The season of hostage taking in Iraq has reached its peak; many have since been released others killed or still in captivity. While so much noise is made about the hostages in Iraqi hands, there is more media noise when the hostages are American, British or Italian. There is an obscene silence about at least 5,000 Iraqis held in terrible conditions by the occupation forces without the benefit of being charged or tried. In fact, the Iraqi detainees are being held illegally in their own land, while the hostages taken by Iraqi groups are soldiers of occupation or mercenaries.When leaders of the West voice revulsion they are being crudely hypocritical; their guilt, their crime in maltreating Iraqis on mere suspicion are more culpable. They are the ones who need to atone and compensate.
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