Was hostage rescue worth the risk? Opinionline

Caroline Bankoff, New York : "An attempt to rescue American hostage Luke Somers ended in failure on Saturday, with members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fatally shooting him and another captive, South African Pierre Korkie. Somers and Korkie were being held in a village in Yemen. ... This was the second time in the last two weeks that the U.S. tried to free Somers, a 33-year-old photojournalist who was kidnapped in 2013. ... Korkie, a teacher, (had been) expected to be freed on Sunday."

Martin Reardon, Al Jazeera: "(The) rescue mission was as urgent as it was plainly necessary. Late last week, (the terrorists) released a video stating (Somers) would be killed in 72 hours unless unspecified demands were met. ... Rescue missions are risky, both for the hostages and for the operators who carry them out. (But) sometimes, it's less risky to act than not to. ... I'd (rather) place my life in the hands of men dedicated to the task before taking my chances with the likes of a terrorist in the hope that maybe they'll let me go."

Adam Entous, The Wall Street Journal : "The failed raid is a visceral and tragic reminder of the limits of Special Operations forces as a tool against terror groups. While the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden was a spectacular success, others have been less so, including a failed attempt earlier this year to spring U.S. hostages held by the militant group Islamic State, as well as a previous effort to free Somers."

Jazz Shaw, Hot Air : "A better question is what we should be doing about Yemen in the long run. ... Nobody is in control, which is probably what made it such an attractive destination for al-Qaeda. With no reliable governmental partner to work with, our options appear limited except for high-risk military incursions such as this one. And until the larger problem of terrorist networks is dealt with, I'm afraid we can expect repeat performances of this raid in the future."

Max Fisher, Vox : "Most countries pay ransoms when their citizens are taken hostage abroad. The U.S. refuses ... believing that paying ransoms would just give terrorists the incentive to kidnap more Americans. ... Murdering American hostages, then, can be partially understood as a conflict between jihadists and the United States over America's ransom-paying policy. ... American journalists and aid workers abroad will continue to be targeted as pawns in the conflict."

In addition to its own editorials, Paste BN publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors. To read more columns like this, go to the opinion front page or follow us on twitter@USATopinion or Facebook.