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Originally Posted by Sticky
This is great for when you are not directly at war with them or they are not holding you hostages. In theory it is good.
How do you do this in practicality?
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The answer to this would be situational. When it came to the Irish separatists, things like the constitution being voted on by the Irish and power sharing were big in the negotiations. It allowed the otherwise violent people to gain some control. Frankly, they've done well with it. Had they not done well, England could have said "We gave you what you asked for, and you botched it." It was win win for England and Ireland. In the case of the Afghanis, though, there is a problem. First, the Taliban kidnapped the 23 people after South Korea said they were going to withdraw. What do the Taliban want? Withdrawal. What was already happening before the kidnapping? Withdrawal. This is why I wonder if this really is about withdrawal.
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Originally Posted by Sticky
Then let's say you do it and you give them a chance and it does not work, they stay radical, how many times do you go down this path with them and with other organizations?
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Once. You give them one chance to do it their way, to see if they can handle it. If they can't, it's clear that giving in to their demands will result in failure, and you'll have precedence to call upon to back your reasoning. No one should ever kidnap anyone, and it can't reward childish, dangerous behavior. That has to be balanced with wanting what's best for everyone.
The guerilla tactics employed are an ingrained act of desperation, and in order to stop that behavioral pattern, one must change the circumstances. That's what negotiations are all about. I suspect the members of the Taliban would be a lot happier if they were in a country with a strong economy based on legal trade of non-narcotics, with a country that has a strong government that allows freedom, but respects Islamic law, with a country that allows them to make their way and live their lives without the fear of bombings or having to bomb. We should help Afghanistan to become a more stable, peaceful place. That would help us PREVENT hostage taking.
After all, it's better to prevent than to react.