SKILLFUL NEGOTIATING TACTICS ARE DESIGNED TO GAIN INFORMATION ON THE PERPETRATORS AND HOSTAGES AND WIN TIME TO WORK TOWARDS A DELAY AND IMPOSE A STRAIN ON THE PERPETRATORS IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT A RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES. A SPECIALLY TRAINED NEGOTIATING TEAM, BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF GROUP DYNAMICS AND SCHOOLED IN CONVERSATION TECHNIQUES, IS VIEWED AS A MEANS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE NEGOTIATIONS. THREE PERPETRATOR TYPOLOGIES ARE IDENTIFIED ALONG WITH TYPICAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF A NEGOTIATING TEAM ARE OUTLINED; GROUP DECISIONMAKING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GAGING THE NEGOTIATING ATMOSPHERE ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. THE NON-DIRECTIVE CONVERSATION TECHNIQUE, INTENDED TO CONVEY TO THE PERPETRATORS THE IMPRESSION THAT THEIR DEMANDS ARE BEING SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND TO ELICIT SOME OF THE UNDERLYING MOTIVES AND LEANINGS, IS DESCRIBED. NON-DIRECTIVE CONVERSATION TECHNIQUE EMPLOYS ONLY 'OPEN' QUESTIONS (E.G., WHAT, HOW, WHICH...); INTEREST IN THE PROBLEMS OF THE PERPETRATORS IS INDICATED, AS WELL AS A CONVERSATIONAL TONE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THAT OF THE PERPETRATORS. THESE PRINCIPLES ARE TO BE REINFORCED IN ORDER TO KEEP THE NEGOTIATION MOVING. IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO AVOID AGGRESSION IN THE CONFLICT CONVERSATION; EVEN SILENCE CAN BE A TYPE OF AGGRESSION. VARIOUS TYPES OF HUMAN REACTIONS TO CONFLICT ARE MENTIONED. --IN GERMAN. CONFLICT ARE MENTIONED. -- IN GERMAN.