Quote:
Originally Posted by Botnst
That is exactly what the KGB used when the son of a diplomat was kidnapped in Beirut in the 1970's, I think. KGB kidnapped the son of one of the kidnapper's family's, castrated him, sent his testicles to the kidnappers. No more Soviet citizens were kidnapped.
I can't imagine that the US Congress would look favorably on that kind of diplomacy, I know I don't. But it sure as hell is effective.
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That is why I believe that having the stones to use what is at hand can be more effective than having all kinds of gee-whiz tech that we are impressed by. You cannot impress me with say tickets to a sold out rap concert. However, Shania Twain concerts are totally different. You need to speak to them in a language they understand.
We tend to be stupid and talk to hostage takers instead of giving them 10 mins to come out or artillery will flatten the place. So, the next guy who wants to do it will say to himself "Yes, that is a good idea and if I plan better, I might get away with it even if the last guy didn't." You save the guys today but screw up more people down the line. If we had flattened a major Iranian city for every day the hostages were kept, we might not have such a problem. However, they know Americans are suckers and will get somewhere with them.