Monday, January 6, 2020

Talking With A Terrorist


I recently attended the NTOA Hostage Negotiators Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. Aside of listening to some great presentations, I also conducted a research study with +200 negotiators. 

The best way to prepare for a negotiation is practicing for it. In this particular study, negotiators were able to practice in a terrorist scenario where the communication took place via text messaging. If you're interested in this research I'm conducting as part of my role as a research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute (and also part of Lipscomb University), let me know. 

To add realism to the scenario, the language used by the terrorist is taken from a real-life incident. 

Don't imagine how you would respond in this type of situation, challenge yourself and your team. I'm playing on expanding the study to other teams across the US this year. If you have any interest, email me: mediator.jeff [at] gmail.com. 



Talking With A Terrorist (Research Study) 
We hope to never be involved in a terrorist incident but if it happens, are you prepared to negotiate? Participate in this research study where you get to practice with dialogue from a real hostage incident during a terrorist attack.  

You'll have a chance to practice your active listening skills, figure out how rapport building works in this type of tense environment, and determine what is the best strategy to gain voluntary compliance. You'll be using your own mobile device to interact with actual statements the terrorist made during his attack. This research study is interactive so be ready!

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Wife of British-Iranian engineer in Tehran prison fears Soleimani strike has destroyed all hope of release


The wife of a British-Iranian engineer held in prison in Tehran has said she fears he no longer stands a “hope in hell” of being released after the US strike on Iran’s top commander led the region to the brink of war.

Sherry Izadi, 56, told the Telegraph she was “terrified” that any chance of negotiation between the UK and Iran over Anoosheh Ashoori’s 10-year sentence was over.

Read more from the Telegraph [HERE]. 

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Standoff at Illinois credit union ends peacefully when armed suspect surrenders after 6 hours


An armed robber held a woman hostage for more than six hours before surrendering to police at a credit union in the northern Illinois city of Rockford on Friday night, police said...

“The FBI negotiators worked seamlessly with the Rockford negotiators, and I could not give them enough credit," Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea said. "The FBI really stepped up to help us out.”

Read more from the NY Daily News [HERE] and the Daily Beast [HERE].