Hey look, we're going to start negotiating with terrorist hostage takers

Prepare to see an increase in 3...2...1...

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/23/politics/hostage-policy-review-changes-white-house/index.html

Washington (CNN)The White House will release on Wednesday a presidential directive and an executive order that will allow the government to communicate and negotiate with terrorist groups holding Americans hostage, a source briefed on the matter told CNN.

While the government will maintain its policy of not making "substantive concessions" to captors or paying ransoms, the White House will announce that officials will no longer threaten with criminal prosecution the families of American hostages who do pay ransoms to their relatives' captors, according to a senior administration official.

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The payment of ransoms to terror groups like ISIS and al Qaeda has long been tolerated, though it is technically illegal. The administration has looked the other way when families of Americans held overseas have paid ransoms.

On Wednesday, the White House will explicitly indicate that families should not fear criminal prosecution if they choose to make ransom payments. The new directive will not include a formal change to existing laws. But administration officials will state publicly, for the first time, that ransom payments will be tolerated.

Even if you are going to do it, don't hold a presser to let terrorists around the world know...