Investigating Terrorism (From Criminal and Civil Investigation Handbook, P 8-3 to 8-17, 1981, Joseph J Grau and Ben Jacobson, ed. - See NCJ-84274)

• NCJ Number: 84324
• Author(s): E T Dreher; J W Magner
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

In addition to describing investigative responses to terrorist incidents, the motivations, goals, methods, strengths, and weaknesses of terrorism are discussed.

Abstract

Terrorists are dissidents who aim to achieve, by force of terror, socioeconomic and political changes they are unable to achieve through the democratic process. While most of the major terrorist groups are Marxist- or anti-Zionist-oriented, rightist groups have also conducted terrorist activity. The typical terrorist is an educated person who is frequently fanatical but in a controlled, disciplined manner and usually without fantasy. Long-term goals are to create a political and socioeconomic order expressive of the terrorist ideology, and immediate goals are designed to destabilize the social order by creating fear in the citizenry and a government reaction that will institute or increase repression of citizens. Terrorists' violent methods are limited only by their inventiveness and moral or amoral perspectives. The strength of the terrorist methods lies in the vulnerability of complex, urban, industrialized societies to sophisticated groups schooled in weapons technology and clandestine operations. The weaknesses to terrorism lie in any civilized society's reaction to indiscriminate violence and the inability of terrorist groups to expand their numbers without compromising their security. The investigation of terrorist incidents follows the methods for investigating any crime, notably prompt protection of the crime scene, a search of the area for evidence, preservation of the evidence, and the securing of witnesses. Because of the scope of the activities of international terrorist groups, interagency conferences and coordination of information and investigation strategy is essential. Special procedures will be followed in accordance with the nature of the terrorist incident. Special investigative procedures are briefly discussed for bombings are assassinations. Eight notes are listed.