Lengthy negotiations ensued with authorities repeatedly attempting to obtain the release of the women and children inside the compound. The 51-day siege concluded with a fiery conflagration that claimed the lives of 85 people, including at least 17 children. They are dynamic and develop characteristics which are not only unique to the circumstances at hand but change frequently as time passes. Because of this, planning must be continuous. Hostage rescue interventions can generally be broken down into five phases.
Planning is the first phase and includes the five component parts of an operation.
The second phase is a rehearsal . Hostage rescue interventions are too complex and too important to leave anything to chance. This allows unforeseen problems to be detected before execution. Movement is the third phase. Movement is the phase when it has been determined that a tactical intervention is likely but not necessarily imminent.