Bernier on Hostages

[August1991]

"The Canadian position on dealings with terrorists is well known to all those with even a passing familiarity with the subject," Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said in a statement.

"We do not negotiate with terrorists, for any reason. Such negotiations, even if unsuccessful, only lead to further acts of terrorism."

Mr. Bernier's comments, which are unusually harsh for a top diplomat, came just hours before the Taliban released the remaining South Korean hostages.

National Post

The South Korean government made a serious mistake and Bernier was right to make Canada's position clear.

Trudeau once told his wife that if terrorists kidnapped her or their children, he would not negotiate their release. If one enjoys the benefits of using the name of the State, then one must also assume some of the responsibilities.

Edited August 31, 2007 by August1991

[geoffrey]

Trudeau, though I despise every other aspect of the man's policy, was brilliant in dealing with terrorists.

Bernier is on track here. Make it clear. We don't ever negoiate with terrorists, ever.

Then again, I'm about as big of a Bernier fan as it gets, you don't often get an Albertan claiming a French Quebecois would be the best PM this country ever had, but hey. It happens.

I think this is just the beginning of a focused and extremely powerful foreign policy we will see from Mr. Bernier.

[jennie]

National Post

The South Korean government made a serious mistake and Bernier was right to make Canada's position clear.

Trudeau once told his wife that if terrorists kidnapped her or their children, he would not negotiate their release. If one enjoys the benefits of using the name of the State, then one must also assume some of the responsibilities.

In exchange for the release of the hostages, South Korea agreed to withdraw its small contingent of roughly 200 non-combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

It also pledged to prevent its citizens from conducting Christian missionary work in Afghanistan, where the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim.

An Afghan minister predicted this week that the deal would embolden the Taliban to kidnap more foreigners.

But some analysts noted that the South Koreans did not concede anything new. The government already planned to withdraw its troops by the end of the year, and had discouraged missionary work in hostile foreign countries.

The Taliban also did not secure the release of several Taliban prisoners held by the Afghan government -- the primary demand of the insurgents throughout the ordeal.

There is negotiating and then there is negotiating ... and this was ... negotiating! I think they did a superb job. The kidnappers were looking for ways to give it up without 'losing face' and the south Koreans didn't give away anything at all.

I suspect Bernier's bit of theatre was to convince the kidnappers they were getting away with something ... to help ensure they gave it up ... perhaps?

[Argus]

In exchange for the release of the hostages, South Korea agreed to withdraw its small contingent of roughly 200 non-combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

It also pledged to prevent its citizens from conducting Christian missionary work in Afghanistan, where the overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim.

An Afghan minister predicted this week that the deal would embolden the Taliban to kidnap more foreigners.

But some analysts noted that the South Koreans did not concede anything new. The government already planned to withdraw its troops by the end of the year, and had discouraged missionary work in hostile foreign countries.

The Taliban also did not secure the release of several Taliban prisoners held by the Afghan government -- the primary demand of the insurgents throughout the ordeal.

There is negotiating and then there is negotiating ... and this was ... negotiating! I think they did a superb job. The kidnappers were looking for ways to give it up without 'losing face' and the south Koreans didn't give away anything at all.

I suspect Bernier's bit of theatre was to convince the kidnappers they were getting away with something ... to help ensure they gave it up ... perhaps?

The Taliban will claim this as a great victory, and the illiterate goat herders who make up the majority of Afghanistan's population will probably see it that way, too. They won't know anything about South Korea, or its policy, or whether it would or was going to pull out anyway. All they'll see is the Taliban making a weak foreign government bow to their demands, much as al Quaeda forced the Spanish government which opposed them out of office and forced the removal of Spanish troops from Iraq.

[August1991]

Although the NP article doesn't mention this, I would imagine that the South Korean government paid a whack of money to the Taliban kidnappers.

[Argus]

Although the NP article doesn't mention this, I would imagine that the South Korean government paid a whack of money to the Taliban kidnappers.

It has been mentioned elsewhere. It would not surprise me. The Italians and French are known to have paid off terrorists previously. Kidnapping foreigners is a very worthwhile and profitable endeavour when dealing with spineless governments.

[geoffrey]

Looking at it that way, Bernier is doing a great job at ensuring the Taliban has little motive in kidnapping Canadian troops or civilians in Afghanistan. Good on him.

[capricorn]

Although it has not been confirmed that a $2M ransom was paid, the Taliban says it will spend the money on weapons and suicide attacks. Another good PR move by the Taliban. They're really getting the knack of this.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1282373,00.html

[geoffrey]

How many more people will die just to rescue those South Koreans? Not worth it. They should have let them die. It would have been far safer for everyone. $2M goes a long way in a poor country in hiring people that wish to do alot more damage to civilians and NATO troops.