83 comments?

[sabotabby]

If all I needed to do for a massive explosion of comments was mention gay cowboys, just think of what might have happened if I'd said "gay pirates."

Now that I've got your attention, please take a moment to sign this petition if you haven't already. Standard disclaimer applies -- petitions are useless, and online petitions are more than useless. But the Christian Peacemaker Teams themselves have asked for signatures, so I suppose it can't hurt.

The pointlessness of this kidnapping gets me the most. Apparently, the hostage-takers want Iraqi POWs freed. No doubt. It's one of the many injustices in an unjust occupation. So why capture people who also oppose the occupation and are actively working to end it? Especially since the hostage-takers are, by default, appealing to the American government, which doesn't give a damn about its own citizens, let alone ideological opponents from other countries?

My heart goes out to the hostages, their families and friends, the CPT, and the people in Iraq and Palestine whom they are trying to help.

Comments

[sabotabby]

There's a certain universality to that -- the unwillingness to admit they made a mistake.

[smhwpf.livejournal.com]

I was thinking along similar lines...

Bahh-

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

These guys aren't heros, they’re lawless fuckin dirt bag opportunists who believe in the rule of force and are trying to make a buck or advance their own personal agenda and have no ideological commitment but use ideology as a justification for their actions and when it's convienant for them.

Not everyone claiming to be fighting for an ideological reasons really is. Ya know kinda like Saddam and his Koran these days, it’s all a big ruse to advance his own agenda, he only gives a fuck about the Koran in so far as it helps fulfill megalomaniac needs. He was a godless pan Arab-socialist who never was seen stepping foot in a mosque that is up until godless pan-Arabism was on the wane and Islamism was on the rise.

Occupation or not there is no justification for their actions.

Re: Bahh-

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

Excellent point, it's very easy for us lefties to get caught up in somekind of sentimental wishy washy fanatsy about the downtrodden Iraqi masses fighting the evil Americans.

But like in every war, I really think there are few heroes and "freedom fighters" here.

But in all fareness, maybe these guys are misguided freedom fighters as some other people commenting here think?

I don't really know the paticulars on this case or the group doing this, maybe you have more info?

Re: Bahh-

[sabotabby]

I have little doubt that this group is of the thuggish tendency rather than heroic. Heroic freedom fighters who are struggling to free their country might possibly kidnap these people (mistakes happen!), and then once it was apparent that the hostages, if not on the same side, are at least also working to free their country, say, "Ooops, we made a mistake," let them go, and maybe go pick on some Blackwater mercenaries or something.

[ethan123456.livejournal.com]

I dont think its a mistake in their eyes.