Hostages

Is this the first time that a government as given in to the hostages in the whole Iraq mess? It's hard b/c a country cannot submit to a terrorists demands, whether to leave the country, release prisoners, or anything else. Where would it stop? "Give us biological weapons or else?" Is that the line? It's a slippery slope, and once you start down it...
It's far better to have a bright line, "we don't negotiate" stance. BUT at the same time, that's the far harder stance. I sure as heck don't want to be the one to look that boy's parents in the eye and say, "yes, we were given a choice, and we determined your son wasn't worth it."