Do we feel sorry for this guy?

[MarillionFan]

???Where does it say he earns 3k a day?????

[51st State]

This time they offer something more fair in terms of exchanges - 5 people (1 tech and 4 guards) in exchange for 9 of their own paramilitaries. This is not the kind of demand like take all forces out, effectively POW exchange.

Fair? Paramilitaries? POWs?

This is terrorism, not war so there are no rules of engagement here; just simple cowardice in the kidnap of non-combatants.

They should allow the exchange, and give the terrorists their "brothers" back. In small pieces.

[AtW]

Fair? Paramilitaries? POWs?

This is terrorism, not war so there are no rules of engagement here; just simple cowardice in the kidnap of non-combatants.

They should allow the exchange, and give the terrorists their "brothers" back. In small pieces.

He was providing technical support to the occupation force - he also had 4 bodyguards with him. These might not be technically military force, however they are auxiliary support - it is fair to exchange them to captured guerillas (who are also not full military) and exchange them on the basis one on one. They ask for 9 militias to be released for 5 of yours, this is almost close to a fair exchange (man for man), if they asked for 90 then it would be hard to achieve fair exchange but I am sure with negotiations it can be pushed to exchange these 5 fellows to 5 of captured militia.

All wars had POW exchanges - this should be no different, but the exchanges should be strictly fair: one man for another of similar rank.

[Ardesco]

He was providing technical support to the occupation force - he also had 4 bodyguards with him. These might not be technically military force, however they are auxiliary support - it is fair to exchange them to captured guerillas (who are also not full military) and exchange them on the basis one on one. They ask for 9 militias to be released for 5 of yours, this is almost close to a fair exchange (man for man), if they asked for 90 then it would be hard to achieve fair exchange but I am sure with negotiations it can be pushed to exchange these 5 fellows to 5 of captured militia.

All wars had POW exchanges - this should be no different, but the exchanges should be strictly fair: one man for another of similar rank.

Exchanges should never happen. If they know we will never do an exchange most of them will stop kidnapping people.

The answer is agree to the exchange and then send in the SAS to kill every last mother****ing one of them at the exchange site. They'll soon stop trying to do exchanges.

[HRH]

???Where does it say he earns 3k a day?????

He could well be on that in Iraq with his title. And even if he isn't its not as if you can piss your money away down the pub over their is it.....put it this way you can double you money (and more) if you see beheadings and kidnap as an ocupational hazard!

[AtW]

Exchanges should never happen. If they know we will never do an exchange most of them will stop kidnapping people.

There are rules for exchanges and this has been a common practice for thousands of years of warfare.

1) one man exchanged for another
2) the rank of exchanged men should be similar

In this case the exchange is almost fair - assuming ranks of militia they want to release is similar to those who got captured and IF negotiators get number down to 5: this would be fair and square exchange.

Your suggestion of ambushing them during exchange is as idiotic as ever - if the exchange is fair then it should go on, it happened over thousands of years of wars on this planet and if you want to change that rule then don't complain if they blow up themsevles to kill civilians.

If they kidnapped tourists or journalists then exchange would not be fair - however since this guy effectively worked for occupational force then he, in my view, and his bodyguards qualify for POW exchanges.

[snaw]

He's in Iraq, getting paid more than he would in the normal world. Either he's incredibly stupid, or he accepted the extra cash for the inherent risks involved in being there. He got unlucky. End of as far as I'm concerned, harsh but true.

[AtW]

End of as far as I'm concerned, harsh but true.

What about those guys in Great Escape, they also got unlucky and you would have been okay not to exchange them (if such option was available)?

[snaw]

What about those guys in Great Escape, they also got unlucky and you would have been okay not to exchange them (if such option was available)?

In wartime you don't go in expecting to get exchanged if you get captured. Hell if it was the Russians you wouldn't expect to be ever seen again ;-)

My point is he knew the risks of operating in a warzone, and got paid accordingly.

I got offered a contract (In house on a role I was on) several years ago to go to Saudi, just when they were running round chopping peoples heads off. Took me about 2ms to tell em where to go.

[Ardesco]

There are rules for exchanges and this has been a common practice for thousands of years of warfare.

1) one man exchanged for another
2) the rank of exchanged men should be similar

In this case the exchange is almost fair - assuming ranks of militia they want to release is similar to those who got captured and IF negotiators get number down to 5: this would be fair and square exchange.

Your suggestion of ambushing them during exchange is as idiotic as ever - if the exchange is fair then it should go on, it happened over thousands of years of wars on this planet and if you want to change that rule then don't complain if they blow up themsevles to kill civilians.

If they kidnapped tourists or journalists then exchange would not be fair - however since this guy effectively worked for occupational force then he, in my view, and his bodyguards qualify for POW exchanges.

He was a civilian, he is not a member of the military, doesn't have any military knowledge and is totally useless to the kidnappers.

This was kidnapping AtW, not a military force that surrendered and was captured as a result. If it was a military force captured then I would probably think an exchange was fair once hostilities had ceased, but in this instance we would be bowing down to kidnappers and encouraging everybody else in the country to grab some foreigners to get what they want.

Exchanging in these circumstances is lunacy. Kill the feckers who kidnap civilians so they don't do it any more is the correct response.