DEFINITIONS AND DIMENSION OF TERRORISM (FROM TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE - AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, 1978 BY RONALD D CRELINSTEN ET AL - SEE NCJ - 47357)

• NCJ Number: 47358
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING TERRORISM IS ADDRESSED, AND VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF TERRORISM ARE EXPLAINED.

Abstract

TERRORISM IS DEFINED IN TWO WAYS: TERRORISM RELATES TO ANY ACT, PERFORMED BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, THAT IS DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT OR STATE; AND (2) TERRORISM IS RELATED TO THE SUPPRESSION OF PERSONAL LIBERTIES OF INDIVIDUALS BY A RULING AUTHORITY OR MILITARY REGIME. THESE VIEWS DEPEND UPON THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE COUNTRY PROVIDING THE DEFINITION. ANOTHER MAJOR PROBLEM IN DEFINING TERRORISM IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TERRORISM AND WARFARE. IT IS VIEWED AS A TYPE OF SURROGATE WARFARE, UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND DEFENSE DEPARTMENTS, NOT CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. THE INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF TERRORISM ALSO PRESENT DIFFICULTIES. SOME ACTS ARE WITHIN ONE COUNTRY, WHILE OTHERS CROSS INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES. DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT LAW RELATING TO THESE ACTS. THE FINAL PROBLEM IN THE DEFINITION OF TERRORISM IS THE QUESTION OF WHY TERRORISM IS SO SPECIAL TODAY. THE GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION HAS PRODUCED A NEW VULNERABILITY WHICH IS BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THE TERRORISTS. THE WORLD HAS BECOME SO CLOSELY CONNECTED BY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY THAT TERRORISM IS NO LONGER SOMETHING FAR AWAY. HOWEVER, THESE ADVANCES HAVE NOT BEEN MET BY COMPARABLE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND MORAL AWARENESS. TERRORISM CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR PERSPECTIVES -- THE MOTIVE DIMENSION, THE SPATIAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL DIMENSION, THE TEMPORAL DIMENSION, AND THE SOCIOPOLITICAL DIMENSION. THE MOTIVE DIMENSION RANGES FROM THOSE WHO ARE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED TO THOSE WITH FINANCIAL REASONS. THE GEOGRAPHICAL OR SPATIAL DIMENSION REFERS TO THE SITE AND TARGET OF THE ACT OF TERRORISM, AND THIS IS WHERE THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS MADE. TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM, WHERE A GROUP ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE WILL ASSUME, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, THE GOALS OF ANOTHER SUCH GROUP, ALSO FALLS UNDER THIS CATEGORY. THE TEMPORAL DIMENSION REFERS TO WHETHER THE ACT WAS PLANNED OR NOT. SOMETIMES THE TERRORISTS PLAN THEIR ATTACK IN GREAT DETAIL, WHILE OTHER TIMES IT IS A SPONTANEOUS REACTION TO SOME OCCURRENCE. THE SOCIOPOLITICAL DIMENSION CONSISTS OF TWO ASPECTS, THE FIRST BEING THE SOCIAL ORDER OF A GIVEN SOCIETY, AND THE SECOND IS WHO HOLDS THE POWER IN THE SOCIETY. THE TERRORIST IN THIS CASE WANTS TO CHANGE EITHER THE ORDER OR THE POWER OF SOCIETY. POLITICAL TERRORISM IS THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH, AND SKYJACKING IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF POLITICAL TERRORISM. (BAC)