Always Try Engagement

What do Yasir Arafat, Menachem Begin, Nelson Mandela, and Meles Zenawi have in common? They were all considered terrorists in their time. It is commonly said that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. While any attack on innocent civilians must be condemned, many individuals affiliated with terrorists or terrorist groups are reasonable people. Quite a few even evolve to become heads of state. When discussing the issue of engaging terrorists, one must ask: what is the rational thing to do if your own daughter is kidnapped by a militant group? Should talks be encouraged if it increases the likelihood of release and improves her well-being? Is it reasonable to try to find out how she is treated and on what terms she is being held? Conversely, should any communication be excluded as a matter of principle? Is it rational to oppose anything less than an unconditional release to uphold a principle of never speaking to terrorists? To put it bluntly: would you let such principles take command? This essay argues that it is right to try to talk to terrorists. The strong opposition to the idea of talking to terrorists is somewhat surprising, since negotiation arguably seems to be the common sense position.