CrJ 132 Chapter Six Hostage Taking

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CrJ 132 Chapter SixHostage Taking Negotiations

• General thoughts on hostage taking
• Dramatic increase in last decade
• 2K reported may be many more
• Increase in criminal/psychotic episodes
• Instant media coverage from anywhere
• Multiple demands for release
• Free prisoners Money Prison reform
  Political change Political asylum

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Hostage Taking Negotiations

• Earlier History
• Richard the Lionhearted
• Nazis in Czechoslovakia
• More Current History
• Columbia FARC FLN Ransom
• Political Hostages
• Israeli soldiers - Hamas Hezbollah
• Saddam in 1st Iraq War - Human Shields
• Russian theater Chechen rebels

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsModern Political
Hostage Taking

• Four Objectives
• Large sums of ransom
• Media attention national or international
  recognition
• Grassroots community support
• Weaken free enterprise system by intimidating
  foreign investment
• Free political prisoners in swap

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsTypologies of
Hostage Takers

• Many models -use text - Table 6.1
• Based on motivation of hostage taker
• Poland suggests
• Psychotic hostage takers
• Criminal hostage takers
• Political hostage takers

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsPsychotic

• Mentally deranged Often suicidal Angry
  Seeks personal recognition Often estranged from
  family Barricaded suspect
• Usually wants media exposure
• Has considerable power because he/she is so
  unpredictable
• Hard to negotiate with Irrational

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsCriminal

• Fleeing felon Prison inmate riots
  Extortionist kidnapper Barricaded suspect
• Generally, most rational predictable seek to
  avoid arrest
• 60 of all U.S. hostage situations
• Fleeing crime scene police arrive
• Negotiation easier than with psychotic

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsPolitical Hostage
Taker

• Social protestor, religious zealot, seeking
  vengeance, air hijackings
• Reasons may be political, social, religious, or
  ethnic crusader
• Strong commitment to ideology
• Seek publicity often prisoner release or
  payment
• Often irrational, commitment to the cause
  Preconceived demands identified limits

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsWhy Motivation
Matters

• Different motives require different responses
• Different motives may require different
  negotiators
• Different motives may involve different
  government agencies ops.
• Responsive actions driven by motivation -- helps
  coordinate tactical responses strategies

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsGeneral Negotiation
Guidelines

• Play for time - Initial minutes critical
• Confusion, fear, unexpected response
• Play for trust
• Rapport with hostage taker
• Reduces likelihood of harm to hostages
• Self-disclosure Empathy Good listening
  Personal interest in hostage takers problems
  feelings No outright rejection of demands

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Hostage Taking Negotiations General
Negotiation Guidelines

• Play for the Stockholm Syndrome
• Unconscious emotional response to the experience
  of victimization
• Positive feelings of hostages toward hostage
  taker
• Reciprocal, positive feelings of hostage takers
  toward hostages
• Negative feelings toward police by hostage takers
  hostages

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Hostage Taking Negotiations Stockholm
Syndrome

• Not present in all hostage incidents
• Absence of negative experiences during the
  incident (no beatings, rapes, etc.)
• Not present if hostage taker dehumanizes the
  victim (beheadings)
• However, with time, a bond of empathy often grows
  between victim hostage taker

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Hostage Taking Negotiations Stockholm
Syndrome

• Negotiators foster SS by
• Checking on health of hostages
• Discussing family issues with Perp
• Requesting information on treatment condition
  of hostages
• Stockholm Syndrome often saves lives of hostages
  hostage takers
• Police must resist early application of deadly
  force

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsLondon Syndrome

• A hostage or hostages continually challenges the
  hostage takers
• Physically or verbally challenge
• Threatened Just you wait!
• Dont argue with hostage takers, because normally
  they eliminate you
• London incident Achille Lauro incident

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsGuidelines for
Hostage Events

• Trained negotiator is essential
• Well-trained, elite response force
• Media cooperation
• Clear chain of command
• Identification of response personnel
• Identification of hostage takers and numbers, if
  possible

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Hostage Taking Negotiations Guidelines for
Hostage Events

• Avoid shifts in location if possible
• Keep relatives away audience
• Totally nonnegotiable
• New weapons, explosives or ammo
• No exchange of hostages
• No concessions without something in return
• No drugs, narcotics or alcohol

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsNegotiator
Strategies

• Play for time
• Tricks are deceit are dangerous tactics more
  successful with psychotics criminals
• No promises you cant keep
• Preferred style is one of mutual concession
  -compromise, problem solving, and give take

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsHostage Rescue

• Question - When to use force?
• Mixed record of successful results
• Perfect timing surprise
• Hostage lives at risk
• Disproportionate Force
• Expect media second-guessing

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Hostage Taking Negotiations U.S. Attempt - Not
Successful

• Iranian hostages rescue attempt
• 53 Americans captured at Embassy during rescue,
  location was unknown
• Multiple services involved equipment problems
  coordination difficulties
• Ambitious, daring rescue plan
• 8 rescuers died bodies left behind
• Great propaganda victory for Iran
• No test questions on Good Guys

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsOther Rescue
Attempts

• Rescue at Entebbe Airport
• Great Israeli intel insight surprise
• French Aircraft at Marseille - GIA
• Killed 3, released women children
• Attempt to create a flying bomb
• Peruvian Embassy Party - tunnels
• Russia and the Chechen hostage takers at the
  Opera poison gas

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsSurviving a Hostage
Taking

• Most critical times are capture release
• 75 casualties during rescue/release
• Remain calm dont panic
• Avoid unnecessary movement/noise
• Dont argue show cooperation
• Long captivity - exercise, maintain humor -
  establish routine empathy

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Hostage Taking NegotiationsOutlook

• Will continue to escalate
• Cost-effective extortion ransom
• Publicity - Palestinians, Chechens, etc.
• It works, expect in countries with efficient
  police, trusted by populace
• It works, except with repressive govts.
• Effective deterrence
• Security no-ransom policy

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Hostage Taking Negotiations

• QUESTIONS?