We should negotiate with anyone, anywhere if we can save a life, save a village, make peace...
Not negotiating hasn't ever worked.

prosecute the Iran-Iraq War in order to pry seven hostages out of Lebanon who were being held by what can only be called terrorists.

So, yeah, whatever...

of course, he did try to negotiate with them, but he was foiled at every turn, including, allegedly, illegally and immorally, by the reagan/bush team.

reagan then popularized that mantra while giving huge gifts to terrorists and conceder-in-chief.



saying you don't negotiate with terrorists is one of those knee-jerk, gut instinct, sounds good slogans. at best it's an unrealistic bargaining position that eventually you have to violate. some think starting off with an extreme bargaining position is good, as a first step; but, proving as your second step that you can easily break your vow and be talked down is ultimately not good negotiation.

everyone talks with terrorists. it's what keeps hostages alive, it's what buys time, it's what ends hostage situations.

Just wondering if it was truly "official"

"There's a thorny legal question as to whether Congress overstepped its constitutional powers by passing a law restricting the right of the commander in chief to engage in exchange of prisoners of war.

Interestingly, Justices Roberts and Alito are very much in favor of strengthening the powers of the executive at the expense of Congress, so it is difficult to guess how the Supreme Court will handle this issue should it wind up there."

What is correct is we call them terrorists when we don't want to negotiate with them. We have negotiated with some of the worst swine on the planet when we wanted to.

for whom Israel can do no wrong, all of a sudden ignore the fact that Israel has released many terrorists. Yes, they are/were terrorists, killing many Israelis and tourists in Israel. And they were released back to their homes, within few miles from Israeli targets.

It is the other liberal people who remind us, and the neocons, that Israel has done so.

(Of course, on DU Israel can do nothing right, but this is a different topic).

We negotiate with anyone we want. Bush* negotiated with terrorist in Iraq and gave them bundles of money if they would join our cause. Remember the Religious factions in Iraq were basically at war with each other and through Bush* negotiating and handing out tons of hundred dollar bills we managed to get them to stop for a while..Cops negotiate with criminals all the time. If we can save lives by doing some negotiating then we will do so...Republicans be damned...