Siege negotiation tactics: An expert's view

Time allows negotiators to get more hostages out

By Duncan March Training specialist in hostage scenarios

One hostage is already dead and Russia has a potential bloodbath on its hands.

The negotiators have little to work with.

It is already clear that President Vladimir Putin will not withdraw troops from Chechnya and the rebels' demands are futile.

Therefore, the negotiators will need to reward them with a vast amount of international media exposure and play on their heartstrings to end the siege and release the remaining hostages.

Third party

The negotiators' ultimate aim will be the release of all the hostages.

The rebels ''played by the rules'' in freeing children

But the Russian authorities will also not want to lose face to the Chechens.

They will want to bring the captors to heel.

They will want to restore their credibility internationally and make sure none of the rebels escape.

The negotiators will be Russian, but objectively you would not want to negotiate solely from the Russian perspective, and instead use a third party from another country.

In this type of scenario the British Government has a right to send specialist negotiators.

But in every scenario, negotiators have to focus on the bigger picture.

In this case they know the rebels' demands are not going to be met, so they have little time to draw up plans.

If the hostage-takers wanted cash and an aeroplane, this takes time to organise, giving the negotiators time to react.

On the other hand, at least the cards are on the table and the demands are fully known.

Be anonymous

The Chechens have already been successful in some of their goals.

They have received worldwide recognition of the plight of Chechnya and the negotiators need to tell them of this.

They must also not antagonise the rebels, and should work to free the young and the sick.

The hostage-takers have already achieved publicity

The fact that children have already been released shows the rebels can play by the rules.

Children and ailing people will be seen as a nuisance by hostage-takers so they will want to make them leave.

For their part, the hostages must act as ''grey men'' - trying to be anonymous in the crowd to avoid being chosen as an execution victim.

Additionally, they must judge their individual situation. If they feel their end is nigh, then they must do anything to stay alive.

If the rebels do start executing hostages, the authorities will have to look closer at going in.

The negotiators will be told to keep the hostage-takers sweet until the attack plans are ready.

The authorities know that the longer the crisis continues, the more demoralised and tired the hostage-takers will become.

Duncan March is a director at Pilgrims Specialist Training and a former officer in the Royal Marines. He specialises in training journalists about abduction and hostage scenarios.