Negotiate with terrorists?
It has been a long standing principle of the United States and most of its allies that we never negotiate with terrorists. Although there have been exceptions the recent kidnappings and gruesome murders by the insurgents in Iraq underscore that the policy is still adhered to rather dogmatically. The policy or at least the dogmatism should be reconsidered.
The general rationale, as recently repeated by Secretary of State Powell, is that to negotiate or capitulate in any way would be seen by the terrorists as a reward for their actions and encourage new atrocities. It is a logical assumption and all experience of human nature confirms this tendency. But that simple pschychological construct does not always serve us well. It should be considered on a case by case basis.
When we refuse any contact with the terrorists and refuse to talk to them, we leave them unexposed and feeling safe. We leave them to imagine that they only need increase their ferocity to push our government over the edge. They know that terrorism as a tactic has worked in the past. With the retreat of the U.S. Marines from Lebanon after a truck bomb killed more than 200 marines in their barracks and the retreat from Somalia after a loss of far fewer men they have not learned that atrocities are fruitless. They have learned that sometimes they actually win.
There is another way they win. This has to do with the goals of the terrorists and the goals of the government. The goal of the government is to create order. The goal of the terrorist is to create violent disruption. By the time an incident has occurred and some government official is announcing the tired old line about not negotiating with terrorists, they have won. They have publicity. They have proven their fierceness to themselves and to their comrades. Most of all they feel safe. Doesn't that all add up to encouragement to commit more offenses?
In the U.S. with an ordinary non-political kidnapping, nothing starts until the kidnappers get in touch and make their demands. The minute they do the investigation starts and some times the kidnappers are caught, often the victim is spared.
What if we sometimes did negotiate with the terrorists for instance over hostages? In order to speak to us they would have to expose themselves. We would learn something about them. We would have some small chance of a successful conclusion.
There are no guarantees either way. Our current policy is a failure.
Mel
5:59:54 PM 
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