F.B.I. tactics in pirate negotiation questioned

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News

An F.B.I. hostage negotiator aboard the U.S.S. Sterett didn't think the two Somali pirate leaders who boarded the ship to discuss the release of four American hostages vacationing on the yacht were serious. So they told the pirates on the Quest yacht to send someone who they could do business with, reports the New York Times.

What followed was the murder of the four American hostages.

According to the New York Times, it is unclear whether the F.B.I. agent had negotiated with Somali pirate before. However, an official said the agent involved was a hostage negotiator from a special team based at Quantico, Va., who was experienced in both domestic and international hostage crises.

The anonymous official said that the pirates brought on board the U.S.S. Sterett never communicated back to their fellow pirates on the Quest.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20035697-503543.html?tag=stack

[Poll_Blind]

1. Sounds like they haven't gotten much better since Waco.

PB

[leveymg]

2. If the Somali negotiators never communicated with the others, why blame the FBI negotiator?

Seems the killers on the yacht acted on their own before any deal could be reached.

Sounds like the brass are looking for a scapegoat. Big surprise, there.

[boppers]

5. "If we don't call back in an hour, kill the hostages"

Standard tactic if you negotiators are captured/killed.

[leveymg]

9. Assuming the Somalis were detained or prevented from communicating, you would be correct.

Now, that would be a major f-ck up by the FBI.

[armodem08]

7. Why would the brass be to blame?

Why would they want/need a scapegoat? This seems like a pretty classic example of a tactical mistake.

"They told the pirates on the Quest yacht to send someone who they could do business with"

The FBI didn't think they were serious. So they promptly proved they were. Seems like a mistake to me... Some needs (and probably will get) more training!

[leveymg]

10. You're right. The pirates probably assumed the Americans just wanted to lure more of them off

the yacht. Giving that impression, even inadvertently, would also be a major mistake by the FBI negotiator.

[msongs]

3. pirates kill people. it's part of what they do for a living. it is their culture nt

[jbnow]

8. No, these pirates rarely kill anyone. They threaten to kill people

but they just want money for the release of the people/ships

[Corruption Winz]

4. So, lemme get this straight...

He goes through years of training that is supposed to allow you to handle all of these hugely pressurized situations. You spend hours upon hours studying people and their motivations. Tactics. Disciplines.

And the best this guy had was... calling someone's bluff?

Tax money, well spent.

[Robbien]

12. The military training was probably done by some outsourced company

which hired minimum wage trainers in order to maximize executive profits.

[Corruption Winz]

14. And as we can see...

It was completely worth it. I mean... why spend money on people who might actually save lives and know what they're doing?

[Rabblevox]

6. The FBI is both arrogant and stupid. In other news, rain is wet. nt

[boppers]

11. Most of them are law students with great credentials.

IOW, they know how to argue about a corporate takeover.

A street fight, not so much.

[bemildred]

13. Indeed. nt