We are paying ransom now??

[Silverbullet28]

U.S. may pay ransom for hostages under new policy

Who's bright idea was it to enact this policy?? Are we setting ourselves up for more hijackings? :|

 

[b0mbrman]

<< U.S. may pay ransom for hostages under new policy
Who's bright idea was it to enact this policy?? Are we setting ourselves up for more hijackings? :| >>


Woah...change in policY?

 

[SinNisTeR]

this does suck!

make it policy, get the guy, change policy back

but seriously, it does suck :|:|:|

 

[DaiShan]

no, they said they are not going to pay ransom, but they will just try to get every american back.

 

[Silverbullet28]

<< The officials point to the October 2000 kidnapping of four American oil workers in Ecuador as setting the precedent for the policy shift. The hostages were freed after their companies paid millions in ransom.

However, the United States and local authorities in Colombia and Ecuador worked together to track down the kidnappers and recover the ransom.

The bottom line, said one senior Bush official, is that paying the ransom "worked" --even though it was not U.S. policy at the time. >>




Even thought they caught the kidnappers in this case... there is a possibility they could have gotten away. If we give kidnappers even the slightest idea they have a chance, however slim, to get away with something - won't that just give them more reason to try?

 

[exp]

This is a serious mistake.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

This might not be a mistake. Terrorists are less likely to kill a hostage if there is a real chance to collect a ransom. And they will have to show themselves in some way to try and collect it. But, I can see how this would also increase the motivation to kidnap someone in the first place.