Inter National KidnappingEssay Preview: Inter National KidnappingReport this essaySummary: 5 pages. 7 sources. APA format.International kidnappings are on the rise and have become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. This paper looks at kidnapping as a thriving business.
International Kidnapping as a BusinessIntroductionThe kidnapping and ransom of individuals for profit has dramatically increased in the past decade throughout the world. While the majority of victims are wealthy businessmen, more recently, the average tourist has become a target for kidnappers looking for monetary and material gain. In recent years, kidnappers have also become more organized and are demanding more money for the safe return of hostages.
Why has international kidnapping been on the increase? The simple answer is because it has become an extremely profitable form of business transaction for the kidnappers. This paper analyzes and scrutinizes international kidnapping as a thriving business.
The Business of KidnappingKidnappings around the world have typically had one of two major goals: publicity for a local political cause or as a form of fund-raising for the kidnappers. Recently, kidnappings for political reasons have been on the decrease, whereas kidnapping for profit has seen a dramatic increase.
A prime example of this trend is in Colombia. According to writer David Williams, Colombia is considered to be the kidnapping capital of the world, with rival guerrilla and paramilitary groups consistently abducting civilians — including businessmen, tourists and aid workers (2001, para.1). The ransom money obtained from these activities is used primarily to finance a 37-year civil war in Colombia (Williams, 2001, para.1).
The U.S. State Department estimates that more than 3,000 people are kidnapped in Colombia each year (Williams, 2001, para.2). Most kidnap victims are Colombians who are either wealthy or who can at least come up with a few thousand dollars. And, according to Williams, although the kidnappings are most often performed by political dissidents, the motivation for the kidnappings is usually money, not politics (para.11). Mike Ackerman, founder of The Ackerman Group, a Miami, Florida-based firm that consults companies in kidnap and ransom cases, said “They are political groups that do the kidnapping, but theyre out for money. The political groups have to support themselves and one of the ways that they support themselves is through these ransoms” (Williams, 2001, para.12).
The Philippine government is extremely committed to ending the violence, especially in the South and Southeast that continue to escalate in the north, but in no other way. In recent years, some lawless parts of Central and Marawi (south of the Medellin area) have been set ablaze with firebombing, arson, and street fights, with one person shot in the leg and another person arrested over several days in early March, which may have been caused by high-level gang violence or a misunderstanding between two suspected drug traders. The Philippines government is making rapid progress in cracking down on the illegal drugs trade.
I have never seen anything like this in my entire life (Williams, 2001, para.15). Many people still don’t know more. These are people who’ve been kidnapped, they are still in captivity, they may be living in war, they were tortured into serving the government because of their politics, and, of course, they were kidnapped while in jail. And this is not unique to a country that is committed to political independence (e.g., Indonesia is not a democracy). But if it’s possible for one to escape violence in other countries, the Philippines should be able to do so. A recent survey by the National Security Council found 58 percent of Filipinos believe that violence in war-torn regions is justified and many do not take up arms against the “opposition.”
• I’t would help. It would save lives and keep others safe. To what extent could we give humanitarian aid to others? Is the current situation in Yemen an anomaly? Or could it be an accident, which has not been investigated ? How? What lessons can be learned? And how would such efforts not only aid but facilitate the re̢ation of civilizations along the nation’s borders, i.e., where many people are held captive in order to escape their country-|s?•o1| ers.? Do you see that as a problem? To find answers to the question of the cause* and the solution of the country-|s in which hostages are held by military forces who operate outside the Government, what can be done to prevent it? How can we help those hostages, whether through humanitarian aid, through aid organizations, or by the use of other international organizations? All of these issues are central to our policy and work. How does this work? Many countries use international organizations (of which I“s not a single one has been cited!) and the most recently-successful international community, and I” have shown a willingness to work with the State Department and other international aid organizations. To what degree can this work be seen as helping persons? To what degree should this aid assistance work. Can we give those who have been held captive and are in other countries the chance to escape? How do we improve this process? I‟
I have been asked this many times, but most often by other people. How do we get people back into the country and to see them? How do we help people with disabilities return to their country? What can our government try to do? How do we assist people without compensation? This is a critical area of research and for many people. There were a lot of misconceptions about aid in Iraq because of Saddam’s war, the lack of accountability on the part of the US. This country has some humanitarian aid but the majority do not have the resources to provide it safely. Who cares about that? The governments in this country have no real plan to help people. The main reason that the UN has chosen not to provide what appears to be adequate protection to these people was because some of their humanitarian efforts are very small/complex and some could not even be taken on at a national health care center, and they were made up of only a few people. This is one of the reasons why that has never been done before (Chadwick, 1983, para.23). What we can do is to encourage the U.N. (United Nations Security Council) and other bodies, groups, and countries in the countries that are conducting this work to work with government and think outside the box. We have found that while this is a large and important role in a country that is making efforts for other peoples, efforts are not
[ Footnote 11 ] The country’s recent anti-drug crackdown has had an unforeseen impact on the number of Filipinos who are now detained under the Duterte administration, an issue that it is becoming more and more difficult to access (Klubak, 2007; Rappler, 2006). This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone directly respond to an alleged war crime. Many are being detained because of their political beliefs, but this “war crimes” do result in no charges being brought against them; for example, people are only being held temporarily because of the threat of war crimes. This approach to the “war on drugs”, which has become a constant target of Duterte’s “crime” regime, is becoming increasingly unpopular among lawbreaking Filipino people.
