NCJ Number
53140
Date Published
1977
Length
18 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIPLOMAT KIDNAPPINGS AS A TERRORIST STRATEGY IS TRACED FROM THE 1958 CUBAN REVOLUTION.
Abstract
A SERIES OF KIDNAPPINGS BY SOUTH AMERICAN REBELS, STARTING WITH THAT OF THE ARGENTINIAN RACE DRIVER MANUEL FANGIO IN CUBA, WERE INTENDED TO GAIN PUBLICITY FOR REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS AND TO SWAY THE BALANCE OF WORLD POWERS IN THE DIRECTION OF SOCIALISM OR TO USE IN BARGAINING FOR IMPRISONED COMRADES. A NUMBER OF SPECTACULAR KIDNAPPINGS AFTER 1968, NOTABLY THOSE OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO BRASIL, CHARLES ELBRICK, OF THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO GUATEMALA, KARL MARIA VON SPRETI, AND OF THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO URUGUAY, GEOFFREY JACKSON, SOUGHT TO FORCE GOVERNMENTS INTO EXCESSIVE COUNTERMEASURES WHICH WOULD PROVE THEIR REPRESSIVE CHARACTER. NO MATTER WHAT THE GOALS OF THE ACTIONS, THE KIDNAPPING MECHANISM INVOLVES BLACKMAIL AND PRESSURE ON A GOVERNMENT TO REACT, WITH A SIMULTANEOUS APPEAL FOR SYMPATHY FROM THE PUBLIC THROUGH MASS MEDIA. HOSTAGES ARE OBJECTS FOR NEGOTIATION, NOT INDIVIDUALS. DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND THE PRESSURES FROM OTHER NATIONS PLACE GOVERNMENTS IN A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT SITUATION. BECAUSE OF SECURITY MEASURES FOR DIPLOMATS BY BOTH HOME AND HOST COUNTRIES, THE NUMBER OF SUCH KIDNAPPINGS HAS BEEN REDUCED, ALTHOUGH INCREASED PENALTIES FOR SUCH KIDNAPPINGS HAS HAD LITTLE EFFECT. THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO INTERNATIONAL PREVENTION OF TERRORIST KIDNAPPINGS IS THE WIDE VARIATION IN THE DEFINITIONS OF FREEDOM FIGHTERS VERSUS TERRORISTS AND THE CONSEQUENT IMPOSSIBILITY OF REACHING GENERAL AGREEMENTS ON SUCH MATTERS AS REFUSING TO GRANT ASYLUM. REGIONAL AGREEMENTS RELATING TO SPECIFIC FORMS OF TERRORISM HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE. EXTENSIVE NOTES ARE PROVIDED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)