Blair Says Ready to Open Contact with Iraq Captors (Italy pays $1m)

[nostalgicaboutmyfutr]

Every soldier, worker and journalist is now worth $1m....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20040929/ts_nm/iraq_dc

BRIGHTON, England/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) said on Wednesday he was ready to open up contact with captors of a British hostage in Iraq (news - web sites), shown on video begging Blair to save his life.

snip

The French mediator said a condition for the journalists' release was for U.S. forces to provide safe passage between the rebel towns of Falluja and Ramadi.

snip

But while most Italians were simply delighted that "the two Simonas" were safe and well, there was controversy over reports Rome paid a $1 million ransom to win the women's freedom -- the kind of response Iraqi officials said would promote kidnappings.

snip

The chairman of the Italian parliament's foreign affairs committee confirmed media reports of a ransom.

snip

"Yes it was paid, it was right because the life of the two girls was more important than the money. I think it was paid by the intelligence services," Gustavo Selva, a member of the ruling center-right coalition, told Reuters.

[movonne]

1. And they will use the money to kill our soldiers....