NCJ Number
62269
Date Published
1979
Length
17 pages
Annotation
POLITICAL SITUATIONS FROM WHICH TERRORISM MAY ARISE ARE DELINEATED, AND THE RESPONSES OF GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL GROUPS TO TERRORISM ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FOUR FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS EXIST FROM WHICH TERRORIST ACTIONS WITH POLITICAL AIMS MAY ARISE: SEPARATIST GROUPS, SUCH AS THE BASQUES AND THE BRETONS; IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS, SUCH AS THE JAPANESE RED ARMY OR THE BAADER-MEINHOF GANG; EXILES, VOLUNTARY OR FORCED, FROM AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES; AND TERRORISM PRACTICED AGAINST THE STATE IN COLONIAL OR NEOCOLONIAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS THOSE EXISTING IN THE PORTUGUESE POSSESSIONS IN AFRICA. ANY PARTICULAR GROUP MAY EXHIBIT CHARACTERISTICS FROM A COMBINATION OF ANY NUMBER OF THESE CATEGORIES. A TERRORIST GROUP MAY ACT ONLY WITHIN ONE COUNTRY, ACROSS A SINGLE BORDER, OR TRANSNATIONALLY. THE OCCURRENCE OF TRANSNATIONAL OPERATIONS, IN WHICH A TERRORIST PLAN IS CONCEIVED IN ONE COUNTRY AND EXECUTED IN ANOTHER HAS CAUSED SHOCK AND PROVOKED CONCERN BOTH ON A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL; EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE 1972 LOD AIRPORT ATTACK IN ISRAEL BY THREE JAPANESE TERRORISTS AND THE DECEMBER 1975 OPEC (ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES) KIDNAPPING IN VIENNA IN WHICH LINKS WERE PROVED BETWEEN A VENEZUELAN TERRORIST AND WEST GERMAN TERRORISTS. ANOTHER TREND IS THE TECHNOLOGICAL ESCALATION OF TERRORIST WEAPONRY. IF TERRORISTS ARE GOING TO USE ADVANCED MILITARY WEAPONS, THE POLICE WILL HAVE TO BE TRAINED TO COUNTER THEM, OR MILITARY UNITS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE. TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE GAINED IMMENSE FUNDS BY KIDNAPPING MULTINATIONAL EXECUTIVES AND HAVE MADE SOPHISTICATED USE OF THE MEDIA. THEY HAVE USED FULL-PAGE ADVERTISEMENTS IN NEWSPAPER, OCCUPIED LOCAL RADIO STATIONS, AND BEEN GIVEN LIVE COVERAGE ON TELEVISION. CONSULTATIONS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF NORMS BETWEEN SECURITY FORCES AND THE PRESS ARE NEEDED. NUCLEAR TERRORISM ALSO POSES A SERIOUS THREAT. THE COMPUTERIZATION OF INFORMATION IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN FIGHTING TERRORISM. VARIOUS PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE HIGHLIGHTED EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR A CRIMINAL POLICY THAT ENCOURAGES A TERRORIST TO GIVE UP HIS PLAN. THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ENDORSED A DRAFT CONVENTION MAKING NONPOLITICAL ACTS SUCH AS HIJACKING, LETTER BOMBS, HOSTAGE-TAKING, AND ATTACKS ON DIPLOMATS, THEREBY DENYING A TERRORIST THE RIGHT TO CLAIM POLITICAL ASYLUM. ONE FOOTNOTE IS INCLUDED. (PRG)