Not that this should come as any surprise since President Obama had already instituted a policy of negotiating with terrorists during the Bowe Bergdahl trade, but the administration has officially declared that paying ransom for captives is perfectly legitimate policy.
Via CNN:
The White House will release on Wednesday a presidential directive and an executive order that will allow the government to communicate and negotiate with terrorist groups holding Americans hostages, a source briefed on the matter told CNN.
…The payment of ransoms to terror groups like ISIS and al Qaeda has long been tolerated, though it is technically illegal. The administration has looked the other way when families of Americans held overseas have paid ransoms.
Does this new order make it a lucrative venture for terrorists to kidnap Americans?
Did I just hear that the POTUS is going to sign an executive order making it profitable for terrorists to take U.S. hostages?
— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) June 23, 2015
After the release of five high-ranking Taliban members for Bergdahl, commanders from the organization admitted that the move had emboldened them to try and kidnap more Americans in the hopes of a trade.
So of course, adding funds to the negotiations will empower them even further, AND make it profitable for the terrorists to do so.
It wasn’t always like this for Obama, who in his 2008 campaign claimed anyone saying he would negotiate with terrorists was simply fear-mongering.
Barack Obama took exception to comments made by then President George Bush during a foreign policy speech. Bush announced that, “Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.”
Obama took the comments personally and released this statement in response:
“It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 6Oth anniversary of Israel’s independence to launch a false political attack. It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel. Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power — including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy – to pressure countries like Iran and Syria. George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the President’s extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel.”
Not only is the President willing to negotiate with terrorists, but those comments about “our stalwart ally Israel” and criticisms that Bush “strengthened Iran” look especially ludicrous in retrospect.
Just more proof that as a candidate, Barack Obama was willing to lie his way into the Presidency and is now reversing all of his ‘hope and change’ rhetoric.
