The United States believes the increasing spate of hostage abductions in Iraq reflects a new strategy by a loose confederation of insurgents designed to increase public pressure on the U.S.-led multinational force and other foreign interests to abandon Iraq because bombings and other terrorist tactics have not had sufficient impact, according to U.S. officials.
U.S. officials said they detected a turning point in April when random abductions based on "targets of opportunity" and random access to foreigners evolved into a more regular and calculated pattern. Based on interviews with released former captives, Washington believes that many of those abducted end up in the hands of a fluid network of cells.
"We've seen this tactic now for several months, but it clearly took on the form of an established tactic six weeks to two months ago -- rather than a one-off or target-of-opportunity sort of thing," said a senior counterterrorism official familiar with the situation in Iraq.
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"It's effective because it's a prolonged drama, unlike a terrorist event which is over after the bomb explodes or the bullet is fired and the bodies are taken away and the shattered glass is swept up and the buildings repaired. A hostage story takes on a life of its own. It's the apotheosis of terrorist theater," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and director of Rand Corp.'s Washington office.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16003-2004Jun29.html
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