People in this forum talk a big game, indeed it is easy to critize others on foreign policy... So here is a case study of a hostage situation, post your immediate recomendation to the President of the United states on what steps you think should be taken. At the end we will judge the poster with the best recommendation. Please keep it on topic and remember this is an urgent situation so no rambling.

Here is the scenario:

A group of (presumably) Moslem extremists has taken the American Ambassador to Iraq and a group of his travelling staff members as hostages, just as they had arrived at the airport in Brussels for a round of speaking engagements and consultations with leaders in Western Europe to encourage NATO and EU member nations to increase their support for Iraqi political stability and economic reconstruction and development. According to initial news reports, one of the hostages was killed in the initial moments of the struggle. According to some still-fragmentary press-information, the hostage takers’ demands appear to include the full withdrawal of US and all other western foreign forces from Iraq, the severing of US diplomatic relations with Israel, aid to Moslem groups in Somalia, Turkey and some heretofore unknown groups in Southern Africa, as well as the release of 150 US ‘political prisoners’ criminals now in jails in various parts of America.

The hostage takers are South Africans who have close connections to al Qaeda (although some other initial reports say the hostage takers come from a small splinter group with roots in the Middle East). If their demands are not met, they appear to have said they will shot one hostage an hour on live international television, until their demands are accepted by the US publically.

The President needs your recommendations immediately as to whether using the military is the right option or whether negotiations should take place...Post your recommendations and may the best one win. Remember you are a Presidential Adviser so make it count.

-Psylocke

Since their demand are irrealistical and totaly impossible to be delivered whatever the political decision might be, I'd say, talks to them with false promises until a team comes to freee the hostage.

Two scenarios:
1/ They realy kill an hostage every hour
--> Immediate intervention (after, say, 3 or 4 hours)
2/ They don't but keep on treathening to do so
--> More talks and negotiations. Eventualy the group surrender with a promise of immunity except for the one who shot the killed hostage. Or intervention when the team is ready.

Sheis Ahk! 
... I'm glad the swearing filter doesn't have that one! 

Because since they are in their cave and can't go outside more than 10 meters, they couldn't go buy a dvd writer. they still use their crappy VHS recorder. LOL