Terror

The South Korean who was beheaded in Iraq today died like a dog, "heav(ing) his shoulders, his mouth gaping open as if sobbing and gasping for air." One of the Italian guys who was killed a couple months ago was more defiant, reportedly shouting, "I'll show you how an Italian dies!"

The Korean was merely a translator and reportedly a devout Christian; the Italian a former nightclub bouncer, therefore someone used to putting up a tough front.

I guess the crux of the matter is, does it really matter whether you die with some "honor" (as the Italian prime minister termed it) still intact? If it's true that terrorists are primarily interested in intimidation by proxy, in literally terrorizing people, then the answer is yes.

I think it's significant that the beheading craze began after the Italian's defiant stand. His captors didn't get the right kind of manipulated response out of him; in fact, his performance probably increased Italian resolve, such as it is, to stay in Iraq.

The Italian operated out of a certain sense that the worst possible thing that could happen was that he would be shot; the Korean knew that other hostages had had their heads chopped off alive, like chickens. Perhaps his captors even showed him videos of earlier beheadings, the better to increase his fear. So you can hardly blame the guy for losing it.