Although the French have not yet surrendered to the terrorists holding their journalists hostage in protest against the headscarf ban, it seems that the employers of Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company has paid Muslim militants $500,000 in ransom to free seven of its employees.

In the end, a team of employees drove to an unspecified location and paid
US$500,000 - an immense fortune here - to secure their release, KGL chief
executive officer Said Dashti said.

'The kidnappers were not trying to make a political statement, they
were purely extortionists,' he said.

But it is a statement, isn't it? What do you think that half-mil is going to fund in the future? It's going to pay for more terrorist training in the Middle East, as if they didn't already spring from the womb knowing how to rig a bomb in a cell phone.

Somehow though, the thought of paying ransom isn't nearly as disturbing as taking one of the Bali bombers out for a latte.

A man convicted of involvement in the October 2002 Bali bombings has been
spotted enjoying a night out in Jakarta in the company of senior police
officers.

Ali Imron, who was sentenced to life for his role in the nightclub
attacks, which left 202 people dead, was seen enjoying coffee and food at a
Starbucks café in Plaza Indonesia, one of the country's most luxurious shopping
centres, the Detikcom online news service said.

I wonder how the families of the Bali victims feel about this. Over 200 people were killed the night bombers targeted the tourist district, which was full of English and American holiday-makers.