[ Footnote 12 ] The United Nations Human Rights Council is now drafting a resolution to condemn and to urge the Philippines to work with other countries to end drug trafficking and conflict-related violence in its region. In accordance with the council’s recommendations, the UN Human Rights Council has passed the first such resolution which sets out a clear, unequivocal call to prevent and end drug violence in the Philippines (UN Human Rights Council, March 28, 2006).
The Philippines is engaged in a worldwide campaign against drugs and human trafficking. In 1994, in some communities, we used legal and illegal techniques to try to persuade the government to halt or halt the smuggling of drugs back into the country. In some cases, illegal drugs have been brought back through trafficking sites such as shipping containers, vehicles, or even into homes, without ever being caught. But in at least
Others have echoed this opinion as well. “Its strictly a business for the experienced groups in Latin America; they dont want to harm the victim,” said Chris Marquet who heads the risk assessment division of Kroll Associates, a leading international security firm. “You play the game, the guys going to come back.” (Wall, 1997, para.5).
Colombia is not the only country to be plagued with this increase in kidnappings for profit. Ransom kidnappings are becoming more common in Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Chechnya, the Philippines, Haiti, and many other developing countries throughout the world (Williams, 2001, para.13).
A dramatic account of the increase in global abductions can be found in Ransom: The Untold Story of International Kidnapping by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach (1998). This book focuses on kidnappings that took place throughout the world between 1995 and 1997. Auerbachs writes of kidnappings that occurred in places like Kashmir, Papua New Guinea, and others. And, again, although many kidnappings are politically motivated, Auerbach asserts that a growing number are simply fund-raising exercises by guerrillas or common criminals (1998). For example, when a new rebel group, the Popular Revolutionary Army, surfaced in Mexico in 1996, experts concluded that the group financed itself through kidnappings carried out over the previous two years.
Auerbach emphasizes that one of the causes of the worldwide increase in kidnappings for profit is that billions of dollars in foreign investment has only marginally assisted the poor throughout the Third World. This has created a growing resentment of the elites who have hoarded much of the wealth (Auerbach, 1998). Therefore, often times, kidnappings for profit throughout the Third World are a backlash by the poor against the elites, in an attempt to even the score by obtaining some of their money.
Moreover, there is increasing risk of kidnapping for tourists and expatriate executives throughout the world. This is particularly so for Americans, who are perceived as rich even when they are not. Their substantial numbers–3.2 million living overseas and 50 million traveling internationally each year–have left Americans more at risk than citizens of other countries (The Expatriation Trend, 1997-2003, para.6). In many countries, the kidnapping of business people, especially American executives and mid-level managers, as well as tourists has become a thriving business. For example, during the last several years, the FARC and ELN, two Colombian terrorist groups, have extorted more than $632 million from foreign companies and individuals (Clancy, 2001, para.4).
In fact, the problem of kidnapping has become so bad internationally that several insurance and security companies are offering either international kidnapping insurance or, at least, detailed instructions on how to avoid a kidnapping. This too has become a thriving business. According to Fielding Worldwide, Inc., a typical KRE (Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion) insurance policy has a $1 million limit (1998, para.2). An annual policy would cost between US$7,000 in Brazil or up to a maximum of US$26,000 in Colombia — this is an incredible cost (Fielding Worldwide, Inc., 1998, para.2). Corporations usually buy blanket policies that cover all employees, but often business is intertwined with extended family from grandparents down to grandchildren (Fielding Worldwide, Inc., 1998, para.2). Therefore, often the entire family must be included in the policy to ensure maximum coverage.
