standing firm

Well at least we know who’s actually in charge in Iraq now.

Mr Bigley's brother Paul, 54, has berated the government for not doing enough in an interview with the Middle East news network Al Jazeera's website.

Mr Bigley claimed he and his family had been "instructed" by the Foreign Office to keep silent about the capture.

He accused Mr Blair of "only going through the diplomatic instruction book" in his efforts to free his brother.

The prime minister is believed to have spoken to the family to explain there are "limitations" to what the government can do.
….
Mr Blair has insisted the UK will "stand firm" in the face of the insecurity and bloodshed plaguing Iraq.

As of right now, there have been 135 foreigners kidnapped in Iraq, who have met varied fates. The response of the kidnappees’ national governments has differed. Some have “stood firm”, others have negotiated, and some have acceded to the kidnappers’ demands.

Whatever the responses, the kidnappings go on. Standing firm makes no more difference than giving in. And let’s not forget as well that thousands of Iraqis have been kidnapped, generally for ransom. This is a successful and lucrative business. It’s likely that at least some of the foreigners have been taken by professional criminals and sold on to Islamist groups. This market will remain whatever the response to the current kidnapping is.

It’s also likely that the demand for the release of the two women scientists was just something that the Tawhid group pulled out of their collective arses. If they’e set free, they’ll kill Ken Bigley anyway.

There’s no evidence that taking either a hard line or a soft line will make any difference to Ken Bigley’s fate or to the level of kidnappings in Iraq generally. So the government are faced with a hcoice between making a good faith attempt to secure his freedom by releasing prisoners set for release anyway, or they can choose to “stand firm” – ie, they can use it as a posturing opportunity.

My guess is that Blair would prefer to see a pile of headless corpses rise to the height of Beachy Head rather than do anything that might lead any newspaper, anywhere to call him weak. That’s the kind of weak man he is.

Comments

[Matthew]

So the Sun runs Iraq, then? No wonder it's a mess.

[Kev]

"It’s also likely that the demand for the release of the two women scientists was just something that the Tawhid group pulled out of their collective arses. If they’e set free, they’ll kill Ken Bigley anyway."

Indeed. Can't see why they want to see Baathist regime members released. Unless it's to kidnap them.

[lenin]

Excuse me, "hcoice"? Did you know that you can actually alter the odrer of ltetres in wrods so lnog as you esunre the frist and lsat ltetres rmeian the smae? Apaprenlty the mnid rdeas wrods in teihr ttoaltiy rthaer tahn acrcodrnig to tehir ecxat seplilng.