![]() ![]() Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had recently announced that the government would not negotiate with the terrorists. On May 1, 2002, a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group operating in the southern Philippines threatened on Filipino radio to kill an American missionary couple it has been holding hostage. Without an avenue for negotiation, some terrorist groups are willing to sacrifice hostages, and even themselves, to gain publicity and support for their causes.Few governments negotiate with terrorists, out of the belief that they will be targeted by other terrorists' in the future if they show a willingness to make concessions and meet terrorist demands.In countries plagued by unrest and turmoil, only a small number of terrorist groups are ever caught, further enticing rebel groups to turn to hostage taking as a means of advancing their goals.A high percentage of hostage takings occur in countries with political and social unrest, a high level of inequity among the countries' citizens, and where the local law enforcement community is either corrupt or simply unable to keep the rebel groups under control.Many governments are reluctant to negotiate with terrorists out of the belief that other terrorist groups may take advantage of the precedent. Motivated by the prospect of receiving money in exchange for their hostages, numerous rebel and extremist groups around the world are increasingly turning to hostage taking for ransom as a means of financing their activities, recruiting new supporters, and generating public sympathy towards their cause. The past few years have shown a noticeable increase in the number of hostage taking incidents worldwide. Hostage Taking and Terrorism: The Human Bargaining Chip The Conflict
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