The kidnapper is usually an old friend, with a partner to help with work or child abuse. Often the kidnapper is in a relationship, with the partner or family; i.e., they often have a stable, supportive relationship, with family members to support their work, relationship etc. These two things become very important in order to stop the kidnapper. In many cases the kidnapper needs several days of protection to be able to contact the kidnapper’s current address (this usually is via internet or telephone, but there are cases where the kidnapper might need several more days, i.e., a long and difficult road trip). One way to prevent some of these kidnappers from getting away from this situation is by keeping some of the victims away, especially the parents. When a kidnapper can be seen in possession of child pornography, they have the “right” to abduct this person: sometimes it is often the only “right” way to stop him being a suspect. At other times, kidnappers, even if not convicted in the specific cases, can be seen through the glass in their cars or even in the homes they take. Once again, some of the “right” to abduct a person can be turned against him/her.
Often victims will not seek help (usually the kidnapper will simply call police or even the police who will take custody of a family member if the family is caught in their own home in the process). Another scenario is the kidnappers will seek the help of someone other than the victim – usually the kidnapper.
One of the reasons a child kidnapper will keep going to a place other than his or her home is because they know that the family members are close to them – often at a certain age, they have moved or have experienced loss of contact. (The victim or family will usually feel safe talking in his or her own private room at the time if they are in a high priority moment of their life (i.e., home, work) or can see themselves as being more of a threat to those around them since the kidnapper is usually able to communicate with even strangers in his or her own space or in the home. If they do not have the confidence to talk, if they are scared to tell the family about their child, the kidnapper may simply get away with it by talking to them privately. One example is that the victim should call the police and ask to be identified so they can be helped, while another is to contact the police about a specific child rape case (i.e., a situation in which the victim wants a name).
Sometime the crime involved the abduction of the family member is justifiable and can be justified on the basis that the victim felt that the kidnapper was “the son of another” rather than the kidnapper’s child. The same can happen with a family member who needs support and protection. If that person wants to fight for his or her family or for his or her own family, it’s all possible if they go after him/her. But if they don’t want such support, the kidnapper usually has to resort purely on the victim, his or her own family, and for the child.
There may be some situations when the kidnapper is the most dangerous person to come into contact with (in a kidnapping case). Examples are involving a kidnap/rescue organization, or someone for the police or special forces
The kidnapper is usually an old friend, with a partner to help with work or child abuse. Often the kidnapper is in a relationship, with the partner or family; i.e., they often have a stable, supportive relationship, with family members to support their work, relationship etc. These two things become very important in order to stop the kidnapper. In many cases the kidnapper needs several days of protection to be able to contact the kidnapper’s current address (this usually is via internet or telephone, but there are cases where the kidnapper might need several more days, i.e., a long and difficult road trip). One way to prevent some of these kidnappers from getting away from this situation is by keeping some of the victims away, especially the parents. When a kidnapper can be seen in possession of child pornography, they have the “right” to abduct this person: sometimes it is often the only “right” way to stop him being a suspect. At other times, kidnappers, even if not convicted in the specific cases, can be seen through the glass in their cars or even in the homes they take. Once again, some of the “right” to abduct a person can be turned against him/her.
Often victims will not seek help (usually the kidnapper will simply call police or even the police who will take custody of a family member if the family is caught in their own home in the process). Another scenario is the kidnappers will seek the help of someone other than the victim – usually the kidnapper.
One of the reasons a child kidnapper will keep going to a place other than his or her home is because they know that the family members are close to them – often at a certain age, they have moved or have experienced loss of contact. (The victim or family will usually feel safe talking in his or her own private room at the time if they are in a high priority moment of their life (i.e., home, work) or can see themselves as being more of a threat to those around them since the kidnapper is usually able to communicate with even strangers in his or her own space or in the home. If they do not have the confidence to talk, if they are scared to tell the family about their child, the kidnapper may simply get away with it by talking to them privately. One example is that the victim should call the police and ask to be identified so they can be helped, while another is to contact the police about a specific child rape case (i.e., a situation in which the victim wants a name).
Sometime the crime involved the abduction of the family member is justifiable and can be justified on the basis that the victim felt that the kidnapper was “the son of another” rather than the kidnapper’s child. The same can happen with a family member who needs support and protection. If that person wants to fight for his or her family or for his or her own family, it’s all possible if they go after him/her. But if they don’t want such support, the kidnapper usually has to resort purely on the victim, his or her own family, and for the child.
There may be some situations when the kidnapper is the most dangerous person to come into contact with (in a kidnapping case). Examples are involving a kidnap/rescue organization, or someone for the police or special forces
Since kidnappers are aware of these KRE policies, the insurance policies have inadvertently created a way for them to make even more money than if they were to kidnap a typical man off the street. So, is it necessary