Wonder if you would say the same if he was part of your family.
It got so easy to comment if somebody needs to be saved or killed when you're sitting comfy in your chair with a beer in your hand and typing on a forum.
In military, there is no room for personal emotions. If I was given a choice between 10 dead soldiers and one dead soldier, I'd definitely select the latter option. Giving in to blackmail starts a bad precedent.