India Mulls Evacuating 6,000 Nationals From Iraq: P.M.

[floda]

NEW DELHI, July 31 (AFP) - India said Saturday it is considering evacuating about 6,000 of its nationals from Iraq as a top dilplomat rushed to Baghdad in a bid to secure the release of three Indian workers held hostage by Islamic militants.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is attending a summit in Thailand, as saying a contingency plan is being finalised to bring home Indians in Iraq.

"The government is aware of the problems and all preparations are on the anvil," Singh told the news agency in Bangkok, adding everything possible was being done to secure the release of the three Indian truck drivers.

Meanwhile Indian Junior Foreign Minister E. Ahamed told reporters in New Delhi the government had sent Talmiz Ahmad, India's ambassador in Muscat, to Baghdad to negotiate the hostages' release.

more...

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=23491

[Bullshot]

1. As all of these countries withdraw from Iraq, you find out two things:

1. How small this "coalition" that Colin Powell touted really was. A couple hundred troops from one country here, a few-thousand from another.

2. How desperate things have become in Iraq, when people are pulling out because they don't feel they're in a favorable position in Iraq. It flies in the face of these arguments that we've "liberated" two countries under Bush and we're winning the war on terrorism.

[cliss]

2. Why were they there in the first place?

The Hindus know better. They have been pestered and hounded by Colon Bowel to supply peacekeeping troops. The idea was that their tanned skin would not be as obnoxious as white folks pointing a gun at the Iraqis.

I thought they said no to that hare-brained idea.

[fujiyama]

3. Most are there

because they work in companies in the middle east. A few weeks ago three Indians were taken hostage because they worked for a Kuwaiti trucking firm. Most of the work in Arab countries is done by outsiders.

The Indian government itself said it would not send any troops.

[Gin]

4. why not let Iraqi's work in their own country? what am I missing?

if it's a matter of trust...they get bombed already...so..take a risk and give the Iraqi's a chance to earn a living.....

am I being naive?

[Toots]

5. Shhhh... No Logic allowed in this Administration

Only Americans and their lackeys can do those type of jobs. We all know that Iraqis are third class people who don't know how to drive trucks and repair the infrastructure that they built in the first place. Only No-Bid Contract Halliburton is capable of doing those things. 70% unemployment in Iraq and we wonder why they question our motives....

[fujiyama]

6. Now I hope

you're not trying to say the Indian workers that were kidnapped were lackeys to this administration.

Most of those that are in Iraq are working in neighboring Arab countries because of the opportunity to make money and send it back home. There is no other reason. Many times these people are trapped by the corporations in those countries, having their passports confiscated, etc.

Now I agree that they're being foolish in taking a risk in going to Iraq in the first place, but there is no excuse on the part of the militants/insugents to kidnap civilians.

That said, it's time the US stopped outsourcing Iraqi's jobs to neighboring countries. Iraqis need to be employed.