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THE FBI'S HOSTAGE RESCUE TEAM... By: Steve Macko Editorial Opinion: The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation maintains a specially- trained unit that is called the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). By its very name, one can tell what the primary mission of the team is. Some Counter-terrorism (CT) experts say that the HRT should engage ONLY in hostage rescue and nothing else, such as getting involved in high-risk arrest situations or in drug raids. Having this team engage in only one kind of mission may seem wasteful of this highly-trained law enforcement resource, but we will explore the various reason as we go along.

Survival as a Hostage (Part I) By Richard Clutterbuck: Being Mentally Prepared - Before considering contingency planning and crisis management, it is important to understand the ordeal of the hostage, because the negotiator must all the time try to visualize what is happening to him, and how he may be reacting.

Hostage Taking Situations Hostage taking situations within the social services sector remains a relatively rare event, however, it is a possibility that the health care provider and community worker needs to be prepared for. The following guidelines are meant as a basic introduction.

Negotiation Strategy in Hostage Scenarios In this article, the author presents a rather philosophical view of terrorism and terrorists. Some historical perspectives of terrorism will be discussed, as well as an examination of a graduated response approach in dealing with a hostage situation.

UNODC - International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages BEING CONVINCED that it is urgently necessary to develop international co-operation between States in devising and adopting effective measures for the prevention, prosecution and punishment of all acts of taking of hostages as manifestations of international terrorism...

Hostage taking as psychological war - Deccan Herald Terrorism experts are blaming companies and countries that have met the kidnappers’ demands by paying ransom or pulling out troops or withdrawing business operations from Iraq for the spurt in abductions. The Philippines’ decision to pull its troops out of Iraq ahead of schedule in order to secure the release of a Filipino truck driver taken hostage is being blamed for the spurt in abductions over the past week. Two days after the last Filipino soldier left Iraq, seven truck drivers – including three from India – were kidnapped. An Egyptian diplomat and four foreign workers are the latest to have been abducted.

Beliefs about taking hostages & committing suicide in Islam Within most of Islam, hostage taking, suicide, or terrorist attacks are not permitted. They are considered a great sin. In the Qur'an, it is written that"If anyone killed a person, unless it was for murder or spreading mischief on earth, it would be as if he killed all of mankind. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he had saved the lives of all mankind."(Qur'an 5:32)

FBI Bulletins on Crisis Negotiations Skills and Trainings & [PDF] HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION STUDY GUIDE 2003

UVIC Campus Security Services - Hostage Taking GUIDELINES IN THE EVENT OF A HOSTAGE TAKING

How to Survive a Kidnapping Anyone may be kidnapped or have a member of their family kidnapped. Unfortunately, most people don't know how to deal with kidnappers or how to survive the ordeal if they themselves are kidnapped or taken hostage.

Surviving a Hostage Situation Hostage situations can generally be described in two basic ways. One is the traditional situation, in which the hostage-taker tries to utilize hostages as leverage to negotiate something else. The other situation, which is becoming more prevalent, occurs when the hostage-taker is bent on death and destruction to “make a statement” and has no other goal in mind. As a situation develops, a potential hostage needs to immediately assess the intruder’s intent--negotiation or murder.

Held captive: in the post 9/11 era, kidnap avoidance and survival skills are critical. By Henjum, Scott: It's the nightmare scenario of every executive traveling to dangerous regions: The door bursts open and four men dressed in black clothes and hoods come in brandishing handguns, screaming, "Get your heads down on the table. Now! Do it. Don't look up. Don't you look at me."

Howstuffworks "How Hostage Negotiation Works" A hostage situation is a law-enforcement worst-case scenario, because it places innocent civilians directly in harm's way. Armed intervention becomes very risky, since the hostages themselves can be harmed either by stray bullets or by the hostage-takers. That makes the negotiation the most important aspect of any hostage crisis. A skilled negotiator must find out what the hostage-taker wants, who he or she is and what it will take to achieve a peaceful outcome, all while ensuring the safety of the hostages and other bystanders.

