Skip to main content
opinion

Phil Gurski is a former strategic analyst at CSIS, and president of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting

There are few horrors worse than learning that a family member has been taken hostage by a terrorist group. With all we know about the depredations that these organizations are capable of, it is easy to imagine the absolute worst fate of loved ones: beatings, rapes, even beheadings. This is truly a terrible situation that we would not wish on anyone, even on terrorists themselves.

However, what is to be done during such a hostage situation? Negotiate? Pay ransom? Try a rescue attempt? Wait it out? All of these have advantages and disadvantages, yet all place those being held in jeopardy. Furthermore, since few have ever been in this position, we cannot fathom what this means to families who will try anything to get their loved ones back. We know that some hostage situations end tragically – witness the barbaric beheadings of two Canadians in the Philippines last year.

It is also easy to understand why families get frustrated by what is being done – or not being done. Government officials are obtuse at the best of times. "Security classification" can be used to keep information from concerned loved ones. The process can seem interminably slow and without progress for long periods of time. And while resolution seems to be at a standstill, the hostage is suffering unknown peril and physical/psychological harm.

One parent has spoken out on this phenomenon: Lorinda Stewart, the mother of Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout who was held and brutally raped by members of al-Shabab in Somalia for over a year, has openly criticized the Canadian government and the RCMP, in particular, for how her daughter's case was handled. Specifically, she claims she was brushed off by officials and encouraged not to engage a private negotiator. She has written a book on her ordeal in the hope that families in similar situations can better manage and seek a successful outcome.

Are Ms. Stewart's criticisms warranted? It would be easy to dismiss them as the emotional responses of a very worried mother. However, it is necessary to ask: What could have been done differently and was the approach she adopted the "right" one? There are several aspects to this case that come into play.

First and foremost, while the Canadian government and its agencies are trying their best, their capabilities are limited. We are still a small power on the world stage and we have only so many tools at our disposal. We are not the Americans, with their seemingly endless military and intelligence resources; we can expect our agencies to do only so much. In this regard it is not a good idea for the RCMP to parade an "impeccable" record in hostage cases.

A lot of areas of the world are highly dangerous, where actions are difficult to affect change. Rescue missions are fraught with uncertainty: knowledge of the local terrain, co-operation with uncertain and perhaps dubious local actors, and the sheer logistics of carrying out such an attempt. None of this is as easy as it looks in a Hollywood film.

If the decision is made to go with a "private" negotiator, who is this person? What track record do they have and how can a family make that determination? How do we avoid charlatans out there who will prey on a family's desperation? Do the private actors have either the authority or even the capability to do anything useful? Is going with this kind of person superior to working with government agencies?

As many governments have stated (including Canada's) we cannot, and must not, pay ransom. Giving money to terrorist groups merely furthers their agenda and facilitates future hostage takings or worse – such as catastrophic terrorist attacks. Therefore, while it is understandable that a family wants to do anything to get a loved one back, there are larger considerations at play.

Ms. Stewart does raise some valid questions. However, we must recognize that each hostage situation is different; even the "easiest" one is fraught with challenges. Nothing is perfect in this world and we can – and must – learn from which strategies succeeded and which failed. At the same time, failing to understand the difficulties inherent in these incidents is not helpful toward a successful resolution.

Interact with The Globe