Numbered Lives: Some Statistical Observations From 77 International Hostage Episodes

Abstract

Approximately one-fifth of all incidents of international terrorism involve taking hostages -- by taking over embassies or other public buildings or kidnapping individuals. Terrorists seize hostages -- diplomats, corporate executives, tourists, sometimes just anybody handy -- to delibrately heighten the drama of the episode guaranteeing widespread publicity and increasing their leverage by placing human life in the balance. A major portion of The Rand Corporation's continuing research on international terrorism has focused on the problem of hostage situations. This paper, which examines 77 international hostage incidents, was initially included in a report prepared for the Department of State and Department of Defense.