Europe pays terrorists at least $125M in ransoms

[Firethorn]

Heard this on NPR today while driving:   

NPR: Kidnapping is a Lucrative Business for Al-Qaida

Synopsis:  Europeans are paying ransoms to known terrorist organizations and filing it under 'foreign aid'.  At least $125M over the last 5 years. 

[brimic]

 
Europe has only been paying them money. We paid them in American blood, by releasing the worst of the wort of their leaders,

[onions!]

Related.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/as-banks-crack-down-terrorists-update-their-fundraising-tactics/article/2551515?custom_click=rss


I wanted to link this ^ with some stats of Central American and South East Asian kidnappings.

I had to stop and read this: http://townhall.com/columnists/katiepavlich/2011/07/08/a_growing_terror_threat_hezbollah_in_latin_america/page/full
It's 3 years old and the world has moved on a bit but it's still relevant.

[French G.]

Europe has only been paying them money. We paid them in American blood, by releasing the worst of the wort of their leaders,

Yeah, I stopped in to lol at the euroweenies but then I realized that we will gladly pay 5 battle hardened leaders for one traitorous private. 

[Angel Eyes]

Let's not forget the ransom we paid the Iranians for those 52 hostages.

[Firethorn]

In general though this is why I support policies of never paying ransoms because it just encourages them.