UPDATE: I am, of course, happy to be apparently wrong about de la Cruz (Thanks to ObWi Constant Reader JKC for the head’s up). I am still concerned about the ramifications of this deal, particularly the domestic ones. While it is of course nonsensical to seriously believe that any likely American Presidential administration would allow its policies to be seriously dictated by kidnappers and murderers – and let us drink no Kool-Aid, here; any administration that tried would be swiftly slapped down by its own base – it is unlikely that the organizations that have already misunderstood us so profoundly are going to realize their error. Again, my sympathies towards President Arroyo, but in my opinion her actions have made it slightly more likely that a domestic terrorist attack will be launched that is designed to influence our upcoming election. It almost certainly would have happened, anyway, but every little bit hurts.
(Crossposted to Redstate)
There is still no word on the fate of the Filipino and Bulgarian captives being held hostage by terrorists, but Alsayeid Mohammed Alsayeid Algarabawi has been freed:
Alsayeid Mohammed Alsayeid Algarabawi, whose capture was first reported July 6 in a video showing him surrounded by masked gunmen, was brought to the Egyptian Embassy in Baghdad on Monday evening. He appeared healthy.
Algarabawi said he was fed well, allowed to pray and treated in “an Islamic manner, 100 percent.” He also apologized to his family for worrying them.
I’m glad that Mr. Algarabawi made it home to his family; I can only imagine how harrowing an experience it must have been for him, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Unfortunately, I do not think that I will be able to report the same good news in the case of Bulgarian captives Georgi Lazov and Ivailo Kepov… and I am starting to think that this will be true for Filipino captive Angelo de la Cruz. There have been no real details about the Bulgarian hostages – this story suggesting that they are still alive seems conjectural, and I believe that the body mentioned in this one has been identified as American hostage Paul Johnson – but the Bulgarians have refused to negotiate, which means that the terrorists have no reason to keep two men from the Balkans alive.
As for Mr. de la Cruz, the Filipino government have removed its troops, but as of this date the hostage has not yet been released. Of course, there still remain thousands of contract workers in Iraq, and the latest statement was apparently that Mr. de la Cruz would be released when “the last Filipino leaves Iraq on a date that doesn’t go beyond the end of this month.” As the time passes between the Filipino pullout and the lack of any word of the hostage’s release, I become more wearily certain that the above quote represents another demand – and one that is fairly clearly impossible.
My respects to President Arroyo – and my genuine sympathy for the position that she’s in – but she may have made a very bad miscalculation: trusting in the word of an organization that would just as soon see her stoned to death.
Moe, most liberal observers (such as myself) thought Arroyo was nuts to withdraw under such a direct threat. She may have been right to withdraw. But the reasoning behind the withdrawal was backwards.
The Spanish withdrawal was quit different: the election was interpreted, and rightly, as a referendum on Spanish foreign policy. (Never mind the timing of the subway attack; the election results were a specific event reflecting the will of the people of Spain.)
The Philippine withdrawal, on the other hand, was explicitly dictated by threats made by the enemy* rather than by any political process (democratic or otherwise). The result of such action is predictably bad.
* Anti troll alert: yes, us liberals think that the Zarqawi nutballs are the enemy, too! Any other statement is a scurrilous slander. The difference is that we didn’t think Saddam was our *enemy* in the same way that Al Qaeda was our enemy. (Although I’m unclear as to why this is a “liberal” opinion. It seems more like a “traditional” opinion to me.) Surely the usefulness of this distinction is pretty obvious in hindsight? Saddam was an adversary, yes. But there are plenty of degrees of adversary before you get all the way to enemy.
“Moe, most liberal observers (such as myself) thought Arroyo was nuts to withdraw under such a direct threat.”
I don’t dispute that, mac – or that in the case of the WoT the mainstream debate is over ‘how to fight it’, not ‘should we fight it?’ As far as I know, I never have. 🙂
NPR this AM reported that Mr. de la Cruz has been freed. While I rejoice for his family, this sets a very bad precedent.
Algarabawi said he was fed well, allowed to pray and treated in ‘an Islamic manner, 100 percent.’ ”
While other treated in a 100% Islamic manner no longer had a head to talk with.
While other treated in a 100% Islamic manner no longer had a head to talk with.
I’d caution you to edit that a bit here DaveK.
“Islamic manners,” per se, should not be confused with the terrorists’ manners. I assure you they are not one in the same.
Ah, just another drive by.