No negotiations to free reporter [Colin Powell Decision]

Associated Press/The Dallas Morning News ^ | January 31, 2002 | A/P Staff (N/A)

[MeekOneGOP]

No negotiations to free reporter

01/31/2002

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday ruled out negotiations to gain the release of a Wall Street Journal reporter abducted in Pakistan.

AP

Pearl shown chained in a photo released by his kidnappers.

Powell said "we are doing everything we can" to gain the release of reporter Daniel Pearl. Powell said he had talked about Pearl's plight with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and that he, too, would do his best.

"We need to be concerned about his safety," Powell said.

But, he said, "the demands of the kidnappers are not demands we can meet or deal with or negotiate on."

The kidnappers' demands include better treatment for terror suspects held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the return of prisoners held by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, a top Treasury Department official plans to urge Pakistan's president to take all steps possible to bring about Pearl's release.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Kenneth Dam, who will go to Pakistan and India next week, will "encourage the government of Pakistan to do everything it can to hasten the speedy release from captivity" of Pearl, said Treasury spokesman Robert Nichols.

Dam plans to meet Monday with Musharraf and other Pakistani officials, Nichols said.

Powell conferred by telephone with Musharraf on Monday, the State Department said.

An e-mail sent Thursday purportedly by the kidnappers of Pearl extended the deadline for killing him by one day. The unsigned e-mail was received by Pakistani and Western media.

Pearl, the Journal's South Asian bureau chief, disappeared Jan. 23 in Karachi. He was trying to arrange an interview with a Muslim cleric, Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, when he disappeared.

Dam, in his meetings with Pakistan and Indian officials, will discuss efforts to combat terrorist financing, economic growth and trade.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/MissingReporterDeadline_013102early.7c7b1.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Easy Link
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/MissingReporterDeadline_013102early.7c7b1.html

[Quilla]

My prayers are with Mr. Pearl and his family. IMHO, Powell is making the right decision not negotiating or giving into the terms of these kidnappers. If we started meeting terms, Americans would be the target of every terrorist kidnapper. If they don't get results, future kidnappings should be deterred.

[Catspaw]

The official policy of the US--and it has been the official policy for quite some time--is that we do not negotiate with terrorists. All these terrorists had to do is check the State Dept. website.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Ishy Squishy Powell takes a hard stand?

[homeschool mama]

Agreed.

[LoneGOPinCT]

My prayers are with Mr. Pearl and his family. IMHO, Powell is making the right decision not negotiating or giving into the terms of these kidnappers. If we started meeting terms, Americans would be the target of every terrorist kidnapper. If they don't get results, future kidnappings should be deterred.

ditto

[keepinitreal]

Wow, Powell must have grown a pair overnight. I'm sorry for the family, but we do not negotiate with terrorists.

[Rodney King]

My negotiation would be this:

You release the hostage.

We don't stuff grenades up your *ss and then hunt down and kill every relative out to your 22nd times removed cousin so that every trace of your families existence is wiped from the earth for all time.

[MeekOneGOP]

The official policy of the US--and it has been the official policy for quite some time--is that we do not negotiate with terrorists.

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And rightfully so, thanks.

[ChicagoRepublican]

I'm happy that Powell has decided not to negotiate. Those kindappers are already losing the battle. They don't want to kill Pearl and keep on moving up their 24 hours and are lowering their demands. They know if they kill him they won't get anything for themselves, and that they themselves will be tracked down and killed.

[BlueLancer]

"The official policy of the US--and it has been the official policy for quite some time--is that we do not negotiate with terrorists. All these terrorists had to do is check the State Dept. website."

True, but they probably thought that they really didn't mean it.

Sorry, Dan, but the sooner that these criminals learn that grabbing Americans will not pay off, the sooner they may realize that it isn't worth their while to piss America off more than it already is.

[dead]

This was never Powell's decision, it is ultimately Bush's decision.

And the precedent of "no negotiations" is rock solid. No reason to change it now.

[SuziQ]

The official policy of the US--and it has been the official policy for quite some time--is that we do not negotiate with terrorists. All these terrorists had to do is check the State Dept. website.

I remember when Terry Anderson was finally set free by the Lebanese terrorists. He was asked in the press conference if he was angry that the government didn't try to negotiate for his and the others' release. He said no, he DIDN'T WANT anyone to negotiate for him; he didn't want those idiots to get ANYTHING for his return.

Ther terrorists didn't learn the lessons from before, so we'll just have to teach them again. If Mr. Pearl is killed, I don't think Pres. Bush is going to be too patient with anyone who is suspected of having participated in it.

[gfactor]

All these terrorists had to do is check the State Dept. website.

I guess state couldn't find the UNABOMBER.

[Paradox]

I say we should take do what the Russians use to, go out and kidnap members of the kidnappers family, and start sending them back small body parts through the mail.

[ken5050]

Two points:

Why hasn't Jesse Jackson headed over there to secure the release?

I don't think they will execute him. If they did, it would make all the bleating about our treatment of the detainees in Gitmo look pretty stupid..

[Howlin]

Oh, I remember that. And I remember when the kidnappers contacted them about arranging the "ransom," the Russians had one reply.

What hostages?

[Utah Girl]

What I want to know is where is the Red Cross? They aren't over in Pakistan screeching about the conditions Pearl is in or if he is being humanely treated...

[weikel]

Its his job to seem like a spineless liberal he plays good cop he is not actually a spineless liberal.

[Tennessee_Bob]

I wish I could find the column I read many years ago about the USMC Colonel who was kidnapped and hung in Beirut.

The author said, basically, there comes a point in time when you have to tell these people, "stop what you are doing, or we will kill you. And if they don't stop, then you kill them."