sometimes, i am at a loss for any title for a post other than 'ugh'

I was watching a CNN.com (members only) video clip of the Russian hostage situation. I am now just playing over and over again a clip of a British special services officer saying the following:

"That's not to say the mission is a failure because there are casualties. What you have got to remember is that when troops plan and prepare [for these things], they're working on the basis that everybody's dead anyway because they're being held by terrorists."

Official JFW position: Regardless of what kind of terrorist-miscreant may be involved, I would rather troops-supposedly-on-my-side not work on the basis that I was dead anyway unless I am, in fact, dead. I suspect there are some recently deceased Russians who would have concurred with JFW on this matter.