James Foley and the hostage dilemma, the shortest war in history, and the sounds of Afrobeat

Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), was a close friend of journalist James Foley. He'd been working to help secure his release. The highly publicized killing of James Foley has re-ignited a debate about whether paying ransoms actually encourages more kidnappings. Bouckaert tells us whether he thinks countries need to re-think how they deal with hostage situations.
Then, today’s World History Moment remembers one of history’s less deadly wars—August 27, 1896, and the Anglo-Zanzibar War. At 38 minutes, it is the shortest war in recorded history. Historian John Schmidt joins us to tell us more.
And, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti is credited with creating the sound of Afrobeat; which is a mix of American soul, Nigerian and Ghanaian traditional music, highlife and jazz. But Kuti once said that without his longtime drummer Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat. Tony Allen continues to make music and he hits town this Saturday to play with The Chicago Afrobeat Project. On this week’s Global Notes, we pay homage to Allen’s artistry.

(photo: In this May 27, 2011, file photo shows American Journalist James Foley, of Rochester, N.H., as he poses for a photo in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File))