Italy demos 'win hostage safety'

[floda]

Three Italian hostages in Iraq have been saved from harm by street protests in Rome, a militant group has told al-Jazeera TV.
Earlier this week, a group calling itself the Green Brigade threatened to kill the men within five days unless Italians staged demonstrations.

The Arabic TV channel quoted a statement saying that Thursday's protests had satisfied the demand.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3675893.stm

[LondonAmerican]

1. I'm against this absurd war

but these demos are shameful. 'Demonstarting' like puppets on a string can't be taken seriously and just undermines the antiwar cause.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pinerow]

3. It is a shame that the American public does not get on board

and admit that the invasion of Iraq has precipitated an untold number of Iraqi civilian deaths and way too many American lives. The Spanish have it correct...when the government is caught in a lie of the magnitude that is the invasion of Iraq, it is time to throw the bums out.

:grr:

[keopeli]

4. Welcome to DU, LondonAmerican!

Demonstrating, which was once a fairly powerful means of protest, has been neutered by our government to the point where they seldom even get news coverage anymore. The fact that demonstrations by Joe Average are gaining political power, even if it is happening because the Iraqi insurgents are giving it credibility, gives more power to you and me, and less to the government.

I think I would have demonstrated in Italy had I had the chance, not to give in to the terrorists (as the Administration would have you believe), but because life is precious, and if I can walk the streets and voice my protest for this war while at the same time gaining the release of a hostage, I'm willing to do that.

Keo

[LondonAmerican]

6. Iraqi insurgents aren't giving these demos credibility

To the contrary. The demos are seen for what they are: extorted gestures to hostage-takers and lacking any political content.

I'd much rather see a real political demo, not just some pandering to people who can legitimately be called terrorists. These kinds of silly gestures just undermine the antiwar movement's credibility.

Much better to have demonstrated against the hostage takers and against the war.

[not systems]

5. The Pope lead the demonstration...

maybe he values life more than looking macho to the world.

[LondonAmerican]

7. This is the first time the pope's been cited as a positive example...

And it's not about 'macho.' This kind of silly gesture just guarantees more kidnappings and more hostages. It profoundly _devalues_ life since it will create more hostage victims.

[not systems]

8. It will do less harm than your country men pissing on the bagged head...

of the Iraqi a prisoner. Before beating him for eight hours
and tossing him to his death off a truck. Filming the whole
thing and having a grand old time all the while.

Whatever. Blame the people who demand an end to your
nations disgraceful actions it must make you feel better.

The main thing devaluing life is Bush and Blair and
their war crimes in our name.

[LondonAmerican]

12. There seems to be some confusion

You seem to think that my coming out against gestures extorted by terrorists means I somehow approve of beating prisoners. What possible connection do you see or are you just trying to score a cheap point?

Fact is, I posted about the British torture.

And the torture inflicted by hostage-takers is hardly better.

Why is it somehow better to be in cahoots with one instead of the other?

[Calico Jack Rackham]

9. There are three

Italians who don't think it was a silly gesture.

[LondonAmerican]

13. That's nice

But it is a silly, extorted gesture that undermines the credibility of the antiwar cause.

That's why Berlusconi is ecstatic over the demos and why none of the opposition parties supported it. Nobody wanted -- rightly -- to be tarred with that brush.

[Iceburg]

15. deleted

deleted

[huellewig]

10. If they were told to..

protest pizza or freedom I think you would be correct. I don't know for sure but I am assuming most of the residents of Italy were anti-war. So the cause wasn't dictated to them, just the timing. And that is fine with me.

From the article:

"Al-Jazeera said the statement also called on the Italian government to seek the release of "political prisoners" held in prison in Kurdish areas of Iraq.

References to the statement were later dropped from al-Jazeera bulletins."

If that was demanded and performed I would have a problem with that. Sort-of.

[LondonAmerican]

14. Demonstrating on command

Only made Berlusconi's day. This was a political gesture that backfired.

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. Actually, I think the Italians were more than glad to protest

.
.
.

They were against the war in the first place, and all the hostage takers did was give them a "schedule"

Only 34% of Italy had a favorable opinion of the United States at the beginning of the war, and I'll bet it's a lot lower now.

Alot of these countries "joined" the "coalition" with the condition that they would only participate post-Saddam.

They made the silly conclusion that "Post-Saddam" would mean the US was in control of Iraq. That's how the US got countries like Japan and Spain in there in the first place. So the US "declared" the war "over" and the other countries had to "fess up" - or - well you know - "face severe consequences"

Someone commented there would be more kidnappings, - well duh

Iraqis got people in their country that they don't WANT there.

They have no planes in the air to drop 500# bombs on their occupiers, no murdering gunships firing Depleted Uranium all over the place that will kill and deform their children for decades, no tanks on the ground, no assault vehicles, no Humvees, etc, etc.

They'll use whatever they can.

[LondonAmerican]

16. Well there you go

That is my whole point: they demonstrated on command of terrorists. Talk about undermining your own position. If you wanted to harm the antiwar movement's credibility you could not hope to do better.

And kidnapping civilians is never acceptable. Under any circumstances. Unless you are willing to accept fascist logic.

A lot of people in the US don't like gays -- I know because I have been gay-bashed several times. Does that mean that we should tolerate kidnapping gays because some people don't want us here? How about blacks? How about jews? How about muslims -- they're not so popular in the US these days either?

Once you start to accept terror and crime as legitimate forms of political activity then you have no way to stop the slide into fascism -- no matter how progressive you think your arguments are.