August 7, 2013
When Ransoms Pay for Terrorism
Debaters
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Ransom Payments Lead to More Violence
Al Qaeda franchises will continue to spread chaos and violence unless we stop paying ransoms and figure out ways to dismantle their networks.
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‘Talk to Everyone With a Gun’
Aid workers can decrease kidnapping chances by cultivating relationships with local actors through a process called active acceptance.
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With Somali Pirates, Pay the Ransom
More shipping companies are following a set of guidelines to avoid getting hijacked. But if it happens, they pay.
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Negotiations Reveal Valuable Intelligence
Information about a terrorist network's chain of command and method of operations can be gleaned from hostage talks.
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A Failure of Strategy in the Sahel
While Western countries debated about what to do in the Sahel, extremists were busy financing their expansions through ransom payments.
Introduction
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images An image released by Al Andalus, the media branch of Al Qaeda in the Magreb, shows two French hostages: Serge Lazarevic, left, and Philippe Verdon, whose body was found last month. Militant organizations in North Africa, including those affiliated with Al Qaeda, have received some $120 million in ransoms over the past decade, enabling terrorist networks to expand. A foiled Qaeda plot disclosed in Yemen this week would have raised the stakes further: seizing a port and kidnapping foreign workers.
Most countries forbid negotiating with terrorists and kidnappers, but when a loved one’s life is at stake, it’s easy to find loopholes. Should ransoms ever be paid? What can be done to deal with this growing crisis in North Africa?
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