Talking to Terrorists
Abstract
Terrorists seize foreign officials as a means of gaining international attention and exerting leverage over the local government, upon whom they usually levy their demands. A political kidnapping is an act of propaganda, inherent within it is a desire to communicate. Holding a hostage guarantees that the kidnappers will be heard. On the other side, the government not only is concerned with obtaining the safe release of the hostage or hostages; it also wants to communicate its position in the contest with the terrorists. When the hostage belongs to another government, that government also must communicate its concerns about the safety of one or more of its citizens, its policy with regard to political kidnappings, and its attitude toward the local government. Political kidnappings create many communications problems Resolution of these kidnappings requires communication between at least two parties: the terrorist kidnappers and the government. Governments themselves are, of course, complex organizations comprised of separate entities that sometimes act independently of one another, each having its own means of communicating This magnifies the problem. When opinions are divided on how to handle the kidnapping, the government may be saying several things at once.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA483969
Entities
People
- Brian Michael Jenkins
Organizations
- RAND Corporation