NCJ Number
32746
Journal
SURVIVAL Dated: (JULY-AUGUST 1975) Pages: 158-164
Date Published
1975
Length
7 pages
Annotation
REVIEW OF THE OBJECTIVES, INSTANCES, AND CONSEQUENCES OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM THAT EVOLVED INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS BECOMING A SERIOUS GLOBAL THREAT.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES TERRORISM AS A THEATRICAL TYPE OF WARFARE; UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL MILITARY COMBAT, IT CAPTIVATES A MEDIA-PRODUCED AUDIENCE WITH ITS DRAMATIC MOVEMENTS. BECAUSE MOST TERRORIST GROUPS ARE SMALL AND WEAK, THEY CAN ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF THEY CAPTURE HEADLINES, CAUSE ALARM, OR MANIPULATE GOVERNMENTS. THOUGH CERTAIN TERRORIST ACTS SEEM LIKE WANTON SLAUGHTER, THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT TERRORISM HAS DEFINITE PURPOSES. TERRORISTS ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN SPECIFIC CONCESSIONS, BREAKDOWN SOCIAL ORDER, AND PROVOKE REPRESSION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE FALL OF AN UNPOPULAR GOVERNMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME INTERNATIONAL ACTS OF TERRORISM IN THE 1970'S ARE CITED AS ILLUSTRATIONS. EFFECTS OF THESE SAME ACTS OF TERRORISM ARE CONSIDERED HARBINGERS OF A NEW ERA OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.