that's below the belt. i dare say that if your relative was kidnapped, you'd do anything possible to win their release. to suggest that the demonsration is soley to denounce italian participation in this war is bad journalism. no need to give it more credence that its worth.

While I'm no longer surprised by anything Europe does, I must note that 10,000 is a pretty lame protest by anti-American march standards.

Using a population figure of 3.8 million (source: Lonely Planet travel guide), a protest of 10,000 people means tht 0.26% of the city's population showed up. UPI is giving an attendance measure of 2,000, which would mean only 0.05% of the locals bothered to stop by to shake their fists for the cameras.

This is not a big protest, by any means. Could the poor dears be suffering from "protest fatigue"?

Percy,

Don't say it loud. The kidnappers might demand now a march of at least half million. And who knows what else. As in the old story of B. Shaw what remains now is the price only.

dinesh

you are missing the point. kidnappers of the terrorist kind don't get appeased or the outcome is more kidnapping and the ante gets upped. let's take it to the next level......what do you do next time when they ask that michaelangelo's art or the Vatican most be blown up?

your personalizing of this is simplistic.

Dinesh,

If my relative were kidnapped, I'd start up a fine old-world vendetta, and not cease until about a hundred of the terrorists were kaput. We don't feed trolls, and must not negotiate with terrorists. Remember when some of the Arabs tried terrorism on the Russians? The KGB made sure that a notable number of the terrorists' associates expired very painfully - possibly the only service to civilization that organization ever performed.

israel had a policy of no negotitions with terrorists....no sure if they stayed the course over the years.....whatever....bottom line: the scum are afraid of them.......that's all that matters.

you guys are all talk. israel's policy of not appeasing the terrorists really has worked--they never suffer from terrorists attacks.

talk is cheap. perhaps that's why you call yourself onecent.

d

again, dinesh you get it wrong. israel hasn't been negotiating or appeasing the scum that attack them with bomb vests on a regular basis. they live in tight proximity to terrorists unlike most of the rest of the world. i would hardly describe sharon's recent moves of decapitating hamas leadership as negotiating with terrorists.

what's your point, dinesh? i suspect you have at core anti-israel/us opinions waiting for an invitation to lay it all out for us. stop sniping and get your polemic out to us.

Actually, Dinesh, Israel's campaign of targeted assassinations and other tough measures has led to a reduction in terrorism. If anything, Israel restrains itself more than it wants to for fear of upsetting world opinion.

Unfortunately, Israel has all too often engaged in prisoner exchanges with a variety of terrorist organizations. Most recently under the supposedly hawkish Sharon government. When even the Israelis engage in this sort of appeasement I despair for the rest of us.

Insufficiently Sensitive has a great idea! Contract out the 'negotiating' to the Mafia. They have a lot of experience in this field. They can probably accomplish the desired results for way less than if the Gov't tries to do it. Maybe they'd throw in Arafat as a freebie.

I regret they have only one life to lose for their country.

The march makes it clear that various opponents of the war have different reasons for opposition.

1. Some are not against the goal of a democratic Iraq and not even against the use of armed force but they don't see it as doable.

2. Others, are against the use of armed force to accomplish such a goal.

3. And, still others are against the goal. (Religious nuts, fascists).

These Italians seem to be in the second category.

(And finally, 4. there are those who might support armed force to achieve the goal but not armed force by the USA alone. Just as some people might have supported the modernization of Afghanistan but not by the USSR).

canadian headhunter:

while people with different agendas joined the march, the bottom line is that the march was MANDATED by terrorists - organize a demonstration or hostages die.

that war opponents joined this coerced event speaks volumes about their naivete. their organizing an anti-war march is far different than terrorists planning it for them.

i'll ask again, when the terrorists, successful on this round, demand michaelangelo's nude art(or some symbol of western decadence) be destroyed next time, what are italians going to do? let's up it further, when the pope is required to perform some humiliating public act for hostage release, what are italians going to do?

examing who participated in this march is irrelevant. it pales beside WHO demanded the march.

i merely suggested that given this initial post by stefan was below the belt b/c he seems to suggest that relatives of hostages are "Europeasers" and that since none of us in their horrible predicament, it is unfair to judge.

onecent, your baiting tactics won't work. i'm not anti u.s nor am i anti israel--but i'm sure that won't stop you from smearing me as if i was. what's next, are you going to question my faith in god?

dinesh,

exactly how many relatives to these 3 hostages have? By my count it must be between 667 and 3333 relatives each. Not likely.