Just say no to Terrorist | The Coffeehouse

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

"South Korea paid Afghanistan's Taliban more than $20 million to release 19 missionaries they were holding hostage, a senior insurgent leader said on Saturday, vowing to use the funds to buy arms and mount suicide attacks."

Now I'm not trying to start anything political here....but does anyone think this was a good idea in general?

dahat

Nay... and what's worse this is not the first time we've seen this happen, either by the governments of the kidnapped persons or by their families.

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

dahat wrote:
Nay... and what's worse this is not the first time we've seen this happen, either by the governments of the kidnapped persons or by their families.

It's a horrible position to be in...to look at it roundly.

1. [goverment] doesn't meet demands, people die, goverment gets blammed for not doing enough.
2. [goverment] meets demands, gets stigma as working with terrorist.
3. [goverment] sends in military action Delta Force, Special Forces, Force Recon, etc...gets pounded in the world forum as being heavy handed and risking lives...

Tough card, though I doubt South Korea will get any respect from now on.

dahat

Agreed. One question that must be asked about this is 'what happens next time?'

What are the chances that the Taliban will avoid taking any more South Korean hostages as they've already made a deal with them... or are they now more likely to target South Koreans as they know they can be ransomed for ~$1 million each?

DigitalDud

Agreeing to their demands is easily the worst decision you could make. They've just made the situation even worse for the future.

Lloyd_Humph
If Blackberrys are addictive cellphones, Channel9 is the ultimate addictive website.

I agree with DigitalDud. If they want to take hostages again, they know the gov't is likely to pay out.

I thought there was zero tolerance for terrorists, and that they didn't negotiate...

Maddus Mattus
Do, or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

Lloyd_Humph wrote:
I agree with DigitalDud. If they want to take hostages again, they know the gov't is likely to pay out.

I thought there was zero tolerance for terrorists, and that they didn't negotiate...

Who decided for the entire world that we have zero tolerance against terrorists?

I agree with Cybermagellan, doenst matter what you do. It's always the worst evil choice of those 3 choices.

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

Lloyd_Humph wrote:
I agree with DigitalDud. If they want to take hostages again, they know the gov't is likely to pay out.

I thought there was zero tolerance for terrorists, and that they didn't negotiate...

With the US I believe it's that way....(Unwritten rule)....but...this isn't the US.

The short amount of time I spent in South Korea (1 Yr) the culture is different. After invasion by the Chinese, Japanese, and the North...the South is pretty tired of being "dominated" in any way. SK has a big problem with reunification efforts that are demonstrated by college students who don't realize what life would be like under the North's rule. Considering all they see is Pyongyong which is a goverment sponsored model city they have a hard time imagining what their lives are like "with war", but the elders have great respect for "war efforts" because they remember how it benefitted(s) them.

Give then fact that if 19 or so "missionaries" were killed after being "neglected" by the goverment (had they not paid the "ransom") then SK would be under bigger goverment turmoil. I imagine they probably thought they were doing the right thing locally, but they made the situtation worse for everyone (IMO).

littleguru
<3 Seattle

Well... it's easy to say it when you aren't involved. What if the terrorists would have kidnapped you? Would you still say the same?

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

littleguru wrote:
Well... it's easy to say it when you aren't involved. What if the terrorists would have kidnapped you? Would you still say the same?

Can't there be some "third-way" out of this?

Like pay the ransom, but it isn't real. Or use an escrow... but the escrow is in cahoots with SK and don't give the t'rrists the money.

Or just have a disclaimer that says the SK government will not bargain for anyone's life with said hostage-takers so they advise against going into the middle east.

Despite what can be said a "moral obligation", this really isn't SK's war.

MikeeeG
Only the few against the many

My suggestion is to call out the terrorists onto the world stage and confront them. Let them make fools of themselves for all the world to see. One consolation is ,if they do take the bait , they may be as dumb as farm animals. Of course, one drawback is that thay will see themselves as being legitimized and that is not acceptable.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

dahat wrote:
Nay... and what's worse this is not the first time we've seen this happen, either by the governments of the kidnapped persons or by their families.

I admire your bravery, your willingness to martyr someone else's family members. You're special!

z2bass
AH!

How would you feel if you were being held hostage by Islamic extreamests? Anything to preserve human life!

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

z2bass wrote:
How would you feel if you were being held hostage by Islamic extreamests? Anything to preserve human life!

Even if that means endangering even more human lives in the future?

z2bass
AH!

If someone can save one person, it's worth it.

And I'm not quite sure that would allow them to kidnap people in the future.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

z2bass wrote:

If someone can save one person, it's worth it.

If someone is sacrificing 20 other people to save one person, it's worth it?

z2bass wrote:

And I'm not quite sure that would allow them to kidnap people in the future.

When they find out that governments pay millions of dollars whenever they threaten to kill someone? Of course they will.

dahat

Minh wrote:

dahat wrote: Nay... and what's worse this is not the first time we've seen this happen, either by the governments of the kidnapped persons or by their families.

I admire your bravery, your willingness to martyr someone else's family members. You're special!

And I admire your inability to ever deal with an issue seriously and instead only possess the limited ability to tell jokes about it when you have nothing intelligent to say.

Seriously, grow up.

dahat

In related news, Reuters is reporting that the Taliban has vowed to step up kidnapping and killing of foreigners. Wonderful.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

dahat wrote:

And I admire your inability to ever deal with an issue seriously and instead only possess the limited ability to tell jokes about it when you have nothing intelligent to say.

Seriously, grow up.

It's great that you're willing to take on weighty subject of terrorist hostage taking on a electronic forum. With your mighty intellect, I think soon, you'll have the problem licked.

What's next for you? Let's tackle cold fusion! Seriously!

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

dahat wrote:
In related news, Reuters is reporting that the Taliban has vowed to step up kidnapping and killing of foreigners. Wonderful.

Oh noes!!!! Those dastardly Talibans. If only S. Korea hadn't paid that ransom, then those Talibans would've continued their Ostritch farming lifestyle.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

Geeze Minh, lighten up already.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

Bas wrote:

Geeze Minh, lighten up already.

OK!

dahat

Minh wrote:
It's great that you're willing to take on weighty subject of terrorist hostage taking on a electronic forum. With your mighty intellect, I think soon, you'll have the problem licked.

What's next for you? Let's tackle cold fusion! Seriously!

Minh wrote:
Oh noes!!!! Those dastardly Talibans. If only S. Korea hadn't paid that ransom, then those Talibans would've continued their Ostritch farming lifestyle.

You never stop amazing me with propensity for petty bickering and complete lack of rationality or maturity.

Of all of the posts in this thread you only criticize mine and contribute nothing but sarcasm... a well established pattern of yours with regards to my posts around here. Sure sounds like trolling to me.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

dahat wrote:

You never stop amazing me with propensity for petty bickering and complete lack of rationality or maturity.

Of all of the posts in this thread you only criticize mine and contribute nothing but sarcasm... a well established pattern of yours with regards to my posts around here. Sure sounds like trolling to me.

So, that's a "no" to cold fusion, then?

Me -->

Xaero_Vincent
Sexy me

That $20 million can be used to buy more weapons and strengthen the terrorist organisation.

Very bad move indeed.