Baghdad Hostage Working Group Find a way or make one! Find a way or make one! Chief Inspector Garry Vardon-Smith Avon and Somerset Constabulary United Kingdom Police
Introduction Me Threat of kidnap and Methods Hostage Working Group Good Practice and Kidnap Avoidance Good Practice Post Kidnap Conclusions and Questions
Objectives Provide some basic do s and don ts Link your SAIT training to Post incident Procedures Provide an opportunity for discussion Provide a point of contact in Baghdad for queries and concerns
French Hostage Freed by Captors in Iraq 2006-01-08 Deadline Nears for Four Hostages in Iraq 2005-12-07 Seven Westerners have been abducted in Iraq since Nov. 26. Contractor Abducted in Iraq Still Missing 2006-01-11 Sudan Shuts Iraq Embassy to Aid Hostages 2005-12-31
Threat of Kidnap Extremely High to: EVERYONE Western Nationals Foreign Nationals Local Employed Staff Local Contractors Businessmen and women Local Families and Children
Threat of Kidnap Money-Criminal Endeavour Radicalism Terrorism VAST Majority Criminal VAST Majority Released RECENT TREND OF SELLING HOSTAGES
TRENDS DECEMBER 2005 TRENDS Deteriorated Bangladesh, Chad, China (internal), Colombia, Egypt, Israel/Occupied Territories, Lebanon, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka Unchanged Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Basque Country (Spain), Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chechnya (Russia), Croatia, Cyprus,
Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Gabon, Georgia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India (non-kashmir), Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Macedonia, Mauritania, Moldova, Myanmar/Burma, Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan), Nepal, Nigeria, North Caucasus (Russia), Northern Ireland (UK), Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia & Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Somaliland (Somalia), Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan Strait, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zimbabwe (Reuters Risk watch) 4,000 kidnappings occurred in Colombia, 3,000 in Mexico and another 2,000 in Argentina last year alone (Kroll) IRAQ Over 400 western kidnappings Estimated 7000 Iraqis since 2003
Methods Naivete-Good Will-Perceptions of Risk Regular Habits Risk taking Poor Information Security Poor Vetting of Support Staff Letting your Guard Down Being in the Wrong Place
Methods Quick Impromptu meetings out of the Blue Same time same place visits Times and Locations in E mail or on notice boards Unguarded Conversations on telephones Personal invites to the wrong side of town Complacency
Methods An offer that sounds to good to be true Guarantees of safety, that aren t Inadequate awareness or cultural training Poor crisis management plans Little or no Intelligence Mistrust of Law Enforcement or Military
Is this You?
Methods An offer that sounds to good to be true Guarantees of safety, that aren t Inadequate awareness or cultural training Poor crisis management plans Little or no Intelligence Mistrust of Law Enforcement or Military
Expectations You will be noticed on arrival Your personal security will be assessed Vulnerabilities will be exploited You will be viewed simply as a commodity Little safety in numbers
Hostage Working Group Set up to coordinate an effective response to a kidnapping. (principally for westerners) Aims to join up all agencies and organisations. Provides advice to other agencies, groups and organisations
Kidnap Avoidance Stay alert but not paranoid Think about security of information Think about personal security Think about necessity Do believe that it could happen to you Be Risk Averse not just aware
Post kidnap Procedures Activate your plan Inform Embassies and Headquarters Circulate details to the MNF-I ASAP Review recent breaches/lapses of security Review all aspects of the mission Be prepared to receive demands and negotiate.
Kidnap Plan Tells people who is in charge and what roles are to be performed. Tells people what their roles are and how to do it Identifies a list of good practice options beforehand Prepares a list of people and numbers who need to be contacted and their order
Conclusions No one looks good in orange Force protection measures account for about half of spending-good reason! However! Stay sharp and listen to good advice Never, ever ever let your guard down! See you in the Blue Star
For those that have been Thank you for listening Garry Vardon-Smith 960 360 6319 07901933352