Giuliana Sgrena Admits Hostage Hoax

Sir George over at AIR has this from The Times (UK). Several important questions need answering:

But then the report mentioned a message from a group named the Jihad, saying that if Berlusconi did not withdraw Italian troops from Iraq by the next evening, she would be killed. “I believed it, even though my guards told me they didn’t want to kill me,” she says.

If Sgrena was in no danger, why was a ransom paid? Sgrena's hostage takers never threatened her life or safety in any of their public communiques.

One kidnapper told her they had a right to liberate their country. “You’re telling me,” she shot back. “I’ve always said that and I’m not an Iraqi.”

Liberate from whom? From the Italians? Italy has 3,000 troops on the ground in Iraq. If so, isn't encouraging violent opposition to Italian occupation treason?

“If you want to kill me, you might as well do it now . . . In any case it’s easier to kill a woman than to go and fight the Americans in the street.”

Read: Go kill Americans. Nice. I suppose some one is going to tell me about 'legitimate resistance' and yada yada. Of course, 'legitimate resistance' to Sgrena and likes means 'any one opposed to the US anywhere.'

She did suggest that she appeal to the Italian people to demonstrate in favour of a withdrawal of the countryÂ’s 3,000 troops. But when the guards filmed her, they told her the film wasnÂ’t dramatic enough. She was a hostage, they insisted, she must be more convincing and ordered her to make a direct appeal to her boyfriend of 25 years, Pier Scolari. For the first time, Sgrena broke down in tears.

Wait...so the film was her idea? Confederate Yankee noticed the day her hostage video was released that she appeared to be directing the film. Now she admits it. Great. Next we'll learn the conversation at hostage headquarters went something like this.

Achmed: We demand 1 million lira for Sgrena's release! (pinky to mouth)

Sgrena: Er, 1 million lira is like $700 U.S. dollars.

Achmed: Oh? Really.....

Sgrena: Yeah........

Achmed: Ok....We demand 1 billion lira! (pinky finger to mouth)

Sgrena:....

Achmed: What? Too much??.....

Sgrena: Well.....er.....better. That's like $700,000 U.S.

Achmed:.....

Sgrena:......

Achmed:.......So?

Sgrena: Wouldn't you be able to fund more Iraqi 'Minutemen' to kill the Zionist-Crusader forces with like a trillion lira......???

Achmed:.......

Sgrena:...............

Achmed:You know we invented the zero, don't you?

Posted by: Rusty at 11:40 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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