[WAPO] BLUF: Where Mr. Obama went astray was on the subject of paying ransom to kidnappers. He properly vowed not to alter the long-standing U.S. policy against it, and he clarified a point of confusion among the families: that the United States would not threaten to prosecute any family that does pay ransom. This would have been fine to say in private. But to make the announcement from the White House lectern was a potentially consequential mistake. Much of the latest kidnapping in Syria has been driven by money. European governments have paid millions of dollars in ransom. What will the kidnappers of the Islamic State think when they read that Mr. Obama won’t stop the families from paying up? Inevitably, the takeaway from the president’s announcement is that he has given a green light for cash to be paid.
The 'critical mistake' was made back in November of 2008. |