The release of one American prisoner last week spawned a number of important questions that still need definite answers before other Americans are taken by the Taliban or al Qaeda. The policy equation has one positive and many negatives.

Certainly it is admirable that we were able to bring an American soldier home. President Obama said it was a reminder “of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman behind on the battlefield.” His return, though, raises lots of questions.

First is the question of whether such a prisoner exchange will endanger other Americans, both military and civilian. The stated policy of the United States has been that the government will not negotiate with terrorists and it will not negotiate over hostages. While there are probably exceptions and possible back channel deals that are struck, the stated policy is why American soldiers and civilians aren’t frequently targeted.

We probably won’t have to wait long to see if this prisoner exchange changed the mindset of terrorists around the world. If we see an increase in soldiers taken prisoner or an increase in American tourists taken as hostages, we will have our answer.

A second question that looms large is why five Taliban killers in Guantanamo for one American paratrooper? Is this the going rate for an American held hostage or an American soldier held prisoner? If this is the going rate, terrorists can start calculating now many hostages or prisoners so they must take in order to empty the cells of Gitmo.

Finally, let’s acknowledge who these Taliban killers are. They are the worst of the worst. The Joint Task Force in Guantanamo labeled them “high security risks” for good reason. They have not only killed (directly or indirectly) Americans, but some of them are war criminals that slaughtered Shiites throughout Afghanistan.

The decision last week was a dangerous precedent. I fear we will find out how dangerous very soon.