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2004-07-12 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by Fred 2004-07-12 9:24:57 PM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 It's disappointing to see any sort of ransom being offered. Perhaps it is the result of a little too much leftover Spanish blood flowing in otherwise proud Philippine veins.

Arroyo should know better than to offer money. It just finances more terror. Paying ransoms only magnifies the number of people who get killed. You cannot fight terrorism by sponsoring its acts. The Philippine government has made good inroads on domestic "Kidnap-for-Ransom" syndicates like the notorious Pentagon Gang. Some roll backs of southern Islamic insurgencies have also helped decrease KfR in those areas. However, corrupt police and military elements still participate and thereby impede eradication of ransom gangs.

Because of these achievements, Arroyo should better understand the uselessness of negotiating with criminal or terrorist elements. Even if this is a ruse and Malacanang knew their offer in Iraq would be turned down ahead of time, it sends all the exact wrong messages.

No matter how politically expedient it might be to have made a play at negotiating, any degree of conciliation with terrorist demands is entirely unproductive. It only encourages more of the same and spreads a critically wrong message of apparent success to other fanatics.

Posted by Zenster 2004-07-12 9:57:41 PM|| 2004-07-12 9:57:41 PM|| Front Page Top

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