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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 April 2018
Britain has long taken a firm public line against terrorist ransom, insisting that yielding to terrorist demands only encourages further acts of intimidation and kidnapping. Hitherto, academic research has tended to take these assertions of piety at face value. This article uses a historical approach to show that the British position has shifted over time and was often more complex and pragmatic. Indeed, Britain’s position with regard to kidnap and ransom insurance has, until quite recently, been rather ambiguous. We use the British case to suggest that, rather than dividing states into groups that make concessions and those that do not, it is perhaps better to recognise there is often a broad spectrum of positions, sometimes held by different parts of the same government, together with the private security companies that move in the shadows on their behalf. One of the few things that unites them is a tendency to dissemble and this presents some intriguing methods problems for researchers.
1 Erika Solomon, ‘The $1bn hostage deal that enraged Qatar’s Gulf rivals’, Financial Times (5 June 2017).
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38 HO325/757, Harrington to Boys Smith, ‘Home Secretary’s Visit to the United States: Kidnap and Ransom Insurance’, and attached brief ‘Points to Make’, 21 May 1986. All archival references are to the UK National Archives (TNA) unless otherwise stated.
39 FCO26/1694, ‘Anglo-French Information Talks – Background Notes’, 27/28 October 1975.
40 The Global Terrorism Database shows an increase from 50 per year in 1970 to 250 per year in 1980.
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48 Ibid., Macdermot to Wiggin, 10 April 1970.
49 Haddow, the British ambassador in Buenos Aires, thought that if the American ambassador was kidnapped and the demands were reasonable, the Argentinians ‘could be persuaded to do a discreet deal’. FCO7/1478, Haddow to Wiggin, ‘Kidnapping’, 27 August 1970.
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51 Ibid., CM (70)27th meeting, item 1, 6 October 1970.
52 FCO7/1764, Douglas-Home to Bogota, 9 October 19710.
53 FCO7/1763, CM (70)27th meeting, item 1, 6 October 1970.
54 Ibid., Ottawa to FCO, 8 October 1970.
55 Ibid., Cole to Wiggin, ‘Kidnapping’, meeting with FDA, 6 October 1970.
56 FCO7/1764, Wiggin, ‘Note for the record: Mr Jasper Cross’, 12 October 1970.
57 Ibid., MI5 to PUSD and Security Department, No. 623, 12 October 1970.
58 FCO7/1763, London to Algiers, 7 October 1970.
59 FCO7/1764, Ottawa to London, 15 October 1970.
60 The British Diplomat Oral History Programme (BDOHP), Churchill Archives Cambridge, Sir Colin Imray interview, available at: {https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Imray.pdf} accessed 2 April 2017.
61 BDOHP, Churchill Archives Cambridge, James Cross interview, available at: {https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Cross.pdf} accessed 3 April 2017.
62 R–1986/1-DOS/ARPA, Eleanor S. Wainstein, ‘The Cross and Laporte Kidnappings, Montreal, October 1970’, report prepared for State Department and DAPRA, February 1977.
63 FCO7/1969, Ottawa to FCO, 3 December 1970.
64 Delighted British diplomats reported that ‘the FLQ kidnappers are being put to work in the cane-fields’. FCO9/1770, Cable, ‘Kidnapping’, 12 December 1970.
65 FCO7/1769, Wiggin to Barrington, ‘Mr Cross’, 9 December 1970.
66 James Cross interview, available at: {https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Cross.pdf} accessed 12 March 2017. See also ‘FO gag on Mr Cross?’, Observer (13 December 1970).
67 FCO7/1768, Wiggin to Berne, 19 November 1970.
68 FCO7/1767, Draft PUS monthly letter in Vining to Day, 16 October 1970.
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72 FCO7/2078, Hennessy to FCO, ‘Kidnapping’, 6 May 1971.
73 FCO7/1880, Brief by Hunter for SoS for Cabinet, ‘Kidnapping’, 24 May 1971.
74 Ibid., FCO to Haddon, 27 May 1971.
75 FCO77/188, Jellicoe to Youde, 16 June 1971.
76 Ibid., Douglas-Home to Edward Health, 26 July 1971.
77 Ibid., Denis Greenhill to Douglas-Home, 21 July 1971.
78 FCO7/2091, Hildyard to Hunter, ‘Kidnapping’, 30 June 1971.
79 Ibid., Wright to PUS, 29 June 1971.
80 Ibid., Greenhill note, 30 June 1971.
81 Ibid., Priority, Douglas-Home to Montevideo and Santiago, 7 July 1971.
82 Ibid., Hunter to Hankey, ‘Mr Geoffrey Jackson’, 5 August 1971.
83 Ibid., Minute on Hunter to Brimelow, ‘Mr Jackson’, 5 August 1971.
84 Ibid., Hildyard to Hunter, 30 June 1971.
85 FCO77/188, Downing Street to Barrington, 17 August 1971.
86 ‘1971: British Diplomat Freed After Eight Months’, BBC News (9 September 1971), available at: {http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/9/newsid_3634000/3634352.stm} accessed 8 May 2017.
87 New York Times (11 September 1971).
88 The previous year, the Tupamaros had demanded the release of 150 political prisoners in exchange for kidnapped CIA advisor Dan Mitrione.
