NCJ Number
63592
Date Published
1977
Length
27 pages
Annotation
THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO COPING WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST INCIDENTS IS EXAMINED THEORETICALLY IN THIS PAPER PRESENTED AT AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON RESEARCH STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING TERRORISM.
Abstract
THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT APPROACH IS EMPHASIZED NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT CONFRONTS CRITICAL ISSUES MISSED BY OTHER APPROACHES--EMPHASIS ON POLICE ACTIVITIES, EMPHASIS ON DEALING WITH RESULTS OF PHYSICAL DISASTERS, ETC. MUCH LITERATURE ON MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CRISES INVOLVING SUPERPOWERS IS INAPPLICABLE TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH IT RESTS ARE INAPPROPRIATE TO TERRORISM. FOR EXAMPLE, TERRORISM INVOLVES PRIMARILY SYMBOLIC TARGETS RATHER THAN THE SUBSTANTIVE TARGETS AT RISK IN CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN SUPERPOWERS. NEVERTHELESS, OBSERVATIONS REGARDING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COPING GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN POLITICAL UNITS, DIFFICULTIES IN CRISIS WARNING AND ANTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS DURING A CRISIS, POLICY CHOICES, AND THE CONDUCT OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO BOTH KINDS OF SITUATIONS. ABOVE ALL, THE GOVERNMENT CONFRONTED WITH TERRORISM MUST DEMONSTRATE ITS COMPETENCE AND CONCERN FOR NATIONAL CONSEQUENCES. PLANNING FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PREVAILING SITUATION, CLARIFICATION OF POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES, ATTEMPTING NONINTRUSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL SAFEGUARDS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS BARGAINING AND INDEMNIFICATON FRAMEWORKS. DIAGNOSTIC GAMING IS A USEFUL TOOL FOR DEVELOPING THESE FRAMEWORKS AND FOR IMAGINING NEW SITUATIONS. ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENTS AND AGENCIES MUST NECESSARILY PREPARE UNILATERALLY FOR CRISES, INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION THROUGH SHARED INFORMATION BASES AND DIRECT EXCHANGES AMONG NONGOVERNMENTAL BODIES ARE RECOMMENDED. FOOTNOTES, WITH REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. FOR RELATED PAPERS FROM THE SAME SEMINAR, SEE NCJ-63591 AND 63593-63600. (CFW)