Most gruesome hostage slaying fails to move US media Neeta Maskey Washington DC, September 2: The massacre of 12 Nepalis was the largest number of foreign hostages killed at one time by Islamic militants in the US-led war in Iraq. The barbaric act stunned and left the Nepali people reeling with fury, grief and despair. But, it drew only muted reaction from the international community. Statements of shock and condemnation came from a few organisations like the United Nations and Amnesty International. Other than that, the killings were a footnote in world newscast. On the other hand, the plight of the two French journalists held hostage has drawn both international media coverage and condemnation from world leaders. Criticism came even from top Arab leaders, intellectuals and clerics, who often choose not to comment on such crises. Palestinian chief Yassar Arafat, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Libyan president Khadafi among others denounced the kidnapping, but were silent on the slaying of the Nepali workers. Here in the United States, the Nepali hostage massacre took a ýbackseatý to other news of the day. The kidnappers said the twelve Nepalis were killed for allegedly supporting the US-led war in Iraq. So, one would expect more sympathy from the US than anyone else. But there was little, if any, official US government reaction on the day the news broke. The story of the slain Nepalis was not headline news in America. The Russian and Israeli bombings, which occurred the same day, were perceived as far more important global issues for the US than the tragedy of a small, poor country. The story got pushed down even further in the news line-ups because of the Republican Party convention. It should be noted that the US mediaýs coverage of the slain Nepalis was markedly less than that of American businessman Nicholas Berg, who was beheaded a few months ago by his captors. Only within the past few years have world leaders acknowledged that more should have been done to prevent the 1990s genocide in Rwanda. Even former President Bill Clinton said that ýone of the greatest regretsý of his presidency was his inaction to stop the tragedy. Western powers did intervene, though belatedly, to stop the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. Human rights activists say the Rwanda crisis was ignored because it took place in a developing country outside Europe. One can see the same dynamic in the aftermath of the Nepali hostage tragedy. Had the 12 Nepalis been from a developed country, perhaps their deaths would have generated more global media coverage and outrage. The 12 Nepalis were expendable pawns in the anti-US insurgency. Mindful that Nepal is not a major player on the world stage, the kidnappers apparently concluded they could carry out the massacre without repercussions.