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[bryant]

Well, this is an alarming new trend. That’s a total of thirteen foreigners kidnapped in Iraq in the last week or so. Hopefully it’s coincidence rather than a concerted effort, and hopefully everyone kidnapped will make it through the ordeal.

The victims include Christian evangelists, journalists, and human-rights workers. Doesn’t look like any common thread except that they’re foreign.

Comments

[my-tallest.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, how long before enough Americans are captured that this turns into another Election Year Hostage Crisis? Or does it not get to that point, since this time the Republican is in power?

[gwenix.livejournal.com]

Well, that and they're generally people who are there to try to help out the people (excepting the journalists, which can still be debated), often from causes sympathetic to the anti-American Occupation. I have seen it start to undermine the sympathy in various liberal organizations over here as a result.

However, that shows me that it's not an Al Queda/Terrorist Network endeavour -- AQ has been much more politically savvy on that sort of distinction. No, it's just random joes getting their fame, grabbing at people who are easily accessible.

And yes, that is far more disturbing, because that is the sort of thing that doesn't get limited to one powerbase or group of people, which means it is not easily stopped.

[gwenix.livejournal.com]

I missed a qualifying "Iraqi" applied to the second usage of "people". I realize that this might easily be inferred anyway, but I wanted to clarify. :)

[bryant]

Hm, yeah, although I'm leery of drawing any conclusions. I'd say there are two classes of foreign civilians in Iraq -- contractors and people who are trying to help out, whether it's by NGO or by evangelizing. And it's the latter who won't have good security. So that may just be coincidence.

I agree on the random joes thing.

Have you seen the right wing nutjobs claiming that it's all a hoax because the Japanese hostages are liberals?

[gwenix.livejournal.com]

I missed the right wing nutjobs. That's pretty damn pathetic, really.