German hostages in Iraq set free after 99 days

[Ecthy]

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,414177,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4966552.stm

Originally reported on the BBC
Two German engineers held hostage in Iraq for more than three months have been freed, reports say.

Germany's foreign minister said Thomas Nitzschke, 28, and Rene Braeunlich, 32, seized in January near an oil refinery in northern Iraq, were now safe.

They were last seen making a desperate appeal for help in an internet video message released at the start of April.

Dozens of foreigners are being held in Iraq, plus hundreds of Iraqis seized by insurgents and criminal gangs.

...

And yes, we can suppose that money was paid.

[Dauphin]

Next thing you know Germany will withdraw it's troops from Iraq.

[Dis]

appeasement.

Germany needs to do a blitzkreig on their ass.

But it's good to see the U.S. is providing a safe secure environment for foreigners to work in.

[Ecthy]

Guess who'll be the strongest power in Europe once the US have to withdraw due to structural weakness

(Yes - Russia )

[Ecthy]

Dis, appeasement is what you do with another power to supposedly gain security by ceding power to them. In this case we obviously liberate people from an otherwise potentially fatal situation by paying money. It does encourage a kidnapping business, but that's in the hands of the guys who are in response for the security environment there. These guys were kidnapped in a war-torn country. Who started the war? Who opposed it?

[Gangerolf]

99 days

That must have been a nightmare

BTW Nitzschke & Braeunlich. German names are so funny.

[Dis]

yes it will encourage more kidnappings. That's my point.

Paying ransom is okay, if you kill the kidnappers afterwords. At the very least they need to be found an arrested.

[Ecthy]

Well Dis I guess the Yanks will have to establish higher security standards in that country. It isn't our fault the security infrastructure was destroyed, it isn't our fault they were kidnapped, so we don't feel responsible for the security situation there. Our state department certainly does a lot of action to DIScourage people to go there.

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by Gangerolf
99 days

That must have been a nightmare

BTW Nitzschke & Braeunlich. German names are so funny.

As of yet, no pictures of the two have been shown. I bet you can tell every single day on their faces.

And every million dollars we paid to their kidnappers

[Gangerolf]

why did it take so long?

[Ecthy]

It took some time to load all the banknotes into one wheelbarrow and move it to Iraq.

What with the Kurds on the row and all.

[Thorn]

The terrorists must have been a fan of the song 99 Luft Balloons........

[Winston]

Two German engineers held hostage in Iraq for more than three months have been freed, reports say.

Originally posted by Gangerolf
why did it take so long?

I imagine the hostage takers finally got the Germans to laugh at one of their jokes, and consequently lost all interest and let them go.

[alva]

Towel packing problem perhaps?