STEVE PIECZENIK TALKS

The American Policy of ‘No Negotiations With Terrorists’ Has Finally Devolved! Now a Simple Crime Whereby Criminals/Terrorists Extract Significant Ransoms from Hostages!

A recent article from the NYTimes,  July30, 2014, “Paying Ransoms, Europe Bankrolls Qaeda Terror” by Rukmini Callimachi (posted earlier),  describes in detail what different EU countries pay as an ‘insurance premium’ to Al Qaeda to ‘encourage’ them not to attack any of their respective citizens located anywhere around the world.  In particular,  the article mentions the following countries: Austria; France; Germany; Italy; Switzerland.

Similarly countries in the African Magreb as well as in the Arabian Peninsula—Yemen; Somalia; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; Oman; Jordan, et. al have paid off directly or indirectly all types of terrorist organizations through ‘cut-outs’,  intermediaries, or even ‘unofficial brokers.’  The amounts of money are significant,  ranging up to hundreds of millions to avert,  prevent, or attenuate a ‘hostage situation’.

Now before everyone becomes upset about this apparent violation of a long-standing American Policy of “No Negotiations With Terrorists”,  I have to admit that since I was one of the first senior National Security officials who had developed and instituted this policy in the in the mid-1970’s ,  America, in one way or another has been a major transgressor of this policy.  I will not go into any specific incidents or place the blame on any one administration, since I, too, had to circumvent the policy that I helped to create in order to save countless innocent administrative officials as well as Americans caught by accident in a ‘hostage situation’.

The article really forced me to reconsider what I have long felt and expressed to many of my national security colleagues over the past four decades that the policy had created more problems, wars and unnecessary conflagrations.  The policy really did not have as much of a deterrent effect as many of the TV pundits and so-called ‘academic scholars‘ annunciated.  Many studies had shown that terrorism could be best handled by official ‘police’ work rather than any military efforts, be it pre-emptive or consequential.

Even the Israelis over the past four decades had paid different terrorists groups for one or another reason.  Remember that I have reiterated in many of my past blogs,  that the Israelis have created and funded Hamas as well as other Sunni groups like ISIS.

Yes, the world of terrorism has not set rules—other than use ‘terror’ at will..  and in the case of Israel… AD NAUSEUM!

Then what does the imminent death of this antiquated ‘no negotiation policy’ mean?
Nothing. This policy had lasted a lot longer than I or anyone else,  had ever envisioned.  In truth,  the policy has run it’s natural course and now finds itself within the realm of the monetary imbroglios of international financing and insurance premiums.  Terrorism like most other endeavors in the 21st  century has become a very lucrative business for the so-called ‘experts’ who tell you how to handle ‘terrorism’.   Terrorism has been equally beneficial for the ‘gangsters who understand that taking a hostage is a very profitable enterprise.

Welcome the commoditization of ‘terrorism’.

Remember all the neocons who had created 9/11 both in the Clinton and Bush/Cheney Administrations: Cherthoff,  Woflowitz,  Hadley,  Zalmay Khalizad,  Condi Rice, Richard Perle,  Sandy Berger?  They now all have ‘consulting companies‘ to help Americans and the world to stop,  promote and benefit from the murder, capture and hostage taking of innocent victims.  Talk about creating a “market” for your services!

Now the Clintons and Bushs will run again in 2016 because they know how to protect us from the evils that their own family members created! 
  But no one went to jail.  So, America, think about it.

Just a policy went into extinction and no one was the worst for it ---except--- 3000 innocent Americans in the WTC and 6,000 American soldiers.