NCJ Number
65173
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1979) Pages: 4-10
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
TERRORISM IS CHARACTERIZED IN ITS DOMESTIC ANND INTERNATIONAL MANIFESTATIONS AND COOPERATIVE EUROPEAN EFFORTS TO COMBAT IT ARE REVIEWED.
Abstract
DOMESTIC TERRORISM, AIMED AT LOCALIZED TARGETS, HAS A PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC, ITS MAIN TARGET. BY CONTRAST, INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM INTENSIFIES DIPLOMATIC AND INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS BY INVOLVING FOREIGN NATIONALS AND PROPERTY. BOTH TYPES OF TERRORISM HAVE OVERT AND COVERT RAMIFICATIONS. THE DEED ITSELF IS THE OVERT MANIFESTATION OF THE TERRORISTS, TO WHICH THE PUBLIC RESPONDS WITH OUTCRIES FOR SUPPRESSION OR SYMPATHY AND SOME CURTAILMENT OF CUSTOMARY ACTIVITIES. THE SECURITY FORCES RESPOND WITH PROCEDURES AIMED AT THE ARREST AND ARRAIGNMENT OF THE OFFENDERS. THESE ARE OVERT EFFECTS. COVERT ASPECTS OF TERRORISM ARE PROFOUND AND COMPLEX, AND CAN BE FURTHERED BY CIVIL LIBERTARIANS, WHOSE CALL FOR DISCLOSURE OF SECURITY OPERATIONS WORKS TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE TERRORISTS. COOPERATIVE CONTINGENCY PLANNING, AS A MEANS TO PREVENT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, WAS BEGUN BY MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AS EARLY AS 1972. PARTICULARLY INVOLVED ARE HOLLAND, WEST GERMANY, FRANCE, AND BRITAIN. EACH OF THESE COUNTRIES HAS EXPERIENCED INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS AND SERIOUS DOMESTIC ENCOUNTERS WITH TERRORISM. THE UNDERLYING CONCEPT OF ANTITERRORIST ACTIVITY IN WESTERN EUROPE IS THAT TERRORISM IS A CRIME AND HENCE PERPETRATORS ARE COMMON CRIMINALS. THE APPLICATION OF EXISTING CRIMINAL LAWS REGULATING FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES, KIDNAPPING, AND EXTORTION DEPRIVES TERRORISTS OF SPECIAL STATUS AND PLACES THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE CATEGORY OF COMMON CRIME. IN BRITAIN AND HOLLAND, MILITARY FORCES ARE USED FOR TERRORIST ASSAULT, WHILE OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE ESTABLISHED SPECIAL PARAMILITARY UNITS ARMED AND TRAINED FOR RESPONDING TO TERRORIST VIOLENCE. (MRK)