Firm Halts Iraq Work to Save 10 Hostages

ANKARA, Turkey -- A Turkish construction company said Tuesday it was halting operations in neighboring Iraq to try to save the lives of 10 employees kidnapped by militants.

Later in the day, a Turkish hostage whose company already withdrew from Iraq was released by his kidnappers, the Foreign Ministry said. He was identified as Tahsin Top, who was abducted north of Baghdad on Aug. 5 by men who threatened to behead him if his employer did not leave Iraq.

Top's company, Atahan Lojistik International, later pulled out of Iraq, but the kidnappers then demanded $45,000 for Top's release. It was not clear if any money was paid.

The Ankara-based VINSAN construction company announced Tuesday that it was freezing operations in Iraq, adding that its kidnapped employees were innocent and were trying to support their families. All 10 are Turks.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-turkey-iraq-hostages,0,5563074.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

On one hand, I of course am happy for the families that their loved ones are going to be freed but this is no way to fight terrorists.

And, yes, I am calling these people terrorists. The people in the alleys with AK-47's and RPG's are insurgents, rebels, etc. but these guys are terrorists.

terrorism:
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

What LAWFUL standard are using?
Annan says the war in Iraq is illegal.
The Old (Pre-Rumsfeld) US Rules of War, back him up.

"terrorism:
The unLAWFUL use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons."

It seems to me that invaders are the terrorists.
And since the invaders are capable of shocking and awful methods
such as the brutal sodomizing of children,
then the CITIZENS of that nation
are justified in their efforts to rid themselves of this scourge.

In actual fact,
this hostage taking is a very wimpy way of going about business.
The invaders are being IMPLORED to leave lest they die in the fray. Sounds like the work of someone who really does not enjoy killing others but who also really wants his country back.

What would you yourself do,
if your home was bombed,
your town was invaded
and your neighborhood children sodomized?
Throw flowers?

small, but one less 'coalition' country for * to count

They'll count them anyway.

America needs a deep discussion. We need to come to some agreements on what is right and what is wrong. I do not think this can be equated to a win for terrorism. Things are so convoluted, it is hard to discover the truth. At the same time, we need an uncluttered view on what the root causes of terrorism are. They don't hate us for our freedom. They aren't abducting people for fun. The tables are turned. We have battered the shit out of these people. We do as they ask, now. We leave. We rebuild their lives to where they were before our bombs were dropped. And WE CHANGE. We are the ones who started this. Long before Bush.

Probably not. Some reasons for the kidnappings:

* to force the West to lose its will and withdraw
* to profit from ranson payments
* to please their god

and they probably have fun watching the abductees beg for mercy.

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and I respect the Turkish companies who value their employees and have the compassion to act in order to save their lives.

Don't expect any American companies to do the same. The almighty $$ is far more important than American lives.

Iraq belongs to the Iraqis, not the US - but nobody seems to know that!!! We should get the hell out of there, they are not stupid people and are capable of governing themselves!

Force the Iraqis to live by our standards
Profit from War
Please God
I'm quite sure Bush* is having tremendous fun watching the Iraqi people beg for mercy which is not forthcoming from this Administration.