NCJ Number
55405
Journal
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 1-5
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC STUDIES OF TERRORISM, OPERATIONAL TACTICS DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH IT, AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION VIS-A-VIS TERRORISM IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN THE AREAS OF WEAPONRY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN USED BY ORGANIZED TERRORIST MOVEMENTS IN WAYS THAT POSE UNPRECEDENTED THREATS TO INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. TERRORISM'S HISTORIC UNIQUENESS REQUIRES THAT A POOL OF KNOWLEDGE BE ACCUMULATED BY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WHO DEAL PRINCIPALLY IN SCIENTIFIC DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS WITH A VIEW TOWARD CONSTRUCTING A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE IN SPECIFIC CATEGORIES OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. THIS INFORMATION, WHICH CAN IDENTIFY THE ETIOLOGY, MOTIVES, TACTICS, AND RESPONSES OF TERRORISM TO VARIOUS STIMULI, MUST, HOWEVER, BE TRANSLATED INTO OPERATIONS DESIGNED TO COUNTER TERRORISM. SUCH OPERATIONS CAN BE OBSERVED IN THE STRESS ON INNOVATIVE TACTICAL RESPONSES THAT LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIALIZED POLICE AND MILITARY UNITS TRAINED SPECIFICALLY TO HANDLE TERRORIST OPERATIONS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH TACTICAL REFINEMENT, EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED TECHNIQUES OF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION. AN ANALYSIS OF TERRORIST TACTICS HAS ALSO BROUGHT AN AWARENESS THAT THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF CORPORATE SECURITY MUST BE REORIENTED TO MEET POTENTIAL TERRORIST THREATS TO PHYSICAL FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL. THE COMBINATION OF TACTICAL AND BEHAVIORAL REFINEMENT IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS MUST CONTINUE AND BE UPDATED TO MEET THE EVERCHANGING CONFIGURATION OF TERRORIST TACTICS AND TARGETS. HOWEVER, THE EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF THE ACADEMIC AND OPERATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF COUNTERING THE THREAT OF TERRORISM WILL ONLY OCCUR IF PROPER POLICY FORMULATION AND EXECUTION TAKE PLACE AT THE LOCAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND TRANSNATIONAL LEVELS. WHILE ADVANCES IN THIS AREA HAVE OCCURRED, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COHESIVE RESPONSE TO TERRORISM HAS FAILED ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS. SOME OF THESE AREAS OF FAILURE IN POLICY FORMULATION AND EXECUTION ARE IDENTIFIED AND REMEDIES SUGGESTED. (RCB)