as opposed to the interests of all cultural groups. Sexual orientation does not
correlate with any ideological attitudes, although only those who live in a more
radicalcounter-culture will find it easy publicly to admit their homosexuality.
Consequently, and somewhat to its detriment, any gay movement is likely to
be perceived as generally radical, which not only loses any support it might get
from non-radicals, but makes it even harder for homosexuals in established and
often conservative professions to ‘come out’ and support the politics of the gay
movement.
Hostages
Taking hostages to force an opponent to give up something they desire has
been a major method of war-fighting since the beginning of armed conflict.
Throughout most of history it has been seen as entirely acceptable, and was
well controlled by the early rules of warfare and chivalry. Hostages came to
particular prominence in international politics at the time of the Islamic
revolution in Iran when, in November 1979, revolutionary forces seized the
US embassy and imprisoned its staff, holding them hostage against American
intervention in internal Iranian affairs. They were only released in January
1981, and although it is unclear that the USA did anything to please the Iranian
revolutionary council as a result of their holding hostages, the general idea that
it might be useful to capture Westerners, and especially US citizens, became
widespread among militant groups in theMiddle East.
From that time on, and certainly until 1991, the taking of hostages became a
widely-used tactic by revolutionary groups in the Middle East, especially in
Lebanon, usually to protest against Israeli policy and more generally as a
weapon byfundamentalistIslamist groups opposed to Western interference
in the region. Dozens of Western citizens were captured and held in primitive,
sometimes barbaric, conditions for periods running from months to more than
five years by various groups. Several hostages died in captivity, and some were
deliberately and semi-publicly ‘executed’. Though most hostages were US
citizens, nationals of several other Western countries were captured at one time
or another. Policy towards the hostage takers varied: France was prepared to
make deals to get their citizens released; the USA made no overt deals but was
widely suspected of covert arrangements to buy the release of some; while the
United Kingdom stuck firmly to a policy of not even negotiating, on the
grounds that giving any success to the Islamic groups would only encourage
them in their tactics.
The political situation changed, however, with the USA and other Western
powers becoming less automatically supportive of Israel, and, especially after
theGulf War, with a general recognition that there could be a negotiated
general settlement in the Middle East, the futility of holding hostages became
Hostages