DEALING WITH AMATEURS

For executives trained to expect businesslike K&R outcomes in South America, Iraq is the opposite, a cottage K&R industry run by disorganized, dangerous amateurs. "In Colombia, K&R is an art form and a business," says Bangs. "There are ground rules–if you're kidnapped, you're not going to be killed by the abductors because they don't want to burn the asset. Iraq, on the other hand, is the Wild West. It is not out of the question for the kidnapper to collect the ransom and then kill the victim anyway."

Little wonder that executives and other employees of U.S. and European companies are flocking to the woods outside Fredericksburg. Since December 2003, The Crucible, owned by security consultants Kroll Inc., has trained more than 700 students to avoid being abducted in Iraq and what to do if you're taken. Its faculty comprises former special operations officers, law enforcement professionals and military combat veterans. All have spent significant time in Iraq studying the risks, and all are experts in weapons, ordnance and self-defense training.

Besides basics on survival and the rules of engagement–"when to shoot someone or not," as Peloquin puts it–The Crucible also paradoxically teaches its students how to respect Iraqis. "One class introduced us to Iraqi culture and history–basically ways not to offend citizens, such as showing the soles of your feet or eating with your left hand," Peloquin explains.

"Iraq is fourth-generation warfare," says J. Kelly McCann, founder and senior vice president of The Crucible, named for its definition–a severe test. "The first generation was 'order on the battlefield,' the second was 'overwhelming firepower,' the third was 'maneuvering on a battlefield' like Desert Storm, and the fourth, well the fourth is much harder to define and combat. What we see in Iraq are disparate elements working together against a common foe–us–but we don't have a common foe in them. Sometimes they're terrorists, sometimes they're criminals, sometimes they're on a jihad, and sometimes they all come together to work against us. There are just so many different adversaries and once we get a fix on them, they're quicksilver."

McCann rates the risk of being kidnapped in Iraq as substantial and deadly. "Civilians are targeted for abduction because they're assumed not to be armed or protected," he says. "Their deaths also earn headlines for propaganda purposes." The extensive publicity surrounding the kidnapping and beheading of independent U.S. civilian contractor Nick Berg last year is a case in point. "There are few successful negotiations," McCann says. "Iraq is the most dangerous place I've ever been, and I was a special missions officer in the Marines. You inculcate personal security into the fabric of your being."

Key to avoiding capture is recognizing surveillance activities. "If you notice the same people or the same vehicles where you live three days in a row, or you detect someone outside with note-taking materials, you or someone you live with is under surveillance," McCann warns. "To render their plans inoperative, you need to change the times you travel and the routes you take." When one does travel in Iraq, he or she must be heavily armed or protected by armed guards, says Chubb's Bangs. "If you're not protected by the military or a major corporate security firm like Blackwater Security, you're at real risk," he comments.

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

To stand a fighting chance if attacked, Peloquin and fellow students learned how to fire various weapons, such as an AK-47 and a 9-mm Glock pistol. They also were taught how to search a vehicle for a bomb. "A typical strategy for terrorists is to attach a hand grenade to the door of the car–open it and the grenade explodes," Peloquin says. "We learned how to attach a piece of tape to the door, trunk and hood; if the tape is broken, the vehicle has been tampered with."

If you are abducted, Bangs advises individuals to maintain a low profile. "Don't argue or negotiate, which is difficult for high-powered executives used to negotiating or ordering people around," he says. "You have to be submissive, accept a lot of inconveniences, shut up and try not to antagonize anyone. That's tough for many executives. But, the alternative is a lot worse."

Perhaps not surprisingly, the K&R landscape in Iraq is evolving, from political kidnappings to kidnappings for more pecuniary aims. "In the last two months, we see kidnappers discovering that this is a pretty good way to make money, " says Bangs. " Even the ones claiming political reasons are sometimes just cloaking it in that. When you drill down, it's about the money."

Nevertheless, paid ransoms don't always guarantee a safe return. "Iraqi kidnappers don't know how to negotiate or how much money to ask for, and they fail to appreciate if the victim is injured or killed they damage their ability to do the deal," Bangs says. "The bottom line is that Iraq is really a war zone, no matter what people say."