Greetings and Salutations.

On Thu, 13 May 2004 11:44:47 -0700,
wrote:

On Thu, 13 May 2004 15:47:48 GMT, Tom Veatch
wrote:

On Wed, 12 May 2004 23:29:31 -0700, wrote:


I think there's some back story we're not getting. for instance, what
the hell was he doing there?


According to the news reports I've read - for whatever they might be worth - he owns a small company and was hustling business for
that company - "looking for work".

any idea what that "work" was? there's too much doublespeak going
around for me to not be suspicious. it's like the use of "private
contractor" for mercenary. those guys ARE legitimate targets in
wartime, and considering that they commit the most obscene of the
atrocities, they will (and should) be prime targets.

I wondered this myself. According to several sources,
he was in the business of repairing communications towers,
and, apparently felt that Iraq was likely to have a lot of
opportunities for work.







According to those same reports:

1. He had been detained by the Iraqi police/US Military, who apparently were not satisfied with that explanation of his
presence.
I suspect that ANYONE foreign (and especially Westerners) who
are there and not attached to either a military or military contracted
operation are going to be suspect.

2. He was released by the US Military only after (his parents?) brought suit in Federal Court.

And according to some recent reports, he checked out as a
legitimate businessman on a valid mission.

3. Almost immediately (a couple of days?) after his release he dropped from view and reappeared in this video.

Frankly, when I heard, earlier in the week, that the military
had supposedly picked him up for suspicion of drug trafficking, my
first thought that was they decided, when they could not prove
anything, to go ahead and dump him out in the courtyard of either
one of the drug lords, or, one of the various fanatically anti-
drug factions...

I'd guess that whatever it was, it wasn't particularly aboveboard, nor
was it in the iraqi people's best interest....

Hard to say. Apparently he had a great sense of sympathy
for the Iraqi situation, and was actually trying to help them rebuild
their infrastructure.
While one never knows, there is no hard evidence so far that
he was anything other than what he said he was...a bright, technically
competent fellow who had a great taste for adventure, and, perhaps a
bit more idealism than was good for him.
It does not seem that this should, in any way, lessen the
condemnation of the fanatics who killed him, and their actions.
They have not helped their case in MOST of the world, although I
suspect that in several areas it is playing well.





My suggestion for anyone is to stay the Hell out of a combat zone if you don't absolutely have to be there.


absolutely.


I agree. It is just not wise to go into an area that is still
actively hostile, unless one has a fairly large gun, lots of ammo,
body armor, and, several buddies to watch one's back.
Dave Mundt