Hostage Taking

Hostage-Taking Situations

Most hostage-taking situations occur in connection with other crimes or as a result of political struggles. They may result from the intentional act of taking a specific person or group of persons because of who they represent, or as a result of a spontaneous decision. Many domestic criminals take hostages because they believe it gives them something to bargain with in exchange for their freedom.

Hijackers and other terrorists usually take hostages to demand a certain action by a government. It is most common to see revolutionaries or terrorist groups in third-world countries using this method of negotiating with human life. For example, in 1979, Iranian revolutionaries overtook the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held a group of Americans hostage. The revolutionaries demanded that the Shah of Iran be returned to the country for trial in exchange for the hostages. The Shah died before this matter could be resolved, and the hostages were eventually released by their captors.

Not only do individuals and groups resort to hostage taking, but entire countries do so as well. History is full of instances in which civilians have been taken as hostages during times of war. During World War II (1939–1945), for example, Germany sought to control underground resistance forces by taking hostages in France, Poland, and other occupied countries. Taking civilians as hostages in times of war is different from the unlawful act of taking enemy soldiers as prisoners of war. Capturing soldiers is not considered hostage taking, and laws govern the safe return of soldiers.

Hostage taking is different from kidnapping in that kidnapping is defined as the act of seizing and holding a person against his or her will. Although to take a person hostage consists of same, in kidnapping, there is no intent to return the individual or group after the demands have been met. The word kidnap comes from two words: kid, or “child,” and nab, which means “to steal.” At one time, kidnapping did refer to the act of stealing children, but it has also come to be used for the seizure and holding of adults.

Hostage taking is a form of terrorism, which is defined as the use or threat of violence to create fear and alarm. The goals of terrorists differ from those of ordinary criminals. Most criminals want money or some other form of personal gain, whereas most terrorists commit crimes to support political causes.

Some individuals and groups use hostage taking to support a particular political philosophy or ideology. [Page 244]Others, especially third-world countries, use civilian hostages to seek liberation from governments in power. Dictators and totalitarian governments also take revolutionaries as hostages to frighten or eliminate their opponents. Generally, those that employ the use of hostages attack people or groups who oppose their cause or objects that symbolize such opposition. Common victims of hostage situations include diplomats, business executives, political leaders, police, and judges. At other times, terrorists choose any target that is certain to attract media coverage.

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