Dozier Gives Insights on Terrorism

SAN JOSE — Retired Army Gen. James Dozier, held hostage by Italian Red Brigades members for 42 days, taught police hostage negotiators Friday what its like to be on the other side of a terrorist situation.

About 200 police officers, sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and other members of the Hostage Negotiators Alliance of Northern California were on hand for Dozier’s class on how to talk to terrorists.

“You get a completely different view from the inside,” said Dozier, whose wife, Judith, joined him at the meeting. “We talked to them (law officers) about what’s going through my mind as a hostage and what’s going through Judy’s mind as she’s watching all of this on television.”

Dozier was kidnapped from his Verona, Italy, apartment on Dec. 17, 1981. Forty-two days later, Italian commandos stormed the building where he was held and rescued him without firing a shot.

“We might begin to see more terrorists in our country, and local authorities are going to have to deal with them,” said Lt. Mike Lombardo of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.

Dozier, 55, said the key to any hostage situation is that a dialogue should always be taking place between police and the captors.

“Once you can establish that, you’ve got a leg up,” he said.