Should the Irish government pay $2 Million ransom for Irish aid worker

Morlar

This poll is self explanatory but here is the background ;

http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/commins-kidnappers-demanding-2m-ransom-418636.html


The kidnappers of Irish aid worker Sharon Commins are reportedly demanding a $2m (€1.43m) ransom for the release of the Dubliner and her Ugandan colleague, Hilda Kiwuki.

The pair were kidnapped from a GOAL compound in Darfur on June 3.

Sudan's Humanitarian Affairs Minister is quoted in news agency reports today saying the kidnappers have demanded a $2m (€1.43m) ransom, but the Sudanese government is determined not to pay the money.

The Sudanese authorities are negotiating with the kidnappers and have said that they expect the pair to be released "shortly".

Ms Commins has been in touch with the Irish officials to confirm that she and Ms Kiwuki are safe and in good health.

Both GOAL and the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to make any comment on the reports today.

Read more: http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/commins-kidnappers-demanding-2m-ransom-418636.html#ixzz0LEtTT3YF&C

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I am inclined to say no, that aid workers who volounteer to travel to areas like that have no one but themselves to blame. Also if we start paying ransoms it will undeniably put more lives at risk and lead to more hostage taking in parts of africa where charity is not appreciated.

However having said that her family are Irish citizens and deserve some kind of state protection. The chances of a military intervention seem to be 0% at the moment due to our non exsistent military budget so aside from money there may not be many options to get her out alive and in one piece.

Helix

The charity should pay

no

TestTransmission

Chuck Norris would only cost 50,000 to go in and get it done

Dan Chipowski

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

Let GOAL pay for it, or preferably John O'Shea.

Holsten

Military intervention.

ejmaztec

It would be more worthwhile to give the money to some armed to the teeth Rambo Psychopath, so that he can go over and tear the kidnappers' entrails out with his bare hands. He'll have to be reminded not to do the same to the hostages.

K4t

It's only €1.43m. Not €2m.

Yeah pay it. What's a million here or there at this stage anyway ffs. :rolleyes:

CutzEr

Abortions for some

Morlar

The charity should pay

K4t wrote: »

It's only €1.43m. Not €2m.

Yeah pay it. What's a million here or there at this stage anyway ffs. :rolleyes:

You are right, (my dollar key is now a euro key for some reason). 2 million dollars - or €1.43 million euros.

whatawaster

No we should not pay the ransom

I said "Yes", but wonder can we just get the Irish woman released for half price?

Slow Motion

Maybe Bono could dip into one of his offshore accounts.

Degsy

Get Bono to pay the ransom,she shouldnt have been there in the forst place.

Edit
Curse you slow motion

DrumSteve

send in the army rangers.

WIZE

No Give them property investment bonds

wudangclan

nah,let her sit it out for a week or two.
the price'll come down.

Agent Smith

No.

pablomakaveli

How about we trade her for Fianna Fail. They probably won't know enough about Fianna Fail to realise what a crappy deal it is.

Dinter

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

Paying 2 million for a charity worker will just lead to charity workers getting an inflated sense of worth. You'll have chuggers on the street kidnapping themselves as a retirement plan.

threeleggedhors

How much are they looking for the other captured woman out of interest ?

Send Michael O'Leary in for negotiations, then pay up, shut up

Morlar

The charity should pay

I also voted no. Even after thinking about it.

But god forbid she ends up being killed (for example gruesomely on video) would that NO vote still be the right choice for everyone who votes no ?

I think it's a very difficult question.

The Irish government wastes more than that amount daily in welfare fraud, healthcare waste, public sector waste, increased costs for medicines, consultants reports, etc etc. If we do not pay it (and the charity plead poverty and also do not pay), and her body turns up some day soon I would hate to be in the shoes of the person who had to explain this to her family.

ScumLord

wudangclan wrote: »

nah,let her sit it out for a week or two.
the price'll come down.

Exactly we need to haggle, offer them €5000.

kmick

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

I would imagine GOAL have insurance for this kind of thing. Let the insurance people sort it out.

I can imagine the converstion.
Kidnapper:Hello kidnapper here send money via western union
Insuarance Agent: OK can I have your customer no. please.
K:I will shoot
IA:Im sorry sir I'll have to put you through to a supervisor
<Greenfields plays deafeningly loudly>
IA Supervisor: Hello sir can I have your customer number please.
K:<Screaming>I kiiiilll
IA Supervisor: Now sir, personal abuse will not be tolerated please hold
<Greenfields again>
Repeat ad naseum until kidnapper shoots self.

Slow Motion

Degsy wrote: »

Get Bono to pay the ransom,she shouldnt have been there in the forst place.

Edit
Curse you slow motion

I must admit I knew you would jump in with that, sorry for stealing your thunder

Degsy

Dinter wrote: »

Paying 2 million for a charity worker will just lead to charity workers getting an inflated sense of worth. You'll have chuggers on the street kidnapping themselves as a retirement plan.

