Hostage negotiations with terror groups like ISIS raises concerns
Hostage negotiations are raising questions about the way countries deal with terrorist groups. While it is not yet known if two hostages, a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese journalist, held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syia (ISIS) are dead or alive, it's clear that the way in which countries deal with these crises has an effect on terror groups' ability to thrive.
"What you're seeing is a strategic use of hostages as a war plan, as a game plan for ISIS moving forward," CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate said Friday on "CBS This Morning."
It may be conventional wisdom for some that negotiating with terror groups leads to more kidnappings, but Zarate said circumstances could be changing.
"ISIS has realized the hostages can be used as strategic pawns to not only add to their propaganda value, to give themselves more legitimacy -- you see them now negotiating with countries directly -- but also to create tensions in capitals of those countries that are engaged in the fight against ISIS itself."
On Thursday, there were reports that one of the five terrorists used in the exchange for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl has been in contact with other terrorist organizations, raising concerns that these swaps set a dangerous precedent.
"Terrorists groups like the Taliban and ISIS would see that you could begin to negotiate with the U.S. and other countries for strategic value to get high-level prisoners back," Zarate said. "That really was a dangerous moment and I think you're seeing some of the effects of that in the current situation with Jordan."
And as the deadline for Jordan's possible prisoner swap expired at sundown Thursday, it wasn't clear why the extremist group had yet to release any update.
"I think ISIS probably is trying to figure out what they want to do with these individuals," Zarate said. "They're trying to probably figure out what the greatest propaganda value is. Unfortunately you may have these individuals' lives in danger."