89 FCO26/1694, Whyte to Warburton, ‘Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostages’, 3 September 1975.
90 FCO7/2184, Robson memo, ‘Mr Ronald Grove: Kidnapping’, 12 December 1971.
91 Ibid., Robson to Hankey, draft, 12 December 1971.
92 Ibid., Hunter to Hankey, 14 December 1971.
93 Ibid.
94 FCO7/2401, Lloyds and Bolsa International Bank to FCO, 8 June 1973.
95 Ibid.
96 FCO7/2401, FCO, ‘Argentine Security Situation’ Telegram, 7 June 1973.
97 Ibid., Hopson to Hankey, 26 June 1973.
98 Sydney Morning Herald (2 September 1975); Pittsburgh Post Gazette (1 August 1975).
99 FCO7/2401, Davies, ‘Kidnappings and Terrorism against individuals in Argentina’, 27 November 1973.
100 FCO 58/1629, PQ of 8 November 1978 Cols. 300–02, Vol. 396, No. 4, cited in Notes for Supplementaries, ‘Will the Government Undertake not to Yield to Terrorist Blackmail’.
101 BDOHP, Churchill College Cambridge, Sir David Miers interview, available at: {https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Miers.pdf} accessed 9 May 2017.
102 HM Government, ‘Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015’, Chapter 6 (2015), available at: {http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/6/contents/enacted/data.htm} accessed 6 March 2017.
103 Home Office, ‘Counter Terrorism and Security Bill, Fact Sheet – Part 6, Clause 34 – Kidnap and Ransom’ (2016), available at: {https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/540539/CTS_Bill_-_Factsheet_9_-_Kidnap_and_Ransom.pdf} accessed 8 November 2016.
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106 The EEC began studying the question of banning kidnap insurance in 1975 when the subject was referred to them by the Italians and again in 1977 by the Germans. FCO76/1754, Telegram 211918Z, 21 December 1977.
107 FCO76/1754, Note by the UK Delegation, Kidnap-Ransom Insurance as an Incentive to the Crime, 17 December 1977.
108 FCO76/1753, Minutes of a discussion on Anti-Kidnap Insurance, 9 November 1977.
109 Ibid., Ghosh, ‘Kidnap Ransom Insurance’, 24 October 1977.
110 T199/83 THCR.3/1/34 f119, Churchill Archive Centre, Thatcher MSS, Fitzgerald to Thatcher, 28 November 1983; T204A/83 THCR.3/1/35 f27, Thatcher to Fitzgerald, 7 December 1983.
111 John Mooney, ‘Ireland seizes €6m IRA funds from Tidey kidnap’, Sunday Times (29 June 2008).
112 HO325/612, Armstrong to Havers, ‘Kidnap Ransom Insurance’, 10 February 1984.
113 Ibid.
114 Ibid., Harrington, ‘Kidnap Ransom Insurance Market’, 12 April 1985.
115 Ibid., Harrington to Colvin, 3 April 1984.
116 Ibid.
117 Sir James Adams, Control Risks Group, 30 June 1998, Appendix 28, Select Committee on Foreign Affairs First Report (21 December 1998), available at: {https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmfaff/100/100ap29.htm} accessed 14 October 2016.
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119 HO325/757, Control Risks Ltd, ‘The Role of Insurance in the Private Sector’s Response to Kidnap and Ransom’, Ref: 3021, 4 June 1985.
120 HO325/612, Brummel to Home Office, 18 April 1985.
121 Hansard, 1 May 1986, 1106.
122 HO323/757, Harrington to Boys Smith, ‘Kidnap and ransom insurance and terrorist extortion: meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – 15 May’, 14 May 1986.
123 Kathleen Callo, ‘To insurance companies, kidnap protection is worth a king’s ransom’, Los Angeles Times (6 July 1986).
124 HO325/757, Hurd to John Hume MP, 6 May 1986.
125 Ibid., Harrington to Boys Smith, ‘Kidnap and ransom insurance’, 16 May 1986.
126 Ibid., Harrington to Boys Smith, ‘Kidnap and ransom insurance and terrorist extortion: meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – 15 May’, 14 May 1986.
127 Ibid., Hurd minute, n.d. and Boys Smith to Harrington, 8 May 1986.
128 Ibid., Marsh to Harrington, ‘Kidnap and Extortion Insurgence’, and attached memo, 7 May 1986.
129 Ibid., Harris to Birt, 29 April 1986.
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133 Ibid., Boyd Smith (PS) memo, ‘Terrorism: Meeting with US Attorney General, Ed Meese’, 30 May 1986.
134 Ibid.
135 Ibid., Harrington to Bell, ‘Kidnap and Ransom Insurance’, 6 June 1986.
136 Ibid., Harrington to Bell, 13 June 1986, enclosing draft submission to Cabinet OD(T), ‘Kidnap Ransom Insurance and Terrorist Extortion’.
137 Briggs, The Kidnapping Business, p. 44.
138 Ibid.
139 HO325/757, Bell to Harrington, ‘Kidnap Ransom Insurance’, 4 June 1986.
140 Briggs, The Kidnapping Business, p. 43.
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