Temporary Archive: Suzanne Brockmann's Message Board

So when Robert Stethem's killer, Muhammad Ali Hammadi was released by the Germans - it was apparent it was in exchange for a German hostage in Iraq.
As we'd expect, this was immediately denied, by the German gov't, inspite of all evidence to the contrary and the US Gov't denied any prior knowledge as well, although milblogs disagree that we had no knowledge. (BTW Kenneth Stethem on behalf of his family, sent a compelling letter to the President, quoting his post 9/11 rhetoric.)
http://www.nationalreview.com/script/printpage.p?ref=/ledeen/ledeen200601090803.asp

however, (and no doubt, counter to the German gov't's intention) this exchange set precendent -
the exchange issue was also discussed in an open letter to Germany's new Madame Chancellor by Diana West. West makes the point that by offering the exchange, contrary to what the Germans believed they had done - all they had really accomplished, was to definitively mark their people as future hostages.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/dianawest/2006/01/16/182461.html

and two days ago as West predicted only 10 days prior, two more Germans have been grabbed up as hostages in Iraq -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11053704/

now, if the German gov't refuses to pay and/or exhange at this juncture - it's twice the damage they thought they had side stepped in Dec. - so my question, have they now put in motion that which will hold their entire gov't hostage for the duration? or is their any other way out of this for them?