Press Releases

Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement:

"President Obama today issued a thoughtful and important new Executive Order and Presidential Policy Directive on the U.S. Government’s hostage policy.  He chose the compassionate course by removing the fear of prosecution of individual families seeking to negotiate ransom payments with hostage-takers, while preserving a policy against the government making concessions to hostage takers. The order also wisely directs organizational changes, including the creation of a hostage recovery fusion cell and a new issue manager in the Intelligence Community to coordinate hostage-related intelligence and to work to declassify information for sharing with family members.  

"The U.S. Government must do everything it can to prevent hostage-taking, and to free any hostages that are taken; but it must also do everything it can to ease the burden on family members who are already suffering enough when a loved one is captured.  The U.S. position on affording no concessions to terrorists, however, is the proper one from a governmental standpoint since it helps remove the incentive for taking American hostages. The President today properly reaffirmed his commitment to this long-standing policy, and importantly, also clarified that no concessions does not mean no communication."

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