Dealing with terrorists: ransom demands

I'm happy that the South Korean hostages formerly held by the Taliban in Afghanistan have been freed. Their ordeal must have been horrible.
But I sure hope that the South Korean government is telling the truth about it.

SPIN BOLDAK - South Korea paid Afghanistan's Taliban more than $20 million to release 19 missionaries they were holding hostage, a senior insurgent leader said on Saturday, vowing to use the funds to buy arms and mount suicide attacks.

The freed hostages flew out of Afghanistan on Friday to Dubai en route for South Korea. Seoul has denied paying a ransom.
(Edmonton Journal)

If the anonymous Taliban figure is telling the truth, then how many extra deaths does this deal entail? Not counting the next round of potentially profitable hostages? If hostages are worth more than $1 million per, doesn't that increase the demand for hostages in terms of simple economics?

My heart goes out to the South Koreans--it does. But I'd rather not see them freed if it triples the number of innocents killed. The Taliban has less reason to lie than the South Korean government, in my judgment. I fear that hundreds may die to pay for the tens.

Don't negotiate with terrorists (don't take any step toward meeting ransom demands).