“Biden will pay the ransom.”
*****
Not if a prolonged crises is the goal. They can make the demands something that strategically can not be accommodated, like elimination of sanctions on Iran.
And Iran can pay the Taliban to keep the prisoners. As can China and Russian.
What do you think will happen?
Remember how it looked like all the CIA employees in Benghazi were going to be killed, but they were mysteriously allowed to leave?
Obama paid the ransom.