عادت امرأتان إيطاليتان كانتا تعملان في مجال الإغاثة الإنسانية في العراق إلى بلدهما بعد احتجاز دام لثلاثة أسابيع في العراق. وبالرغم من الشعور العام بالارتياح لإطلاق سراحهما فإن هناك مخاوف من تصاعد الجدل بسبب ما يتردد بأن الحكومة الإيطالية قد دفعت أموالا إلى الخاطفين للإفراج عنهما.
Today, the two 29-year-old aid workers are Italy's national heroines. The delighted faces of Simona Pari and Simona Torretta smile from every newspaper. Arriving in Rome late last night to a jubilant crowd and tearful relatives, the women said they had been treated well by their captors during their three-week imprisonment. The identity of their kidnappers, though, is still unclear.
The abduction of the Italians, along with two Iraqi colleagues, was claimed by several organisations, and the circumstances of their release remain a mystery. A Kuwaiti newspaper which just days ago announced the impending release of the hostages, said a one million dollar ransom had been paid. "We didn't give in to blackmail," was the only comment made by an Italian government spokesman. But the Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has fuelled speculation that money might have changed hands. He talked about tireless negotiations and a difficult decision.
For many ordinary Italians transfixed by the drama of the two young women, the question of whether a ransom was paid doesn't seem to matter. Even Italy's political class, usually divided over the issue of Iraq, is for now united in relief and celebration.
Tamzin Smith, BBC, Rome
Heroines
نساء يقمن بعمل شجاع أو جيد يلقى إعجاب كثيرين
a jubilant crowd
جمع كبير من الناس يشعرون بالسعادة والنجاح
tearful
باكي
abduction
احتجاز غير قانوني أو اختطاف
the circumstances of their release
التفاصيل التي تحيط بكيفية الإفراج عنهما
ransom
مبلغ من المال يدفع مقابل الإفراج عن الشخص المختطف
give in to blackmail
الموافقة على التعاون مع مطالب الأشخاص الذين احتجزوا المرأتين
fuelled
جعل شيئا ما أكثر سوءا
money might have changed hands
t
أموال ربما دفعت إلى خاطفي الرهائن
tireless
بكثير من الطاقة ودون راحة
ارسل هذا الموضوع لصديق
نسخة سهلة الطبع
انقر هنا للاستماع للموضوع
