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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUS 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/
""Theres little thats 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 its new or not is not as important as whether its sound policy and promotes national security. Thats the ground where theres 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."
Heres 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 Clintons 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 Moores 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.
randys1
(16,286 posts)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
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)I guess it is a cheap way for me to express just how disgusting and horrible rightwingers are.
Old Codger
(4,205 posts)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.
Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)in the article..
Old Codger
(4,205 posts)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)there that Obama is far from the only president to negotiate with terrorists.
al_liberal
(420 posts)Jeneral2885
(1,354 posts)The Tea Party would still scream so long as it was not their President in the White House.