[url]http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/20/iraq.main/index.html[/url]

-e-

Great. It amazes me that any American would be caught dead (no pun intended) anywhere in the middle-east, much less Iraq. What the hell are these people thinking?? If my job required me to go to Iraq, I'd quit. What other reason is there?

Still, my feelings go out to the family that will inevitably lose their family member or friend. I gather from the article that these hostages have yet to be killed, but we will not nogotiate with terrorists, nor should we. May they RIP.

A lot of people get seduced by the chance of making big money on short notice, and some of them are there on a professional basis: Dyncorp for example, a company that is a bit like the former South-African based Executive Outcomes (Merc company). They provide military personell, in this case to train the new Iraqi police forces. In former Yugoslavia they also provided military officers and equipment.

The government doesn't want to stress the fact that they make use of these companies, but they're always there. In fact I wrote a background article once in which I proposedto investigate the possibility of incorporating such companies in the peacekeeping forces, thus at the same time keeping them from letting authoritarian or suppressing regimes hire them.

And Encryption...what's that about reading the FAQ? Or is that also in the FAQ-section?

Good point.

So each and every one of these workers should be carrying a side arm. I would never allow myself to be taken hostage, I'd go down firing and make sure I took along as many as I could.

this is an ugly world sometimes!

[img]http://frogstar.com/pics/large/images/fat-ass-l.jpg[/img]

Just been watching CNN again, but I'm pretty sure the other two hostages aren't gonna make it. There will be no negotiation, simply because that would ceate a precedent for all the other kidnapping cases.

So, as Civic said: may they RIP

Re: Oh fuck not again......

They ought to put GPS trackers on or in these people and let them get tracked night and day for any signs of trouble. Then send in Spec Ops people to kill these MFs, am I the first to think of this? They could put it on their leg, next to their goin, who cares just put it on and make sure it is working at all times. That be the first thing I carry out there, right next to my piece.

How many potential targets do you think are on the loose over there...?

too many people to try and 'track'...these guys can take anyone at any time at any place.

Unconfirmed reports I saw also have them killing a couple of Italian relief workers as well...these people will not stop at any cost.

[quote=FM";p="54391]too many people to try and 'track'...these guys can take anyone at any time at any place.

Unconfirmed reports I saw also have them killing a couple of Italian relief workers as well...these people will not stop at any cost.[/quote]

good point, but if you want to live and you think you are a target like someone from a country other than US doing whatever it is except being a soldier(seems like they like to pressure more recently people from other countries) then get a tracker.

Re: Oh fuck not again......

[quote]The group said it killed the men "to teach them a lesson they will never forget."[/quote]

I guess the poor hostage will never forget that lesson, as long as he lives.

I volunteered to go to Iraq with the Brits, but then i got the insurance quote and soon thought better of it. The money though was amazing, could have worked 6 months and then retired.

My Mum put it best, "you can?t spend it if your dead"