BIG BUSINESS? Should America Cough Up for Hostages?
Should America pay a ransom to release hostages? According to reports, before the death of captured American journalist James Foley, ISIS sent a list of demands to America in exchange for his release. The demands included a multi-million dollar ransom, that obviously the U.S. did not pay.
Kidnapping westerners has become big business for terrorist organizations. Many Europeans who were captured were released after their country coughed up millions in ransom money in exchange for their lives. France lead the charge by paying out at least 58 million in ransom payments since 2008. Oddly enough, France also leads the charge in the most hostages captured around the world.
These savages are also demanding prisoner swaps, something of which Obama is very familiar with already. Earlier in 2014, Obama swapped the deserter, Bowe Bergdahl, for five top Taliban leaders. A practice that isn’t acceptable in the eyes of many Americans and the world. Many were thinking aloud, “America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists!”
What message did negotiating send to terrorists across the Middle East? It said, America is equal to you. That the playing field is somehow level and you are legitimate and relevant. It will also lead to future kidnappings if the terrorists know that the U.S. is willing to play patty cake with them.
The truth of the matter is, other than America and Britain, European countries have made it common place to pay millions to terrorists. It’s quickly becoming a means to generate a lot of cash fast. Al Quaeda has managed to rake in over $125 million in ransom payments over the last five years. This is not only an enticing scenario to make money, but kidnapping is a low risk, easy way to make bank.
Generating money isn’t the only reason for kidnappings. It’s also to breed terror and strike fear into the hearts of the infidels. If you don’t convert, we will kill you. Not just kill you, but we will do it in a way that will be brutal and barbaric releasing it on video for the world to see.
Perhaps paying a ransom for a hostage is so there is a chance that the hostage doesn’t end up like Foley. The truth is, even if it were paid, the chance of the terrorist taking the money and killing the hostage anyway, has a high probability making it a useless strategy. If America really wants to give the right impression to a terrorist organization, turn them into glass! Make them meet our airplanes and smart bombs up close and personal. Turn them into glass and guaranteed, the rats will think twice before kidnapping another westerner!
Image: http://groundreport.com/stop-spending-good-money-after-bad-in-afghanistan-said-rep-lee/
