ABSTRACT
Negotiations of any type, from commercial business to hostage crisis, are easier to achieve if both sides have a prior relationship, or can develop one, particularly if the relationship develops some rapport or trust. The chapter reviews ways that prescribe toward building such a relationship. It includes actively listen and empathize, acknowledge scepticism, appeal to morality, ethics, or religious laws, involve trustworthy third-party intermediaries, make minor bargains or concessions, provoke thoughtfulness on the other side. The chapter adds the prescription to acknowledge and to counter terrorist skepticism—particularly new terrorist skepticism, and most particularly Jihadi skepticism—of the official negotiator's trustworthiness. It pursues the possibility that appeals to morality, ethics, or religious laws can be used by official negotiators to influence terrorists. The chapter concludes that Third-Party Intermediaries should be neutral or seen positively by both sides, or at least lack any prior negative relationship with the other side.
