http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Group


Quote:

In October 1985, Alfa was dispatched to Beirut, Lebanon, when four Soviet diplomats had been taken hostage by a Sunni militant group. By the time Alfa was onsite, one of the hostages had already been killed. The perpetrators and their relatives were identified by supporting KGB operatives, and the relatives were taken hostage. Following the standard policy of 'no negotiation', Alfa proceeded to sever some of their hostages' body parts and sent them to the perpetrators with a warning that more would follow if the Russian hostages were not released immediately. The tactic was a success and no other Russian national was taken hostage in the Middle East for the next 20 years, until the 2006 abduction of Russian diplomats in Iraq. Regarding the 2006 kidnapping: After clandestine negotiations failed to secure the men's release, Soviet agents grabbed half a dozen fundamentalists in West Beirut and reportedly sliced off a few of their fingers, sending the severed digits to the fundamentalist leadership with the message: "Release our people or you'll get your people back piece by piece."

http://www.shadowsofnamek.com/forum/images/smilies/putin.png

Compare the Soviet solution to the IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL, which was the American non-solution. The choice is clear.

Sounds effective.

History has shown that the only was to deal with terror, is with increased terror, and the example above clearly shows that.
When I look at the situation in Gaza, where one Israeli Sergeant has been held captive by Hamas for years now, and still the Israeli's are negotiating for his release.
The Palestinians want the release of hundreds of hard core convicted terrorists, and the Israeli's are actually considering the exchange although they are quibbling about the numbers somewhat.
I cant help but think that in this world where the Israeli's are trying to be all things to all people whilst being politically correct into the bargain, this is why they have been at war for so very very long.
The Israeli's ancestors weren't so politically correct, and would certainly have built trebuchets to launch 10 or so captive terrorists heads over the Gaza walls daily to convince them that it really would be a good idea to release the young Sergeant.
How times change.
The real question is are they really all that better?