They Never Learn

A German engineer and four Afghans taken hostage in July were freed Wednesday in exchange for six Taliban fighters, an Afghan official said.

Rudolf Blechschmidt and the four Afghans were handed over by local elders to officials from Afghanistan's intelligence service in the Jaghato district of Wardak province, said the district chief, Mohammad Nahim.

Six detained Taliban militants had been freed in the swap, he said.

In Germany, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier confirmed that Blechschmidt had been freed, and the former captive told Spiegel magazine on his release that he was "doing well."

How many more people will be taken hostage by the Taliban to extort the release of prisoners, fund terrorist operations, or otherwise continue their terrorism because of these prisoner swaps or ransoms?

Does anyone even care that these prisoner swaps result in more kidnappings? The Taliban surely know that if they take hostages that they can secure the release of their own thugs being held in Afghan prisons. That means that there's an impetus for them to continue their heinous activities.

Stop prisoner swaps and paying ransoms and the Taliban cannot rely on kidnappings to continue their operations. They'll have to find other ways to operate, or cease to exist under the withering fire of Afghan and coalition forces.