After all, Hall’s unimaginably grisly fate was sealed by the Canadian government’s refusal to pay a ransom to the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. “We will not turn the maple leaf, worn with pride by over three million Canadians abroad, into targets,” Trudeau said . But there is plenty of anecdotal and statistical evidence to suggest that many terror groups target nationals whose countries are known to pay ransom. It was the right thing to do – even if it might not feel like it right now. Canadian sources suggest terrorist groups targeted Italian nationals because of the government’s complicity in ransom payments.

Source: National Post June 14, 2016 03:33 UTC