RUSI- Beslan Tragedy: Analysis of the Hostage Handling The moment that the full horror of situation became clear to those outside school Number One at Beslan will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Right up until a handful of half naked children escaped the school and fled for their lives nearly everything had pointed to a long and protracted negotiation. However, at that instant, all of the little things that just didn’t seem to quite fit with the negotiation scenario fell into place and those closest to the situation saw with chilling clarity that the hostage takers only aim was to capture the world’s attention for as long as possible by committing an act of total revulsion against humanities most vulnerable, most precious– innocent children.

What to do if you are taken hostage You may think an article about how to survive if you are taken hostage is a bit far fetched for Career Focus, but doctors are increasingly interested in working in other countries either as part of their training or as voluntary workers with non-governmental organizations. So we asked Ian Palmer to give some advice

Stockholm Syndrome Bonding to one's captor (abuser) is a survival strategy for victims that has been observed in a variety of hostage-taking situations. This strategy was labeled Stockholm Syndrome after a hostage situation in a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973. Three (3) women and one (1) man were held hostage for six days by two (2) men. During this period, the four hostages and their captors bonded bi-directionally. The hostages even came to see their captors as protecting them from the police! Following the release of the hostages, one of the women became engaged to one of the captors, another of the hostage started a 'defense fund'. All this was done in the face of the fact that the hostages were bound with dynamite and generally mistreated! Such bonding to one's captor / abuser no longer considered unusual by professionals who negotiate with hostage-takers. In fact, it is encourage its development, for it improves the chances for survival of the hostages, despite the fact that it means the officials can no longer count on the cooperation of the hostages in working for their own release or in later prosecuting captors.

A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS [PDF] A SURVIVAL GUIDE. FOR JOURNALISTS. Written and produced for the IFJ by Peter McIntyre. Abductions, hostage taking and targeting journalists

Arabic and English language survival guide released for African journalists The job of a journalist is to tell the story, not to become the story. A journalists who puts him or herself needlessly at risk is behaving in an unprofessional manner; one that could ultimately prevent the story from being told or the picture from being taken, reads introduction of a new handbook launched in both Arabic and English by the International Federation of Journalists. The guidebook includes chapters on emergency medical aid, post-traumatic stress, how to cover combat situations and also address journalist abductions and hostage taking. It also provides useful contacts for training and equipment agencies, and details of how media organizations can help.

Negotiations Following a Crisis - a Simulated Scenario Los Alamos National Lab

Negotiation Position Papers - A Tool for Crisis Negotiators by Dalfonzo and Romano, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 2003

Negotiation Concepts for Commanders by Noesner, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, January 1999

Role-Playing - A Vital Tool in Crisis Negotiation Skills Training by Hasselt and Romano, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, February 2004

Crisis Negotiation Teams - Selection and Training by Regini, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, November 2002

Third-Party Intermediaries and Crisis Negotiations by Romano, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 1998

Too Close for Comfort: Negotiating with Fellow Officers by Terhune-Bickler, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, April 2004

Crisis Intervention for Law Enforcement Negotiators by Regini, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 2004

Crisis Intervention: Using Active Listening Skills in Negotiations by Noesner and Webster, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, August 1997

The Albuquerque Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team - A Report Card by Bower and Pettitt, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, February 2001

FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) - "The CNU is available to assist any law enforcement negotiator with operational issues around the clock, seven days a week."

Negotiation Lessons Learned by an FBI Hostage Negotiator, by Lanceley, in The Negotiator Magazine, Dec 2004

Negotiation Strategy in Hostage Scenarios

Iraqi Police Service Train in Hostage Negotiations - CENTCOM News, Sep 04

The Albuquerque Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team - A Report Card by Bower and Pettitt, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, February 2001

Too Close for Comfort: Negotiating with Fellow Officers by Terhune-Bickler, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, April 2004

Placing the Stockholm Syndrome in Perspective by Fuselier, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, July 1999

Hostage/Barricade Management - A Hidden Conflict Within Law Enforcement by Vecchi, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 2002

Western States Hostage Negotiators' Association (WSHNA) - check Links page

Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators (TAHN) - check Links page

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