Sunday, October 24, 2004
Involuntary embedding
Meanwhile, it has been reported that SBS journalist John Martinkus was kidnapped by terrorists militants insurgents and was subsequently released.
My sympathy goes to those who have been kidnapped by terrorists. I am glad he made it back to Australia safely.
However, I take a dim view of someone who says "There was a reason to kill (British hostage Kenneth) Bigley, there was a reason to kill the (two) Americans (kidnapped with Bigley). There was not a reason to kill me."
After such a callous comment (though not as bad as comments by Moore or Pilger earlier this year), others saying unkind stuff about why the terrorists let him live seems minor in comparison.
Sure, you can claim that John wasn't explicitly condoning the murder of Bingley or his associates. But if someone had came back from Nazi Germany saying that "There was a reason to kill Anne Frank", I expect people would regard such a comment as offensive.
All I can say about John's account of how he was kidnapped is hmmmmm. 25% more offensive than Tim Blair's one-word-gate! No, actually, I've got more to say. If he was lying, then it was uneccessary. Many people in such a situation would have done what the terrorists had told them.
And what happend to John's driver and translator? Are they just redshirts, extras whose fate we are not supposed to be concerned about?
My sympathy goes to those who have been kidnapped by terrorists. I am glad he made it back to Australia safely.
However, I take a dim view of someone who says "There was a reason to kill (British hostage Kenneth) Bigley, there was a reason to kill the (two) Americans (kidnapped with Bigley). There was not a reason to kill me."
After such a callous comment (though not as bad as comments by Moore or Pilger earlier this year), others saying unkind stuff about why the terrorists let him live seems minor in comparison.
Sure, you can claim that John wasn't explicitly condoning the murder of Bingley or his associates. But if someone had came back from Nazi Germany saying that "There was a reason to kill Anne Frank", I expect people would regard such a comment as offensive.
All I can say about John's account of how he was kidnapped is hmmmmm. 25% more offensive than Tim Blair's one-word-gate! No, actually, I've got more to say. If he was lying, then it was uneccessary. Many people in such a situation would have done what the terrorists had told them.
And what happend to John's driver and translator? Are they just redshirts, extras whose fate we are not supposed to be concerned about?
