Paul Bremer Quotes
We don’t negotiate for hostages’ release.
Paul Bremer, U. S. Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism (Republican) Interview, NBC Meet the Press, April 11, 2004
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Islamic Religious Fundamentalist Terrorists in Algeria had kidnapped over 100 Western Hostages including some Americans. One of the terrorist’s “demands” was for the release of convicted murderers and terrorists in the United States. The official policy which she stated was not totally accurate. On several occasions, U. S. Officials or third parties representing them had “unofficially” negotiated with terrorists. In many cases this was a tactic to buy time and military action followed and in other cases unofficial ransoms were actually paid. The United States has had to contend with this problem with Islamic Terrorists and Pirates since the Thomas Jefferson Presidency when he argued against John Adams who wanted to pay the tribute while Jefferson preferred military action.
By paying kidnappers who hold Americans hostage for ransom, the United States would just be encouraging the kidnappers and produce more kidnapping. However in some hostage situation, especially with ISIS and other terrorists the refusal to pay ransom means a horrible and cruel death for the American kidnap victims. Many of the European nations tend to secretly pay the hostage takers just as they were will to pay the Barbary Pirates and Corsairs in the 18th century. There is no right answer other than to defeat the terrorists and put them out of business.
She served as the head of the Task Foce that the President asked to come up with better poliocies and procedures for coping with situations were Americans were being held hostage for ransom. The poliocy had been that the United States would not pay meny for hostages and it was a crime for the families and friends to do so. After the report, the government still would not pay terrorists for hostages, but the new policy allowed family and friends to do so if they wanted. A number of Amricans have been murdered when hostage money was not paid. Some argue that the government should pay the ransom lest life and death depend on the wealth of the family of the victim. Most terrorism experts argue against paying at all. In addition to encouraging the terrorists to take more Amercian hostages, the hostage money goes to the terrorists who use it to endanger and kill other Americans. There is no good answer to this situation.
Bosnian Serbs took United Nations peace keepers hostage in 1995.
In 1904 a naturalized American citizen, Ion Perdicaris, was kidnapped and held for ransom by Achmed Ben Mohammed Raisuli, a Moroccan warlord and descendent of the Prophet Mohammad. Raisuli had made a series of economic and political demands on the Sultan of Morocco who was dragging his feet in dealing with the problem. The administration ordered a naval warship to stand off the coast of Morocco and this ultimatum was dispatched to the Sultan of Morocco, and was read aloud from the platform of the Republican National Convention in Chicago which was in the process of renominating Theodore Roosevelt for a second term as president. Two days later Perdicaris was released. Kidnapping to intimidate has been a classic Arab terror political and quasi military technique as well as one for pure economic greed.
Advising of diplomatic negotiations in the Dominican Republic:
Clark had commanded the American and NATO forces in the Serbian War where all the military and political objectives were accomplished with heavy losses to the Serbian’s and none to the allied side—what many think was the most successful war in American History. Like Eisenhower in WWII one great challenge was the political and strategic one of keeping the coalition of all the allied governments working together. His perspective had been like Eisenhower and other officers in history was much wider and geopolitical than most military officers.
Lewis Paul "Jerry" Bremer III is an American diplomat. He led the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, from May 2003 until June 2004.
