September 30, 2004 The Cost of Waging War
While one feels for the family of Kenneth Bigley and the reasons why the UK is in Iraq in the first place are questionable, the British government should not negotiate with terrorists. It has rarely done so in the past and it shouldn’t set a precedent where it makes it acceptable in the future. The latest video reportedly has Bigley claiming that “Tony Blair doesn’t care about me. I’m just only one.”
The sad fact is that it is true. He is only one and the Prime Minister has a duty to take decisions for the good of the nation over any one individual. This resolve was evidently in good ol’ Tony when he went into Iraq at the behest of his US buddies. Let’s hope he has the resolve now to protect the interests of the nation and making a stand when the call is harder.
Sure, my generation of peace lovers will probably vote you out of office if you let Bigley die without negotiating with the terrorists. But hey, that’s the price you pay for making the big decisions, Tony. Giving in to the demands of terrorists is unacceptable even once. Show some balls for once and send the message that the UK will not negotiate with those who use terror as their tool. Have we learned nothing from our years of dealing with the IRA?
Tags: Political Rants
- 5 comments
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manonmars
said
Methinks it’s a tough call, Eshin.
The kidnappings have become very public now. Tony Blair’s govt have taken huge beating over the invasion.
For him to be seen as not doing anything, or at least making an effort to save Bigley’s life, would be a disaster. Sending some Muslim delegates to try and negotiate is a smart move.
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Eshin
said
Manonmars: Blair’s government has taken a beating over the whole Iraq thing. And yes, the public in general has probably lost its whole stomach for the grisly details of it all. I’m against the Iraq invasion. But now we have terrorists (albeit of our own making) making demands that based on terrorising civilians.
I did say that Blair would suffer politically by not negotiating with terrorists. But it would send a message to anyone that next time you want something from the British government, terrorism will not work. This is policy decision that needs to be made with the future good of the country in mind. Not the future good of the political party in power.
Besides, we are in this mess because of the Spanish and Filipino governments anyway.
David: I think it’s appalling. It’s continuing this trend of giving into the terrorist demands. This is what is wrong with democracy sometimes. Leaders have to make unpopular decisions, even if it means the price of failure politically. Instead of showing the world that the Italian government cares about its citizens, it has shown that all I need to do to get Rome to do my bidding is promise the threat of violence.
Bigley and the two Italians should have been left to die. It’s cold. It’s hard. But the terrorists would then know that these governments do not negotiate with those who use terrorist means to achieve their goals.
Besides, what are these civilians doing in Iraq anyway? Sure, they shouldn’t be used as pawns and I do feel for their plight. But they did choose to be in Iraq for all its risks. And now they are surprised that they were kidnapped? Please, what do you think the hazard pay was for?
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David
said
Nadim, what do you think the implications (if true) of the Italian Government paying 1 million dollars for the ransom of the two Italian hostages recently released? I find it worrying that now the kidnappers have monetary goals as well as, however shallow, militant political goals.
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Phil
said
Eshin, you are correct. No matter how hard it is (and I have seen some of the beheading videos and cannot get those images out of my mind) the Spanish, Filipino, and now possibly the Italian governments may be the cause of many more deaths because they made it look like kidnapping works.
Of course, if we knew where they were I would send the SAS in without hesitation. A little ex-judicial justice sometimes does have its place.
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Eshin
said
I was under the impression that was the way things used to work. If the IRA would get uppity, people began to be extracted in the middle of the night, prisons would have some new guests and so on.
But then again, the SAS tended to blend in better in the Northern Ireland countryside than they probably would in downtown Baghdad (although don’t put it past them).
I’m not sure when we started letting terrorism work on us. And I do think these governments that have caved in to demands should be held accountable for their irresponsibility.