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| Europe |
| Germans figure out Downside of Ransom Cave |
| 2006-05-10 |
| Spiegel EFL Bräunlich and Nitzschke are unlikely to forget their ordeal anytime soon. The German government, for its part, will also spend some time facing public scrutiny over its decisions to spend such a large sum of money to save the two engineers' lives. It can count on widespread support within the population for its checkbook diplomacy. Seventy-six percent of Germans surveyed believe that the lives of hostages should take priority, even if it means that the millions spent will fall into the hands of terrorists and Islamists. But the end of the hostage crisis also marks the beginning of a debate over the extent to which German politicians should yield to extortion. It'll be an extension of the debate that's been conducted within the crisis task force in recent weeks and between Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier. Security officials are especially concerned that the affair could now mean that every German carries a price tag, and that the price placed on German hostages' heads is likely to balloon because their government is seen as being all too willing to give in to ransom demands. Indeed, that price inflation is already evident in the difference between the ransom of just under $5 million paid for the 14 Sahara hostages in 2003 and the sums the German government paid to gain the release of recent hostages -- more than $5 million for Susanne Osthoff alone, and the ransom it paid for Bräunlich and Nitzschke, which is reportedly much higher. Security officials foresee a dim future for Germans abroad, and many officials in the crisis task force share their views. "A country can afford to do this kind of thing, but only within limits," says a high-ranking administration official, "but the question is, when are those limits exceeded?" And yet no one in Berlin political circles can offer a better or alternative solution. The two hostages have been released from their trap, whereas the government now finds itself in a trap of its own. Are these guys really related to the guys who pulled off the Ardennes twice? TGA must be hemorraging. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #9 The best ransom is what Russia paid once. After some US hostages were taken in Lebanon, the bad boyz decided they would take some Russian hostages. The Russians counter-kidnapped the bad boyz Imam, then FedEx'ed a body part or two to the kidnappers, who were then so anxious to return the Russian hostages that they drove them to the Russian embassy. Every now and then, the Russians get it right. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-05-10 21:36 |
| #8 Security officials are especially concerned that the affair could now mean that every German carries a price tag, Seriously, it took you this long to figure this out? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-05-10 21:01 |
| #7 They'll have to offer layaway. Ha ha ha! LOL! hee hee |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-10 17:52 |
| #6 They can all stay home for all I care. They are more a member of a coalition of the sometimes says the right things than a coalition of the willing anyway. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-05-10 16:48 |
| #5 They'll have to offer layaway. |
| Posted by: Jomotle Phirt1354 2006-05-10 16:48 |
| #4 And a point when they are unwilling to let their citizens out of the country. It will certainly become too expensive for them to participate in the coalition of the willing. Auf Wiedersehen, Al-Emagne |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-05-10 16:44 |
| #3 What is Germany (or any other EU country) going to do when the ransom asked exceeds what they are willing to pay? Eventually the demands will reach a point where Germany cannot or will not pay. If they paid $5,000,000 for Susan Osthoff, and "much more" for the two engineers, the next kidnap victime will cost $20,000,000 or more. If the Germans pay that, the next victim will cost $50,000,000. If they keep paying, eventually there will be a kidnap victim which could cost more than the annual GDP for the country ($2.45 trillion). Somewhere before that, Germany will have to either let the hostages die, or go bankrupt. People can say that you can't put a value on a human life, but that isn't true. I don't know what the value is, but eventually Germany (and any other country) will reach a point where they are unwilling to pay. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2006-05-10 16:41 |
| #2 Next time a meet a German I will kidnap them. WARNING! If you are German, stay out of Minnesota. Now that I think about it, this may be a great way for the U.S. to get some funding for the WoT. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-05-10 16:29 |
| #1 $5 million?!?! Holy crap. Any german want to get kidnapped? I'll split the money with you after! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-10 12:30 |