TOO soft to stand by and resist kidnappers, European diplomats have caused the Al Qaeda kidnapping business to explode. Rukmini Callimachi writes in The New York Times:

While European governments deny paying ransoms, an investigation by The New York Times found that Al Qaeda and its direct affiliates have taken in at least $125 million in revenue from kidnappings since 2008, of which $66 million was paid just last year.

In news releases and statements, the United States Treasury Department has cited ransom amounts that, taken together, put the total at around $165 million over the same period.

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