Abducted Abroad: Returning American Hostages

Hostage-taking, particularly the capture of Westerners, has emerged as a prominent jihadist tactic in recent years. In Syria and Iraq, ISIS has executed four Americans it took hostage. In Pakistan, Al Qaeda has held Warren Weinstein, a 73-year-old aid worker and contractor, hostage since 2011. Many European countries have agreed to pay the demanded ransoms for their kidnapped citizens, while the United States refuses to do so. With the Obama administration conducting a months-long review of American hostage policy, what can be done to return Americans held hostage abroad? Should the United States negotiate with and offer concessions to hostage-takers or pay ransoms? Featuring Gary Noesner, Former Chief FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit, Critical Incident Response Group; and Former Senior Vice, President Control Risks, Author, Stalling For Time: My Life as an FBI Negotiator; Debra Tice, Mother of Austin Tice; Barak Barfi, Research Fellow, New America, Spokesman, Family of Steven Sotloff; Peter Bergen, Director, International Security Program, New America.