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Jeneral2885

(1,354 posts)
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:16 PM Jun 2014

US has negotiated with terrorists across its history

As one who not a pure expert on US military/politics, this is something

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/jun/01/ted-cruz/ted-cruz-us-policy-has-changed-now-we-make-deals-t/

""There’s little that’s actually new here," said Mitchell Reiss, who worked in the State Department under President George W. Bush and served as national security adviser to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. "It may be new to certain individuals. Whether it’s new or not is not as important as whether it’s sound policy and promotes national security. That’s the ground where there’s a more legitimate debate."

In his book, Negotiating with Evil, Reiss wrote that America actually has a detailed history of negotiating with terrorists and rogue regimes that support terrorist activity. How long? Even the Founding Fathers struck agreements with terrorists of the time: pirates.

George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson "accommodated what today would be viewed as terrorists," Reiss wrote. "They each authorized payment to the Barbary pirates, and the U.S. Senate even ratified a treaty that enshrined the annual provision of naval supplies as ‘protection.’ "

A century later, President Teddy Roosevelt granted demands from the descendants of those pirates to secure the release of captured American resident Ion Perdicaris.

Recent history

To his credit, Cruz said the policy of not engaging terrorists was decades old, not centuries. But there are more recent examples where, as Reiss wrote, "American presidents have negotiated with terrorists and rogue regimes to secure the release of hostages, to arrange temporary cease fires and to explore whether a more permanent truce might be possible."

Here’s a few, according to Reiss’ book:

After the North Koreans captured the U.S.S. Pueblo in 1968, President Lyndon Johnson apologized for spying as part of negotiations to secure the release of 83 American prisoners.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon pressured Israel, Switzerland, West Germany and Britain to release Palestinian prisoners after two airlines were hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

During the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 to 1981, President Jimmy Carter agreed to unfreeze $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets after more than a year of negotiations with the Iranian revolutionaries.

In perhaps the most famous swap, after seven Americans were captured in Beirut, Lebanon, President Ronald Reagan agreed to send missiles to Iran in what became known as the Iran-Contra scandal.

President Bill Clinton’s administration sat down with Hamas in attempts to negotiate peace with Israel. His administration also worked directly with the Taliban nearly two decades ago on several occasions to see if the group would hand over Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders.

Reiss also noted that President George W. Bush engaged in negotiations with Iran and North Korea even after decreeing them part of the "Axis of Evil."

James Jeffrey, a former ambassador to Iraq under Obama and deputy national security adviser for George W. Bush, agreed that "there have been many cases of negotiations with terrorists or rogue regimes for the return of Americans."

But he added: "releasing terrorists in exchange for captives, however, is rare."

One recent example came in 2010, when the United States released Shia cleric Qais al-Khazali to the militia group Asaib al-Haq in exchange for Peter Moore, a private British contractor, and the bodies of Moore’s security officers. Asaib al-Haq is a militia group allegedly funded by Iran and headed by al-Khazali and staged and executed several attacks in Iraq that resulted in the deaths of U.S. soldiers."

Apologies for the length but its needed.

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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US has negotiated with terrorists across its history (Original Post) Jeneral2885 Jun 2014 OP
Barack Obama, personally, cures ALL Cancer !! !! !! !! !! randys1 Jun 2014 #1
one.. Jeneral2885 Jun 2014 #2
I am sorry if the swearing offends you in anyway... randys1 Jun 2014 #3
The United States Old Codger Jun 2014 #4
that's Jeneral2885 Jun 2014 #5
Sorry Old Codger Jun 2014 #7
Excellent post. This should be posted on Discussionist to remind the Republicans Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #6
Yeah but never when a black man has been President. N/t al_liberal Jun 2014 #8
yep ... napkinz Jun 2014 #9
I doubt its just the colour Jeneral2885 Jun 2014 #10

randys1

(16,286 posts)
1. Barack Obama, personally, cures ALL Cancer !! !! !! !! !!
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:18 PM
Jun 2014

GOP says how dare he do that, doesnt he know RX profits will plummet now?


NOTHING Obama does will EVER be OK with these MOTHERFUCKERS

Jeneral2885

(1,354 posts)
2. one..
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:20 PM
Jun 2014

I don't swear.

Two, yes basically its down to how people want to define who's a terrorist and score political points.

Swearing doesnt make it any better.

randys1

(16,286 posts)
3. I am sorry if the swearing offends you in anyway...
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:22 PM
Jun 2014

I guess it is a cheap way for me to express just how disgusting and horrible rightwingers are.

 

Old Codger

(4,205 posts)
4. The United States
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:30 PM
Jun 2014

And several other countries have throughout history paid ransom to obtain the release of prisoners, look back at the "Barbary Coast Pirates" they were in fact Muslim terrorists and regularly kidnapped people and held them for ransom and the governments regularly paid ransoms to them...Nothing new here..Prisoner swaps and ransom payments are normal way of doing things.

 

Old Codger

(4,205 posts)
7. Sorry
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:33 PM
Jun 2014

Didn't read the article was going by my memories of history..

The Barbary pirates operated off the coast of North Africa as far back as the time of the Crusades. According to legend, the Barbary pirates sailed as far as Iceland, attacking ports, seizing captives as slaves, and plundering merchant ships.

As most seafaring nations found it easier, and cheaper, to bribe the pirates rather than fight them in a war, a tradition developed of paying tribute for passage through the Mediterranean. European nations often worked out treaties with the Barbary pirates.

By the early 19th century the pirates were essentially sponsored by the Arab rulers of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli.

http://history1800s.about.com/od/americanwars/tp/barbarywars.htm

Louisiana1976

(3,962 posts)
6. Excellent post. This should be posted on Discussionist to remind the Republicans
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:31 PM
Jun 2014

there that Obama is far from the only president to negotiate with terrorists.

Jeneral2885

(1,354 posts)
10. I doubt its just the colour
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:55 PM
Jun 2014

The Tea Party would still scream so long as it was not their President in the White House.

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