Removing the hostages from the equation deprives McLaren and his followers of a bargaining chip, said Clinton Van Zandt, a Virginia security consultant who once was the FBI's chief hostage negotiator. Van Zandt said. It could prove to be very farsighted. The only way you do that is by government making some type of concession. As for the signal such an action may send to other militant groups, Van Zandt noted that hostage-taking long has been used as a way of achieving goals.
Law enforcement is big enough and it's smart enough that they can deal with that.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Robert Louden was less sanguine about the effects of the Texas bargain. It could certainly invite copycat. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement . We also have a Privacy Policy .