result of this capitulation? Or are we ignoring that in favor of our own ~~miserable excuse for a~~ life? You were there by choice, unlike those who live there and get blown up in a market bombing or get caught in the crossfire.

Hypocritical pig. Don't forget to repent before you die so you can get into heaven.

Posted by gorb 2007-03-22 16:26|| 2007-03-22 16:26|| Front Page Top

#12 Human life should be safeguarded at all costs...

Tell this to the thousands of firefighters, police, paramedics, National Guard, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, security personnel, and others who risk themselves every day in the pursuit of excellence and "doing what's right" in the face of danger to their own lives.

Who are these righteous assholes (or anyone else) to tell me I do not have the right to risk my life or sacrifice my life for someone else or that my own life should be safeguarded above all others at all costs?

Asshats...that is the philosophy of those who would be conquered.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-03-22 20:01|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2007-03-22 20:01|| Front Page Top

#13 the US had formally complained to Italy for pressurising the Afghan government

bet that hurt Karzai.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-03-22 20:06|| 2007-03-22 20:06|| Front Page Top

#14 Tell this to the thousands of firefighters, police, paramedics, National Guard, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, security personnel, and others who risk themselves every day in the pursuit of excellence and "doing what's right" in the face of danger to their own lives.

Which is why, whenever I meet any of the aforementioned individuals on a casual basis, I always take time out to thank them for the incredible job they do.

FOTSGreg, it finally occurred to me that "FOTS" means "First On The Scene", am I correct? If so, are you willing to describe your work in that capacity? My own Haz Mat (Hazardous Materials), CPR and First Aid training has made me stop and be first on the scene many times. There are few finer feelings than knowing that potential and avoidable harm to victims or bystanders has been averted.

It is simultaneously happy and sad to see an often shocked look on the faces of uniformed soldiers that I stop and gratefully shake hands with. Many are unprepared for such a demonstration of genuine appreciation and are sometimes abashed at receiving such thanks. I always do my best to get them used to being the recipients of this nation's gratitude and let them know (with Rantburgers specifically in mind) that there are many, many Americans who respect, approve of and actively support their actions in every way.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-03-22 21:33|| 2007-03-22 21:33|| Front Page Top

#15 The Germans and Italians (and perhaps others) have greatly stained their honor and reputations (such as they might have been) with their idiotic, outrageous, and incompetent antics WRT hostages in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's very hard for me to care about what a German officer or Italian soldier would do if he were in charge, or to count their views in the balance any more - I'm pretty much done with the selfish, unintelligent, arrogant, reckless, incompetent, back-stabbing, shameless nonsense from Europeans.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-03-22 21:53|| 2007-03-22 21:53|| Front Page Top

#16 "When we create a situation where you can buy the freedom of Taliban fighters when you catch a journalist, in a short term there will be no journalists any more,"

Very interesting proposal.

How about spreading out a rumor that, indeed, is the case, send an army of journalists in and then issue a "no negotiations" statement?

Maybe what would we be left with afterwards will be just reporters...

Posted by twobyfour 2007-03-22 22:08|| 2007-03-22 22:08|| Front Page Top

23:48 USN, ret.
23:45 JosephMendiola
23:43 JosephMendiola
23:42 USN, ret.
23:41 Frank G
23:40 Frank G
23:38 Shipman
23:34 49 Pan
23:24 WTF
23:16 SteveS
23:03 3dc
23:00 Jackal
22:59 OldSpook
22:57 ed
22:56 OldSpook
22:53 trailing wife
22:53 Jackal
22:52 3dc
22:52 OldSpook
22:50 OldSpook
22:46 OldSpook
22:43 OldSpook
22:42 OldSpook
22:42 Zhang Fei