Conclusion

Since the implementation of PPD-30 and EO 13698 and the creation of the HRFC, Family Engagement Coordinator, HRG, and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, the government’s coordination and engagement with families of hostages has improved overall. Before PPD-30, the majority of hostage families did not feel that their relative’s cases were a priority and that information and intelligence sharing was nearly nonexistent. In addition, families agreed that the government was inaccessible and unhelpful in dealing with their relative’s hostage case. Overall, the majority of hostage families that JWFLF spoke to did not feel supported or understood and were not treated with empathy or compassion. After the implementation of PPD-30, significant improvement in these areas were reported by family members who participated in this survey.

This report also found that pre-PPD-30 former hostages and family members shared different experiences at the State Department. Former hostages, in general, had access and felt understood, supported, and were treated with empathy and compassion, whereas the family members strongly disagreed, indicating that State Department reintegration programs were strong and effective, while family engagement programs likely were not. After PPD-30, family member interaction with the State Department showed significant improvement after the installation of the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.

Overall, hostage families responded favorably to the addition of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. This position was instrumental in:

• Helping families develop and understand strategies the U.S. government was pursuing,
• Developing foreign and domestic contacts, and
• Helping families understand and navigate the geopolitical situation regarding their relative’s hostage case.

While every post-PPD-30 family member who participated in this survey expressed their disappointment and concern over the loss of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs during the change in administrations, the appointment of a new Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which occurred during this study, was well received by JWFLF’s participants. Overall, post-PPD-30 families reported feeling better understood and supported and believed that they were being treated with empathy and compassion.

JWFLF families reported being pleased with both the creation of and their interactions with the HRFC. Family members perceive that the HRFC is working well with the HRG and has been essential in informing incoming personnel at the National Security Council. Some families expressed concerns that the HRFC did not have enough influence within the interagency to effectively direct the activity of other organizations, while others occasionally reported feeling as though the HRFC was a barrier to their interaction with other government agencies. In all, the HRFC is central to the perception that the government sees hostage-taking incidents as a priority and most JWFLF families would like to see it have the ability to take more action on their behalf.

While the U.S. government has made significant progress in both its interagency coordination and engagement with families of hostages, there still remain areas where it can continue to improve the relationship with hostage families and the level of support offered. One such area involves bringing captors to justice. Former hostages and their families want to see the captors prosecuted in the United States for the crimes they committed.

The legality of what constitutes a negotiation or the private payment of ransoms to militant groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government still needs to be clarified. As discussed in the report, the U.S. government’s ambiguous stance on the legality of paying private ransoms creates concerns for families, third party intermediaries, and supporters.

Another area where families expressed considerable concern was the perceived level of honesty and transparency in their communication with government officials. Hostage-taking incidents are understandably complex and difficult, but families continue to press for the hard truths and definitive answers for what has happened to their relatives. Several families reported feeling as though they were being given an incomplete picture of what the government knew about their loved one’s case. These families desire greater transparency and honesty about where the gaps in information exist and what information remains classified. In addition, while the government has made progress in declassifying and sharing information with families of hostages, this remains an area where JWFLF continues to hope for improvement.

In addition to hostage cases, this study identifies that the experiences of detainee families mirror those of hostage families before the implementation of PPD-30. The discussion about whether the U.S. government should provide the same support now available for hostage families to detainee families requires an initial exploration of the issue and its challenges.