FREE IRAQI DETAINEES, FREE HOSTAGES

A human being is a human being whether he is an American, a British, or an Iraqi. His Wrights must be respected by all governments as those Wrights are guaranteed by all religions and man-made constitutions. The people in Iraq has long suffered from the unjustified embargo which has led to the death of more than 1 million Iraqis. The USA invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries. Added to all of these inhuman conditions, that the Iraqi have faced, the USA troops are still insisting on detaining about 20,000 Iraqis without any charges, or fair trials. In light of the above, it is not abnormal that some groups in Iraq kidnap foreign subjects and ask to free the Iraqi detainees. It is well known that some of those hostages have visited Iraq for humanitarian reasons, while most have come to collect money through serving the invading and occupying forces.

We feel that taking an innocent body as a hostage is as bad as detaining an innocent Iraqi!. It is ironic that Mr. Bush administration, who is claiming to establish more democracy in the middle east, insists on detaining ten of thousands of innocent Iraqis without sending them to trials.

However it accuses some Iraqis who respond by kidnapping American allies working in Iraq by being terrorists. It is unfair that western media focus on the issue of very few hostages, who came to Iraq to collect money, and forget thousands of Iraqis detained by the USA troops. Foreign visitors to Iraq have formerly enjoyed respect and good treatment for decades, but the USA invasion and occupation of Iraq is the real cause for the hostage problems.

Does it hurts any wise and person, if kidnapping is stopped through solving the problems of the detained Iraqis ?. Is it fair to detain thousands of innocent Iraqis with no charges, no trails ?.

Mohamed Younis
Mosul / IRAQ