Reasons for acquiring hostages include publicity, use as a bargaining chip while executing other crimes, the forcing of political concessions, and ransom

a) true

b) false

The correct answer is A, as the statement is true. Reasons for acquiring hostages include publicity, use as a bargaining chip while executing other crimes, the forcing of political concessions, and ransom.

Explanation:

Criminals who take hostages in the midst of their crimes do so with a strategic objective. The hostages, according to their perspective, serve as a protection against any armed police eruption, as this could endanger the lives of those innocent people. In addition, hostages are used as currency to obtain certain benefits, for example, the exchange of hostages in exchange for a safe-conduct or other benefits.

In short, hostages are used for the criminals' own benefit, in order to obtain better negotiating conditions or an escape without being obstructed by the police.

A) True

Explanation:

A terrorist organization can use kidnapping as a method to acquire more publicity.

Politically-oriented criminals also use kidnapping for political gain: for example, the IRA kidnapped a lot of people who they considered to be enemies of the Irish State.

Criminal organizations who run ilicit businesses for profit kidnap people as well, but their only motiviation is the ransom families pay for their kindapped loved ones.