NCJ Number
100722
Date Published
1985
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Intended for U.S. Air Force officers, this report defines terrorism and reviews its tactics, targets, and effects, as well as its threat to the U.S. Air Force.
Abstract
Terrorism is the use of criminal violence to force a government policy change. Generally, terrorists prefer to target people rather than facilities because of the high value most governments give to human life. Since terrorism wants to draw attention to its cause and magnify its limited power, it will try to use the media to dramatize its activities. Defense against terrorism is difficult because of terrorism's surprise advantage, since defenders generally do not know the type, extent, timing, or precise locale of the next attack. Still, preventive measures are the best defense against terrorism, given the difficulty of retaliating against terrorists and the likelihood that retaliatory strikes will harm or kill innocent civilians and swell the number of recruits to terrorism. State-sponsored terrorism marks an expansion of the resources available to terrorists and also increases the risk of war between nations. Prevention of terrorist attacks against military installations and personnel requires that officers have a thorough knowledge of terrorist tactics. 15 footnotes.