Posted on 10/02/2004 12:00:54 PM PDT by Pikamax
Italians fall out of love with 'two Simonas' By Bruce Johnston in Rome (Filed: 02/10/2004)
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.
Simona Pari, Simona Torretta and Lello Rienzi talk to the press In their first big interviews given since their release in return for a reported $1 million ransom on Tuesday, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both 29, gave their backing to insurgents opposing the allied forces.
Miss Pari, when asked why she and her colleague had not asked on their return for the release of other hostages, said: "We didn't know there were any other hostages. No one told us about the British prisoner, nor about the Americans who were beheaded. I say that every life has to be saved, that the right to life is sacred everywhere.
"If you ask me about terrorism, I'll tell you that there is terrorism and there is resistance. The resistance struggle of people against an occupying force is guaranteed by international law."
The women's comments are likely to cause renewed anger in government circles, following their call soon after their release for Italy's peacekeeping forces to be withdrawn.
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.
After they were taken hostage on Sept 7, the two Simonas achieved iconic status in Italy and the conservative government and the opposition put aside their differences to work together for the women's release.
But as the Turin newspaper La Stampa said yesterday, national unity has been short lived since their arrival home, wearing kaftans and thanking their captors in Arabic for their release before the cameras of the Al-Jazeera stellite television network.
These chicks were anti-war back during Gulf War I. This wasn't news. This story smelled from the first. I'm very grateful, too, for all of the support that italy has gicen us. But if the Italians fell for this and paid off those butchers...I'm going to think a lot less of the Italian government.
So what's Berlescuni gonna do? In largly Catholic Italy? Take the chance on riots in his streets if he sits by , does nothing and we all get to watch those women beheaded on Al-Jazeera?
He'd be lucky not to be shot in the street if that happened.
And he has been our friend.
The man was between the rock and the hard place IMHO.
So he coughed up.
Yes, the women are bad.
And now Italy is turning her back on them with contempt.
they should be grateful to the people who paid the million dollar price tag to free them. I say--if the Iraqi thugs are so great--why not give up your Italian citizenship and go live there permanently? Especially the one who is going to convert--I am sure she will want to be surrounded with like minded individuals.
I agree, tiamat. I also question if Eupeans truly are "overwhelmingly" anti-Bush, as another poster stated. It could be another media-made illusion, like the one we have here in the U.S., where the media are far out of touch with regular people. I think Italy did the right thing in bailing the Simonas out, and Italians are doing the right thing now by during their backs on them in disgust.
I don't think they paid a ransom. These girls were brainwashed and I wouldn't be surprised if they were sexually violated.
I have friends with resources in Spain.. they tell me that a majority of the Spanish troops were MORTIFIED at being called back...
It's that machismo thing.
.
But if you are a trooper, what are you going to do? Disobey? Go AWOL?
Next set of Spanish elections are gonna be interesting.
I also know people who have German contacts.
Most Germans are decent people and many do NOT agree with what is happening with their government, but the press and media is very biased.
Average Hans On The Street might really want to help the coalition, but he's a plumber or drives a truck... nobody is gonna listen to HIM.
Sure as he!! looks that way.
So why don't we hear about you and your kind more?
:-)
No, of course you're not. I do believe that there are people in Europe that like and support our President. They may be small in number, but they do exist. The trouble is, we don't know they exist; because, like you say, we never hear their voices!
I wonder if it was all a scam from the beginning, in order to get million in "ransom" paid for two women who may well have been with the insurgents willingly
More like most leaders (and europeans, too). They'd be shocked. "How could the Americans elect that stupid, inbred cowboy, AGAIN!?
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