If they pay we kill them anyway

Guardian Unlimited reported Ghaith Abdul-Ahad meets the commander of a Shia death squad... the men were taken to Sadr City, the Shia slum to the north-east of Baghdad, where they were interrogated by a "committee" which ordered their execution. "We ask the families of the terrorists for ransom money," said Fadhel. "And after they pay the ransom we kill them anyway."

Why are they stupid enough to pay. They should pretend to pay, then kill whoever comes for the money. If their family member is going to die anyway, at least they will take revenge ahead of time.

Kidnapping in Baghdad these days is as much about economics as retribution or sectarian hatred. Another Shia man close to the Mahdi Army told me: "They kidnap 10 Sunnis, they get ransom on five, and kill them all, in each big kidnap operation they make at least $50 000, it's the best business in Baghdad."

Well at least it helps the economy. <tongue in cheek>

.... As the discussions for the new security plan were continuing, an Iraqi Shia official who belongs to another party told me: "We know that Moqtada [al-Sadr] and his men are responsible for all this mess but what can we do? We can't attack them, we can only talk to them. Its like having a mentally ill relative - you can't just throw him in the street."

You could put him into an insane asylm, or at least jail.