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Ok here goes and I'm likely to get crucified for this but I'll ask the question as the Billy Connolly thread is going full steam.

So the question is: Ken Bigley:

Do you feel sorry for him?

My answer is yes and no, fence sitter that I am.

Of course there has to be some sympathy as he must be going through hell waiting and waiting and a natural element of human nature is to show compassion. So yes I have a little sympathy.

However the answers also no.

He knew what he was getting into when he went to Iraq. There's a reason why the overseas workers are getting a fortune for being there. It's big time danger money, what with car bombings. kidnappings and general lawlessness. He knew all this before he went there because lets face it every foreign office is advising it's nationals from not going there under any circumstances.

So why did he go? So at 62 y.o. he could make a small fortune, which he knew he could make in a short space of time and that he could retire on it.

He knew the risks though. He had to weigh them up beforehand and he took the chance. His choice.

The people I really feel sorry for are his family in Liverpool. It must be hell for them.

Ok then feel free to crucify me but thats what forums like this are for. To have differing opinions.

I quite agree. People who step into fires know they might get burned, it's a risk that they choose to take.
Journalists are the worst offenders though, they go to make a name for themselves as roving ace reporters in these hell-holes and when it all backfires on them and some savage locals take them hostage they're made into saints by their wonderful colleagues, reporting from the frontlines "for us all"

there was a similar case yrs ago terry waite .

There have been hundreds of similar cases, especially in the middle east.
It happens all the time, hence the danger money, hence the obvious risk to those that choose to go.
Waites case was different to most though as he was on a religious peacekeeping mission, and not working for some corporate multi-national or trying to be a big-hitter on behalf of some foreign news centre.

i would never go for all the tea in china.

to put the same scenario into a rather cuter situation its abit like my dream.

id luv one day to have my own tiger/ big cat sanctury.
now we all know wild animals benefit from human help in certain situations but no matter how much u luv that huge fluffy lion - one day it could bite off ur head!


if i died like that i can honestly say id die happy. maybe in alot of pain but in a sort of trying to help but knowing what im getting the hell into way.

I take my hat off to anybody that is prepared to put their life on the line
in helping a War torn Nation re-build

The money aspect isn't a factor IMHO

Just because someone is being paid good money doesn't mean they are a mercenary and certainly doesn't mean they deserve to be beheaded

cheers
B....OZ

Thats better. Someone who disagrees. I put this topic up so as to get a range of opinions.

It is romantic of you to think he was helping a war torn nation but I doubt that very much. Maybe your right and if so then he's a much better and braver man than I'll ever be and no of course he doesn't deserve to be beheaded. No one does.

But as I said he knew the risks beforehand and made his choice. It's his family in scouse land that I feel sorry for.

As usual Magoo makes sense. There was also the UK jounalist who was siezed and released as he wasn't fair game, so lets be honest, the captors aren't all bloodthirsty nutters as the media portray, and some religions consider beheading as a luxury way to die.......... although I think thats Japanese or Bhuddists, not much comfort for Kens family.