NCJ Number
142082
Date Published
1989
Length
94 pages
Annotation
This report surveys international terrorism in 1988 and provides statistical data and brief articles on various aspects of international terrorism.
Abstract
The report is based on data collected, collated, and computerized by a low-intensity warfare project at Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. The project's database on terrorism contains three files: terrorist events, terrorist groups, and countries' attitudes toward terrorism. The database relies primarily on information obtained from the mass communications media. The project report indicates that 433 international terrorist incidents were recorded in 1988. Various factors appeared to precipitate changes in terrorist group activities, target selection, and the scope and volume of activities in diverse international arenas. Some factors reflected counterterrorism measures adopted by the affected countries, while other factors were primarily linked to intraorganizational processes. Bombing was the most common terrorist tactic, accounting for 49.5 percent of all international terrorist incidents in 1988; armed assault accounted for 28.2 percent of the total, while kidnaping constituted 7.8 percent of the total. Latin America experienced the most international terrorism, followed by Western Europe. Of the 433 terrorist incidents recorded in 1988, 39.7 percent were directed solely at causing property damage; l8.9 percent were aimed at random killing and property damage, 12 percent involved random killing, and 9.2 percent were aimed at assassination. Economic targets, including business facilities and personnel, represented the most common terrorist targets. In total, 53 terrorist groups were responsible for international terrorism in 1988. Of the 433 incidents, 52 were carried out by agents of sovereign states. A chronology of main international terrorist incidents in 1988 is provided. Appendixes contain statistical tables and a list of terrorist organizations. 22 tables