NCJ Number
168244
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 24 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1997) Pages: 72-74,76,78
Date Published
1997
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Bombers are motivated by a variety of reasons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) has assumed a lead role in the prevention of terrorist bombings.
Abstract
Law enforcement officials in the United States have benefited from British and Israeli experiences with terrorist bombings, but bombers also network and there is reason to believe direct connections exist between domestic bombers and their colleagues abroad. In addition, television programs provide coverage of how to make bombs and the use of secondary devices and bomb ambushes designed to kill police officers. Some bombers are motivated by religious, philosophical, political, and national or ethnic motives, and they use the potent combination of bombs and media coverage to psychologically victimize the public. Other bombers are simply crooks who are motivated by greed or revenge. Typically, crooks use bombs to eliminate rivals, intimidate extortion victims, conceal evidence of other offenses, or defraud insurance companies. According to ATF, 8,567 actual bombings occurred in the United States during the 1991- 1995 period and 26,969 pounds of dynamite were stolen nationally. ATF also reported the recovery of 67,887 pounds of dynamite over the same period. A joint program involving ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been in place since 1986 to profile unidentified offenders, including serial bombers. ATF has other programs and facilities designed to obtain and analyze data on explosives-related incidents and offers extensive training programs. 4 photographs