We've all heard about the politcally motivated kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq. That's no surprise in a country filled with people who literally have nothing to lose.
What is surprising are the rising numbers of kipnappings of ordinary Iraqi citizens, by an unlikely source: ordinary Iraqi citizens. Just like my previous post about women selling their bodies as prostitutes, people will go to amazing lengths to survive in desperate situations.
The police don't even respond to the kidnapping calls anymore. In fact a cottage industry has sprung up for "mediators" who live with the striken family and deal with the gangs of thugs who do the kidnapping, brokering a small part of the ransom for themselves. The ransom typically reaches into the tens of thousands of dollars, a fortune to most families.
Iraq has a completely lawless society with rules of its very own. Let's stop fooling ourselves. We are not keeping the peace in Iraq, there is no peace since we starting ruining their country.
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