Or all the other chugger lowlifes could band together and form a crack squadron to parachute in there and get her out...with any degree of luck they'll land on a minefield.

robby^5

No we should not pay the ransom

Yes, we'd all want the same if it was someone we hold dear.

My name is URL

The charity should pay

**** no.

Organize a whip-around or something but the tax-payer has better things to be forking out on

Morlar

The charity should pay

robby^5 wrote: »

Yes, we'd all want the same if it was someone we hold dear.

So say we pay it and assuming she is returned home safely.

So when another Irish aid worker is kidnapped next week and they demand $5 million, what would you say to that family ?

They will say that their child would not have been kidnapped were it not for the first ransom being paid and that the Irish govt can not discriminate against them while washing their hands of any responsibility.

Riordan123

No we should not pay the ransom

I think the goverment has wasted alot, so what will another 2m do?? (Not that it is a waste)

Degsy

One Rule of diplomacy is never,ever pay a ransom...pay it once and you set a precedent.
It becomes a cash-crop then and lets people think they're getting rewarded for kidnapping people.

nice1franko

I think they should but it should be presented in such a way that some wealthy friends paid up.

That way the person gets saved and all us paddies don't end up with walking around with 2 million dollar bounties on our heads.

threeleggedhors

Hanniball, Face, Murdoch and B.A.

mehmeh12

Exactly where will this ransom money come from? and if we do pay, whats to stop this from happening again? Is she really worth this much?

Dinter

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

If the situation out there is bad enough that GOAL have to intervene in the first place then surely we could bargain the kidnappers down to a bag of Odlums and a jar of Bovril. Everyone's gotta eat.

CutzEr

Maybe we should offer them delicicous cake?

K4t

mehmeh12 wrote: »

Is she really worth this much?

Hmm, I'd give her a 7/10.

Trinity

no, its like a bold child, ya give in to their demands once and your fcuked, its an open invitation if you negotiate

poor girl all the same, i'm sure my answer would be different if i knew her personally though, maybe

Squiggle

Riordan123 wrote: »

I think the goverment has wasted alot, so what will another 2m do?? (Not that it is a waste)

Paying the kidnappers will show other like minded tossers that kidnapping pays !

genericguy

ireland's military is a joke - i'd personally be more comforted knowing that bosco was coming to rescue me. on the other hand though, i'm surprised our government hasn't already put together a committee with ten boffins on salaries of 200k+ each to determine the best course of action.

Squiggle

Trinity wrote: »

no, its like a bold child, ya give in to their demands once and your fcuked, its an open invitation if you negotiate

poor girl all the same, i'm sure my answer would be different if i knew her personally though, maybe

+1

Niall Keane

€1.43m = 47.66 salary years at €30,000 per anumn. Just hire two more "volunteers".

TheZohanS

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

robby^5 wrote: »

Yes, we'd all want the same if it was someone we hold dear.

Oh noes, I haz been kidnapped too.

€2 million please.

I will forward you the account details.

K4t

Trinity wrote: »

poor girl all the same

Ms Commins has been in touch with the Irish officials to confirm that she and Ms Kiwuki are safe and in good health

She's fine. :pac:

K4t

TheZohan wrote: »

Oh noes, I haz been kidnapped too.

€2 million please.

I will forward you the account details.

Where are you? Nigeria?

Cliff Barnes

Can swap her for Mary Harney ?

Everyone wins on thios side anyway

spadder

DrumSteve wrote: »

send in the army rangers.

But a clandestine operation, so the bleeding heart liberals won't be moaning.

TheZohanS

military intervention in some form, either Irish or friendly ally

K4t wrote: »

Where are you? Nigeria?

I'm not sure, but it's dark.

They're treating me ok but they have said if the €2m is not paid they wo

I_am_Jebus

Send in Liam Neeson and his tough talking fists

He could go in all hardcore like a bondesque character ala Taken

Or dress as a priest and go in Gangs of New York style.

Either would entertain me.

My name is URL

The charity should pay

Does Ireland even have a single fighter jet should things ever kick off?

rossie1977

genericguy wrote: »

ireland's military is a joke - i'd personally be more comforted knowing that bosco was coming to rescue me.

the irish men and women serving in our armed forces are anything but a joke, many of them have risked their lives and died over the years serving in such sh*tholes as liberia, congo, somalia, rwanda, east timor, yugoslavia (during the balkans war) and some are currently serving in afghanistan

Clarehobo

Either send in the Rangers or use that €2million to hire a crack squad of mercenaries (Steven Segal, Chuck Norris, etc..) to free the hostages, while killing the captors

Paying the kidnappers(they will kidnap again and spend the ransom money on guns to kill our soldiers out there): €2,000,000
Killing the captors, solving the problem and any future problems associated with them: Priceless

Morlar

The charity should pay

My name is URL wrote: »

Does Ireland even have a single fighter jet should things ever kick off?

But we are not at war with anybody silly ! Everybody likes the Irish, so who needs a military anyway ?

(thinly veiled sarcasm)