ABSTRACT
Personal assaults are not the only possibility. Kidnappings are another tactic available to any dissident group with sufficient resources to capture and hide the victim. The kidnapping may be designed to embarrass the government by demonstrating the ease with which some prominent individual may be taken. The kidnapping also demonstrates how vulnerable persons in the country may be to the political dissidents. The kidnapping may also be designed to raise funds for the group by ransoming the victim. The government, family, or business may be pressured to exchange money for the victim. In other cases the group may offer to release the kidnapped individual in exchange for imprisoned comrades or for government policy concessions. The publicity, financial gain, or political concessions that result can be very beneficial to any dissident organization. Success demonstrates the capabilities of the dissidents and the weaknesses of the government.
