October 02, 2004

"GUERRILLAS JUSTIFIED, BUT NOT IF THEY'RE GUERRILLA-ISH TO ME"

Is there a form of Stockholm syndrome that infects people even before they’re kidnapped? If so, ex-hostage Simona Torretta seems to be afflicted:

An Italian aid worker held hostage last month in Iraq said guerrillas there were right to fight US-led forces and their Iraqi "puppet government".

In comments that were bound to annoy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, Simona Torretta also called on Rome to withdraw the troops it sent to Iraq to support its US ally.

"I said it before the kidnapping and I repeat it today," she told Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview published yesterday.

"You have to distinguish between terrorism and resistance. The guerrilla war is justified, but I am against the kidnapping of civilians."

Of course she’s against it. Kidnapping of civilians involved her; "justified" guerrilla war involves others.

(Via Scott at the Blithering Bunny)

UPDATE. Local mood is turning against the ex-hostages:

Italy's adoration of the "two Simonas", the women aid workers abducted in Iraq, began to sour yesterday, as the extent of their sympathy for the Iraqi fight against the allied occupation became clear.

Miss Torretta admitted that was now studying Islam, although she denied that was planning to convert.

The two women have also ruffled feathers by thanking Italy's Islamic community for working for their release before thanking the government and the Italian Red Cross.

Posted by Tim Blair at October 2, 2004 07:09 AM
Comments

Probably a communist.

Posted by: Rebecca at October 2, 2004 at 07:22 AM

Must be Italy's version of Donna Mulhearne. I think they're traitors to their countries.

Posted by: John P at October 2, 2004 at 07:56 AM

Maybe Italy can give her back to her captors and do us all a favor.

Posted by: Polly at October 2, 2004 at 08:04 AM

Rebecca: Not probably. Definately. She and her friend are members of the Italian Communist party.

Posted by: madne0 at October 2, 2004 at 08:24 AM

I wonder if killing 35 Iraqi children is justified guerrilla action. After all, the kiddies were eating American candy and celebrating a sewage plant rebuilt by Americans.

Posted by: Joanne Jacobs at October 2, 2004 at 09:28 AM

Simona Torretta. Is that Italian for Tourette's Syndrome?

Posted by: Sean P at October 2, 2004 at 09:30 AM

If her kidnappers had beheaded her, she probably wouldn't have been for it. Of course, her kidnapping was probably just a publicity stunt in the first place, performed with full cooperation between kidnapper and kidnapee.

Posted by: me at October 2, 2004 at 10:00 AM

"I believe that (the kidnappers) were a very political, religious group and that in the end they were convinced that we were not enemies."

Not enemies, no. Meal ticket.

Posted by: m at October 2, 2004 at 10:07 AM

I don't believe either of them were kidnapped, but rather part of a nasty little plot to abet terrorists and enrich themselves the happy smiling photos on their release were not the same as of persons released from a terrifying ordeal-
Sorry but they need investigating

Posted by: Rose at October 2, 2004 at 10:17 AM

Well, Michael Moore's minutemen have just killed 35 children who gathered to get candy from American soldiers.

How long do I have to hear the sickening moral equivalence trotted out by the left?

Posted by: Quentin George at October 2, 2004 at 10:51 AM

Spot on Quentin George. That's it in a nutshell. Slightly OT. Instapundit has a great 10 point global test for pre-emptive action. Alas, I believe that's about what Kerry has in mind , although I would certainly add Russia and China to number 3.

Posted by: YoJimbo at October 2, 2004 at 12:00 PM

35 children murdered. Toretta supports the bastards. Which makes her one of the murdering bastards.

Posted by: The Real JeffS at October 2, 2004 at 12:08 PM

She should not be killed, she should be sent to Saudi Arabia to witness the free and openness of Islamic society in full.

Posted by: JBB at October 2, 2004 at 12:25 PM

JBB: She should not be killed, she should be sent to Saudi Arabia to witness the free and openness of Islamic society in full.

She should not be killed, she should be sent to Saudi Arabia as a fourth wife to experience the freedom and openness of Islamic society in full.

Posted by: Zhang Fei at October 2, 2004 at 12:36 PM

*sigh* Its people like that who give us moderate lefties a bad name.

Posted by: Andy at October 2, 2004 at 03:31 PM

She misses the rape squads provided by Iraq's legitimately elected Saddam Hussein.

Posted by: pajama_jihad at October 2, 2004 at 05:26 PM

I too was aghast at how fit and well the women were after their release, ezpecially when one compares this to the testimonies and appearances of others who were beaten and tortured before being released.

Firther investigation is sorely needed as this stinks of a put up job to raise money for the terrorists.

Posted by: davo at October 2, 2004 at 06:11 PM

Easy now, people.

The poor thing was probably threatened with a bar of a soap, a leg razor, and a comb.

No Euro-hippie scum could withstand that menace.

Posted by: JDB at October 2, 2004 at 11:41 PM

Not to sound callous, but it seems to me that the young ladies would have better served history and democracy by having their heads removed.

Posted by: Mike Jericho at October 3, 2004 at 02:45 AM

The Italians have been had. They should make those two skanks repay the ransom money to the Italian treasury after a very lengthy and intrusive investigation into their behavior in Iraq. Then let's see how they enjoy the media spotlight and fame.

Posted by: Harry in Atlanta at October 3, 2004 at 02:51 AM

The Bridge to Baghdad group they are a part of sounds very open-minded.

Posted by: Ripclawe at October 3, 2004 at 03:54 AM

Another Rachel 'Pancake' Corrie.

"Off with her head"

Posted by: NoItAll at October 3, 2004 at 12:06 PM

Come to think of it, she'd look great in an Armani burqa!

Posted by: NoItAll at October 3, 2004 at 12:14 PM