NCJ Number
174448
Journal
Security Management Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1997 Pages: 26-32
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article presents data to support a claim that the growth of terrorism is more fear than fact.
Abstract
Careful analysis of data gathered by the CIA and the FBI shows that terrorist incidents, both domestic and international, have fallen to levels not seen since the 1970s. Factors behind the drop in terrorism include: (1) sound government policy (cooperative efforts by the United States and its European allies, resulting in, e.g., sanctions against Libya and Syria); (2) aggressive law enforcement (hardening of official facilities by governments around the world, recruitment and deployment of special operations military units); and (3) the breakup of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism (the loss of Moscow's backing forced most nations sponsoring terrorism to reduce financial support). Terrorist fatalities may increase in the future as a result of a shift from political statements to nihilistic acts committed by groups or individuals with no political agenda other than being alienated from the government, the growth of religious fundamentalist movements, and increasing violence by drug traffickers. Figures