On the one hand, good riddance (we can hope) to an inhumane and thoroughly worthless “policy”…
Families of American hostages who communicate with foreign kidnappers or raise money and pay ransoms will no longer have to fear prosecution for aiding terrorist groups, a White House-ordered advisory group on U.S. hostage policy is expected to recommend, senior officials told ABC News last week.
“There will be absolutely zero chance of any family member of an American held hostage overseas ever facing jail themselves, or even the threat of prosecution, for trying to free their loved ones,” said one of three senior officials familiar with the hostage policy team’s ongoing review.
The study undertaken by the National Counterterrorism Center on orders from the Obama White House has involved interviewing many of those with tragic experience such as the parents of journalist James Foley, who were among several families alleging they were repeatedly threatened by administration officials with prosecution last summer for moving to raise millions in ransom demanded by ISIS and other groups in Syria …
Diane Foley, James Foley’s mother, told ABC News last September her family was “told very clearly three times that it was illegal for us to try to ransom our son out and that we had the possibility of being prosecuted.”
“We felt compelled. We had to attempt to raise money… What would anyone do? Give me a break,” she said in the interview last year. “We don’t want other American families to go through what we have.”
Foley said Saturday that with the new policy, which officials discussed with her last week, it seems the government is “trying to make it right in their way.” …
The hostage policy review team is headed by Army Lt. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, a former commander of the elite Delta Force counter-terrorism unit, and his NCTC staff. He told the Daily Beast last week that “we can do better” at informing hostage families about developments in their cases, which has been another criticism by the Foleys who complained they were kept in the dark during their son’s captivity…
On the other hand, it seems like one more data point on the privatization of government. You want ISIS to release your loved one? Go ahead, clean out the 401(k), do some community fundraising — establish their fair market value! Just don’t count on Tha Gubmint to bail you out, ya leech…
Late Night Open Thread: Another Win for Private EnterprisePost + Comments (32)