Understanding the Impacts of Hostage-Terrorism

The chapter welcomed Dan O'Shea, vice president of Personnel Recovery, Kidnap & Ransom at GROM Technologies Incorporated. O'Shea is a former Navy Seal commander and combat veteran with more than 20 years of special operations experience and multiple Middle East (Iraq/Afghanistan) and Africa tours. From 2004-2006 he served as coordinator of the Hostage Working Group at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and is recognized as an Islamic-extremist subject matter expert. His presentation to the chapter, directed to both industry and military, resonated with those who provide or perform duties in such hostile environments, particularly the understanding of safety-related issues and the motives of terrorists. While the U.S. is not alone on the hostage-terrorism issue, O'Shea discussed how it degrades national decision making, forcing nation states to make difficult policy decisions. He stated, "Terrorist kidnappings are challenges that U.S. administrations have faced over 20 to 30 years," referencing past presidents who have encountered similar situations. "Violence is part of the terrorists' end state—its primary purpose is to create propaganda." O'Shea said that kidnappings are funding and fueling terrorism and payments of hostages has negative results for the future.