XPost: alt.politics.usa.republican, alt.gossip.celebrities, talk.politics.misc   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: bhoisapussy@hillaryclinton.com   
      
   The Obama administration is being accused of giving terrorists   
   an incentive to kidnap with its soon-to-be-announced hostage   
   policy overhaul that is expected to allow families of U.S.   
   hostages to pay ransom -- and even allow the U.S. government to   
   play a facilitating role.   
      
   "This doesn't fix anything," Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a   
   leading critic of the administration's hostage policy, told Fox   
   News. "The money that we're going to be paying ISIS is going to   
   be used to buy arms and to buy equipment to fight Americans and   
   to fight the Iraqis."   
      
   The White House sought the policy review last fall after the   
   deaths of Americans held hostage by Islamic State militants. The   
   families of some of those killed complained about their dealings   
   with the administration, saying they were threatened with   
   criminal prosecution if they pursued paying ransom in exchange   
   for their loved ones' release.   
      
   In response, changes to be announced Wednesday afternoon are   
   expected to make clear that officials will no longer threaten   
   hostages' families with prosecution for dealing with and paying   
   ransoms to terrorist captors. Further, the changes would allow   
   the U.S. government to help facilitate communications with   
   terrorists on behalf of the families, according to U.S.   
   officials.   
      
   However, a prohibition on the U.S. government directly paying   
   ransoms or making other concessions to terrorists will remain in   
   place.   
      
   At Tuesday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Josh Earnest   
   said Obama still believes in a "no concessions" approach, though   
   he would not address the particulars of the hostage policy   
   review.   
      
   Two U.S. officials familiar with the review told the Associated   
   Press there also will be no formal change to the law that   
   explicitly makes it a crime to provide money or other material   
   support to terror organizations. However, the administration   
   will make clear that the Justice Department has never prosecuted   
   anyone for paying ransom and that that will continue to be the   
   case.   
      
   The announcement nevertheless amounts to a significant shift in   
   the U.S. approach to hostages. It was considered a major break   
   from past practice last year when the Obama administration   
   traded five Taliban leaders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The latest   
   policy changes could open the door to more deals, even if they   
   are only struck with families of hostages.   
      
   Critics worry they could also encourage more kidnappings, while   
   effectively aiding the enemy.   
      
   "The concern that I have is that by lifting that long-held   
   principle [of not paying ransoms], you could be endangering more   
   Americans here and overseas," House Speaker John Boehner said.   
      
   "You're going to have to have the government now facilitating   
   payments from the families here to the terrorists there while at   
   the same time we have troops on the ground ... fighting the same   
   people that we're paying money to," Hunter said Wednesday.   
   "You're worth more captured now than you would be otherwise."   
      
   Former House intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers also   
   voiced concern on a local talk radio station Tuesday evening   
   that this would encourage more hostage-taking and ransom demands.   
      
   Four Americans have been killed by the Islamic State since last   
   summer: journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid   
   workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. After the release of   
   gruesome videos showing the beheadings of some hostages, Obama   
   approved an airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in both   
   Iraq and Syria.   
      
   The families' anguish has been deepened by the fact that   
   European governments routinely pay ransom for hostages and win   
   their release. The U.S. says its prohibitions against the   
   government and private individuals making any concessions to   
   terrorist demands are aimed both at preventing more kidnappings   
   and blocking more income for terror groups.   
      
   However, the Obama administration did negotiate with the Taliban   
   last year to win the release of Bergdahl. White House officials   
   say those negotiations were permissible because Obama sees a   
   special responsibility to leave no American service member   
   behind on the battlefield.   
      
   Elaine Weinstein, whose husband Warren Weinstein was   
   accidentally killed by a U.S. drone strike in April while being   
   held hostage by Al Qaeda, argued Tuesday against the government   
   making such distinctions between U.S. citizens.   
      
   "The people who take American citizens working abroad as   
   hostages do not discriminate based on their job or employer, and   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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