Compliance with Terrorist Demands.

[Bronco]

Has the world's view changed on this? Where is the public outcry for Spain and the Phillipines folding to meet the demands of the insurgents/terrorists in Iraq?

 

The "we don't negotiate with terrorists" policy has always made sense to me but it only works if other leaders are willing to follow through with it.

 

Has there been some change in policy that I'm not aware of? Is it just accepted a result of the fluid nature of international politics and society recently? WTF?

[RobBob]

and so much for "machismo" too

[Greg_W]

I've always known this to be U.S. policy, but didn't know that it was everyone's policy. The U.N. is full of terrorist appeasers.

[assmonkey]

Note that these pansy-ass countries do not have hostage extraction military units.

 

I don't think you will find the U.S., Britain, Germany or Israel, among others, negotiating with terrorists.

 

Delta Force is fucking cool.

 

- a s s m n k e y

[rbw1966]

Turkey has caved in to terrorist demands most recently.

[foraker]

I think you're just seeing politicians using popular dissatisfaction for short term political gains. They don't really care about the long term consequences. Modern government is mostly about politics and crisis management, rather than policy.

[selkirk]

Did Spain actually pull out? Prior to their elections one one party was planning to pull the troops, but post elections the last thing I heard was that the same party decided to double their presence?

[Bronco]

Facing criticism, Philippines, Spain defend decisions to pull troops from Iraq

Sunday July 25, 2004

By JIM GOMEZ

Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines (AP) Facing strong criticism, Spain and the Philippines on Sunday defended their decisions to pull troops out of Iraq, insisting they had the right to do what was best for their countries.

 

Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the withdrawals ``encouraged'' Islamic militants who have stepped up kidnappings and demands that more nations leave Iraq.

 

His comments came after the al-Qaida-linked Tawhid Islamic Group threatened in a Web site Saturday to turn Australia into ``pools of blood'' unless it recalled its troops from Iraq.

 

The Philippines withdrew its troops this month, a few weeks earlier than scheduled, after militants kidnapped and threatened to behead Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz. After the withdrawal, dela Cruz was freed and returned to a hero's welcome last week.

 

Downer said that because the Philippines capitulated to the terrorists, more hostages have been taken in Iraq.

 

``Unfortunately these actions have encouraged terrorists to continue these threats, so now we are subjected, as the Italians are and the Poles and the Bulgarians, ... to further threats,'' Downer told Nine Network television. ``It's very important we send a strong message that we will not be threatened by terrorist groups.''

 

The Philippine's national security adviser, Norberto Gonzalez, lashed out at Downer for linking the new threats to the troop withdrawal.

 

``It's very narrow-minded,'' Gonzalez told The Associated Press by telephone.

 

Instead of looking for scapegoats, Australia and other countries in the coalition that invaded Iraq should re-examine why the insurgency there has intensified in recent months, Gonzalez said. He didn't elaborate.

 

He also said Australia should try to understand the predicament of the Philippines, which wanted to ensure the safety of its workers in the Middle East. There are some 4,000 Filipino contract workers in Iraq, and Gonzalez argued they could do more good than the 51-member peacekeeping force that was withdrawn.

 

``Our condition is different. We have over 1 million Filipinos scattered in the Middle East, and we need to safeguard them,'' he said.

 

Gonzalez also cited his country's efforts to fight terrorism in Southeast Asia, including joint counterterrorism training with U.S. troops.

 

In Spain, Socialist party spokesman Trinidad Jimenez said Sunday the government would ``never have accepted threats of a terrorist group'' and described its withdrawal of troops earlier this year as fulfilling a campaign pledge based on long-standing opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

 

Jimenez called Downer's remarks ``totally unacceptable.''

 

``The Spanish government would never have accepted threats of a terrorist group,'' Jimenez said. ``Spain's troop withdrawal is part of an electoral promise and a firm conviction that from the beginning it was an unjust and illegal war.''

 

Spain pulled its 1,300 troops out after Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's conservative government was defeated by the Socialists in elections March 14. The voting came three days after the nation was shaken by the Madrid train bombings, which killed almost 200 people and injured 2,000. Authorities blame Islamic terrorists for the attack.

[Jim]

Hmmm. If I remember correctly it was Ronnie Reagan that set a pretty good example of trading arms for hostages.

[foraker]

Hmmm. If I remember correctly it was Ronnie Reagan that set a pretty good example of trading arms for hostages.

 

Oops.....

[erden]

Turkey has caved in to terrorist demands most recently.

 

I do not know the news to which you are referring.

 

One that I know that may lead you to think so is that the union of truck drivers has declined to continue to send their members to Iraq. These trucks were being sent with the supplies in a convoy under US military protection. Once the loads were delivered, they were left to fend for themselves on their return home.

 

The incident that sparked the protest had to do with a hostage turkish truck driver that was shot in the head on camera last week. From what I read, he was asked to go fetch supplies for a laundry facility contracted on a US base in Iraq. The facility had run out of the supplies and the same were available at the store on base - but the foreign workers including this driver was not allowed to shop there - rules are rules! So he had to go unescorted to fetch some laundry detergent or some silly item for his life.

 

The drivers want proper protection, or they will not go. I see that as a demand for security, not caving in. Besides other drivers are still continuing the shipments.

 

Cheers,

 

Erden.

[rbw1966]

That was the situation to which I was referring.