Obama Says U.S. Won't Prosecute Ransom Payers...?

FOX Business ^ | 06/24/15 | Greg Robb

[MurrietaMadman]

What’s next, allowing kidnapping in the US?

BOIINNNNGGG!

We probably won't hear too many news stories about it once it starts, though.

[bert]

I think Tom Clancy covered that subject in one of his novels

as I recall there was a plot to kidnap the President’s daughter from school

[sockmonkey]

When a family has a loved one kidnapped by terrorists and they raise money to pay the ransom themselves, they should be imprisoned?

IIRC, the family of Journalist Austin Tice, was told by the State Department exactly that. I believe the family also said that the government has given them little to no info on the fate of Austin who disappeared in August of 2012 while reporting from Syria.

[odawg]

You have that right. Will encourage more kidnappings. Anyway, what on earth could justify making this policy public?

[livius]

Nobody is going to raise that amount of money individually. The reason ransom was forbidden is that it would only encourage kidnappings, since companies might pay it, a few wealthy individuals might pay it, but most of it would end up being paid by governments.

Can you imagine if ISIS kidnapped one of Obama’s Muslim buddies and his family couldn’t pay but the US refused to step in and take over the payments? There’d be NYT hell to pay. So therefore every kidnappee will be paid for, generously, by the USG.

Look for kidnappings to surge.

This is insane and has opened up a whole new revenue stream for ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc.

[bgill]

He just made it open season on Americans. Siding with his muzzy bros again.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

He just made it open season on Americans.

Yup. Appalling. The deaths of innocent humans mean nothing in comparison with the glorious revolution, or something.

[Baynative]

I expect that business execs or maybe even just tourists will be snatched up and multi million dollar ransoms will be demanded. If the families can't afford the ransom, they will turn to Obama for subsidies or sue the government for jeopardizing their safety.

Another angle is the big business insurance companies may start doing in kidnap policies. Also, body guards and security will probably be more in demand now.