article_snippet.sent: But the use of hostages to extract concessions or dampen the enthusiasm surrounding reconciliation is part of a consistent pattern.
article_snippet.sent: Photos of their handshake graced newspapers around the world.
article_snippet.sent: The hostages became pawns in an escalating series of demands.
article_snippet.sent: Ronald Reagan blessed a plan to trade arms for hostages.
article_snippet.sent: Putting aside the illegalities of diverting weaponry to the Nicaraguan Contras, the genesis of the scheme was not only a desire for diplomacy but also, much as with Obama's outreach today, to solidify the moderate camp within the Iranian political spectrum.
article_snippet.sent: Hostage-taking had simply become another way to collect concessions.
article_snippet.sent: It was traditional hostage diplomacy.
article_snippet.sent: Diplomats drink Diplomats own Kool-Aid, and convince Diplomats that Diplomats engagement can bring rogues in from the cold.
article_snippet.sent: Ego, ambition and arrogance convince presidents that the failure of past diplomacy rests with their predecessors rather than adversaries.