Trained Expert Negotiators Agree with Obama Tactics

Like many Americans, I watched with great interest as the national news outlets covered the hostage negotiations for the release of our ship's captain near Somalia.  Time after time experts trained in negotiations were brought on TV to provide expert commentary on how professional negotiators are trained and the tactics needed to be successful.

The point all the expert negotiators made was that the initial steps in any successful negotiation include giving the other side something - maybe it is food or some other minor comfort, as a way to establish a line of communication and build repoire.  This by no means signals our intention of giving in to captors' demands, but it is a necessary step when they need to establish communication on some level.

And it worked.  We did establish communication - we gave them food to eat - and most importantly we stuck by our guns - literally - and the whole process ended in total victory for the hostage, the country and based on his leadership, for President Obama.  And in the end when the tough life and death decisions had to be made - the President made the tough decisions and made the right decisions.

As I listened to the expert commentary by the hostage negotiators, I also thought of Obama's approach to foreign policy and particulary Iran.  How he has been criticized for his willingness to "establish a channel of communication" where none exists and to offer small value comforts as an opening gesture....and I realized that Obama is being harshly criticized by the far right for following exactly the procedures that would be recommended by highly trained, expert negotiators.  Sounds like our President is on the right track and I have no doubt that just because he is willing to have communication with those like Iran, that in the end he will make the tough and the correct decisions to protect the citizens and the interests of the American people.  

If I have to chose between listening to the opinions of Rush Limbaugh or the expertise of professional negotiators on how negotiations should be handled - I will go with the experts every single time.