Italians fall out of love with 'two Simonas'

telegraph ^ | 10/02/04 | Bruce Johnston in Rome

[mewzilla]

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.

[tiamat]

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.

[OH Swing Voter]

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.

[Finny]

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.

[baltoga]

I don't think they paid a ransom. These girls were brainwashed and I wouldn't be surprised if they were sexually violated.

[tiamat]

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.

[varon]

.............but he thinks that this whole thing was a scam to get money for the "insurgents" and that the women were willing participants.

Sure as he!! looks that way.

[Pitiricus]

So why don't we hear about you and your kind more?

:-)

[dsutah]

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!

[SauronOfMordor]

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

[processing please hold]

You'll have to forgive us, we hear so much America bashing we are starting to feel like the proverbial redheaded stepchild. With all the knife wounds in America's back from our purported "friends" we are very leery of Europeans for now.

[mbennett203]

"I hope, mr Bush wins, some european leaders will have heart attacks. "

More like most leaders (and europeans, too). They'd be shocked. "How could the Americans elect that stupid, inbred cowboy, AGAIN!?