Saturday, October 02, 2004
You almost have to feel bad for the mainstream media when reality just doesn't follow the script that it likes. It turns out the two Simonas have minds of their own, and one can almost hear the far off murmur of a thousand TV producers cancelling a thousand TV interviews. Maybe they can just get Jessica Lynch to fake an Italian accent and trot her around again?
Simona Pari and Simona Torretta were Italian leftists working for an aid organization with a history of opposing US policy in Iraq, in particular the murderous sanctions. They were kidnapped by extremists for several weeks and recently released. But unfortunately for propagandists everywhere Simona and Simona underwent no conversion experiences during their ordeal, and are putting their celebrity to good use, coming out swinging at the US, the occupation, and the Allawi administration. Here's some recent statements from Simona Toretta: (from here and here)
The Iraqi people have every right to resist the US-led occupation forces until liberating their homeland ... I said it before the kidnapping and I repeat it today.
You have to distinguish between terrorism and resistance. The guerrilla war is justified, but I am against the kidnapping of civilians.
The first four days [of dentention] were difficult ... They said to us: We oppose the occupation. Italy is part of a military force directed by the Americans, and so you are our enemies
During my days in detention I came to the conclusion it will take decades to put Iraq back on its feet.
If a ransom was paid, then I am very sorry. But I know nothing about it. I believe that [the captors] were a very political, religious group and that in the end they were convinced that we were not enemies.
She also called for Italy to withdraw from Iraq and said that the Allawi administration is"a puppet in the hands of the Americans."
Such statements have led to Italy falling out of love with the two Simonas. Their crimes included thanking their captors in Arabic for their release on al-Jazeera and thanking Italy's Islamic community for its help in working for their freedom before the government or the Italian Red Cross. So the Italian press in no longer calling Simona and Simona the "daisies of peace" and instead they're being attacked by politicians for their "fanaticism". Something tells me the two Simonas are not very concerned...
