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Dilemma over ‘rejection of demand for ransoms by IS’

Posted September. 04, 2014 06:33,   

한국어

As Islamic State militants beheaded a second American reporter, attention is being paid to countries’ different responses to demand for ransom for hostages by international terrorist groups.

Last year when playing host to the G8 summit, the U.K. spearheaded the adoption of a communiqué that included the "principle of rejection of demand for hostage ransoms," saying that if ransom is paid, it will reinforce capabilities of international terrorist groups. Countries that thoroughly follow this principle, which was also adopted as resolution by the U.N. Security Council, are the U.S. and the U.K. only. France, Italy, Spain and Germany have paid ransom through unofficial negotiations and gained the release of their citizens.

In fact, France paid more than 20 million euros (26.2 million U.S. dollars) in October last year when getting the release of its four citizens who had been detained by Al Qaeda. Germany also got a 27-year-old man, who was taken hostage by IS in Syria, released by paying a considerable amount of money in June this year.

In contrast, the U.K. government continues to follow the "principle of rejection of demand for ransom," even when IS, which already beheaded two American reporters, is threatening to murder Briton David Haynes next time. The U.K. daily Guardian said that Prime Minister David Cameron is unlikely to give up this principle, predicting that he will seek to find a strategy to counter IS at the NATO summit set to take place on Thursday and Friday.