President Obama has
outlined new policies that will make it easier for families of Americans held
hostage to pay ransom to terrorists to help free their loved ones. This is in
contravention of the long-held U.S. belief that negotiating with terrorists would
place Americans abroad at greater risk.
No formal changes are yet being considered
to a law prohibiting material support for terrorists, though the Justice
Department indicated it will simply ignore the law in the vast majority of
situations.
The
administration’s decision allows families to take actions the U.S. government
technically will not, and is likely to endanger more Americans, at home and
overseas, as critics of the policy such as John Boehner, R-Ohio, have argued.
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Despite
the aforementioned law prohibiting material support for terrorists, the Obama
administration did negotiate with the Taliban last year, exchanging five
Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been captured
after deserting his post in Afghanistan.
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