When Italy pressured the Afghani government to release members of the Taliban to secure the release of an Italian journalist, left to rot was the Afghan translator. Protests were mounted in Afghanistan and Afghans felt the Afghani government valued the lives of others more than Afghanis, which again is precisely what the Taliban has argued since it was deposed.

I wrote at the time that the protestors had a point, and further that the Taliban has a point in this argument. It sent a horrible signal to the Afghani populace and that signal will be amplified if the government of Afghanistan does not succumb to hostage bribery again to secure the release of the translator.

Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah threatened to kill an Afghan interpreter held hostage unless the Kabul government freed two Taliban prisoners, according to an interview broadcast on Italian television on Thursday.

Dadullah said President Hamid Karzai must negotiate with the Taliban for the release of interpreter Adjmal Nasqhbandi, just as the Italian government had negotiated the release of reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo, whom Adjmal worked for.

“We ask the Karzai government to release two of our prisoners,” Dadullah reportedly said in the interview with Sky Italia, which was broadcast in his native tongue with Italian subtitles.

“The Kabul government has got no option, it must negotiate with us for Adjmal. If this doesn’t happen … then we will kill him.”

This is what happens when you negotiate and capitulate to terrorists, and the government of Afghanistan now lies in the bed it made.

Also of interest, NATO is pulling out the success flag after one of the largest offensives against the Taliban in Afghanistan to date.