OT: Should we pay terrorists to free hostages?

[joec]

I was reading this article and thought it interesting that the data shows that terrorists groups/Al Qaeda specifically target citizens from countries like France, Spain, Austria since they are willing to pay terrorists for random.

[quote]
Negotiators believe that the Qaeda branches have now determined which governments pay.

Of the 53 hostages known to have been taken by Qaeda’s official branches in the past five years, a third were French. And small nations like Austria, Spain and Switzerland, which do not have large expatriate communities in the countries where the kidnappings occur, account for over 20 percent of the victims.

By contrast, only three Americans are known to have been kidnapped by Al Qaeda or its direct affiliates, representing just 5 percent of the total.

“For me, it’s obvious that Al Qaeda is targeting them by nationality,” said Jean-Paul Rouiller, the director of the Geneva Center for Training and Analysis of Terrorism, who helped set up Switzerland’s counterterrorism program. “Hostages are an investment, and you are not going to invest unless you are pretty sure of a payout.”
[/quote]

I’ve always been in the camp of never negotiating with terrorists. This is like the bully at school, keep letting them have their way and they will keep doing it.

The data now shows that even with less citizens from places like Austria, Spain, etc…in these regions than say the US, terrorists groups now specifically target these people since the millions these governments pay is worth more than a dead American (there are 300 million+ more where that’s from).

I’m sure if it’s a close family member, we’d probably all want to pay whatever (heck, it’s not even our own money), but in the end, to me, I suppose it was just their time to go and leave the world.

What’s really sad is after paying the tens of millions to these groups, they use all the funds to do more kidnappings and carry out more terror plots which kills more innocents.

They really should just do as the US government does and not pay, because in the end, a dead citizen is pretty worthless to the terrorists and equals just a dead person at the end of the day. Not paying probably saved another 100 lives actually…and, it won’t get them to try to keep and kidnap more people…or have the baggage of keeping a prisoner alive, feeding them, etc…

[CA renter]

It’s tough because it can be such an emotional issue. While it makes logical sense to not pay, can you imagine if the hostage was your spouse or child? I think I’d die trying to free them myself, if the govt didn’t help out. Must be excruciatingly heartbreaking.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=CA renter]It’s tough because it can be such an emotional issue. While it makes logical sense to not pay, can you imagine if the hostage was your spouse or child? I think I’d die trying to free them myself, if the govt didn’t help out. Must be excruciatingly heartbreaking.[/quote]

is it possible to just pay with counterfeit money that’s not such high quality?

[spdrun]

How about counterfeit money coated in a slow acting contact poison? Or a potent hallucinogenic drug?

[CA renter]

[quote=spdrun]How about counterfeit money coated in a slow acting contact poison? Or a potent hallucinogenic drug?[/quote]

My guess would be that they get rid of a lot of the money right away. Could be used for weapons, in which case the poison might be useful, but they might also be using the money to buy non-weapon goods and services in the open market. It wouldn’t be nice to poison the poor person who’s selling cucumbers and tomatoes at the market.

[svelte]

No payments period.

[CDMA ENG]

We should pay them very well…

Generously…

in 5.56 by 45 mm…

CE

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=CA renter][quote=spdrun]How about counterfeit money coated in a slow acting contact poison? Or a potent hallucinogenic drug?[/quote]

My guess would be that they get rid of a lot of the money right away. Could be used for weapons, in which case the poison might be useful, but they might also be using the money to buy non-weapon goods and services in the open market. It wouldn’t be nice to poison the poor person who’s selling cucumbers and tomatoes at the market.[/quote]

wait. maybe we could just pay them in shrooms.

[CA renter]

[quote=scaredyclassic][quote=CA renter][quote=spdrun]How about counterfeit money coated in a slow acting contact poison? Or a potent hallucinogenic drug?[/quote]

My guess would be that they get rid of a lot of the money right away. Could be used for weapons, in which case the poison might be useful, but they might also be using the money to buy non-weapon goods and services in the open market. It wouldn’t be nice to poison the poor person who’s selling cucumbers and tomatoes at the market.[/quote]

wait. maybe we could just pay them in shrooms.[/quote]

That would be preferable. 🙂

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=CA renter][quote=scaredyclassic][quote=CA renter][quote=spdrun]How about counterfeit money coated in a slow acting contact poison? Or a potent hallucinogenic drug?[/quote]

My guess would be that they get rid of a lot of the money right away. Could be used for weapons, in which case the poison might be useful, but they might also be using the money to buy non-weapon goods and services in the open market. It wouldn’t be nice to poison the poor person who’s selling cucumbers and tomatoes at the market.[/quote]

wait. maybe we could just pay them in shrooms.[/quote]

That would be preferable. :)[/quote]

shrooms are said to help with PTSD. i bet a lot of terrorists have some form of PTSD.

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic]

wait. maybe we could just pay them in shrooms.[/quote]

I guess it would be against our country’s policy, but, hypothetically, what if we…

Took all the prisoners in the war on terror. Gave them shrooms and music and a gentle sharing of thoughts on the oneness of all mankind. Then did the same, but with more shrooms. And again and again, until they shrieked with ecstatic joy over their love for their fellow man. And then turned them loose back to mingle with the other terrorists.

As my friend from West Virginia likes to say, “that might could work!”

Not really, but it was fun to think about.

[CA renter]

It would probably work better than what we’re doing now!

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=zk][quote=scaredyclassic]

wait. maybe we could just pay them in shrooms.[/quote]

I guess it would be against our country’s policy, but, hypothetically, what if we…

Took all the prisoners in the war on terror. Gave them shrooms and music and a gentle sharing of thoughts on the oneness of all mankind. Then did the same, but with more shrooms. And again and again, until they shrieked with ecstatic joy over their love for their fellow man. And then turned them loose back to mingle with the other terrorists.

As my friend from West Virginia likes to say, “that might could work!”

Not really, but it was fun to think about.[/quote]

why not do a test. Water board half the group. Put the other half on shrooms. Compare.

actual science says we should be giving our fuc ked up ptsd vets shrooms.

but hey were fighting a war on specific drugs we don’t like at the moment

[Author]

Posts