NCJ Number
52463
Journal
Current Issue: 204 Dated: (JULY/AUGUST 1978) Pages: 31-35
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
ALTHOUGH ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM HAVE FREQUENTLY OCCURRED THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE RECENT CRIMES ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR INCREASED BRUTALITY AND THEIR VARIED MOTIVES.
Abstract
TERRORISTS OF THE 19TH CENTURY APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MORE ETHICAL AND DISCRIMINATING THAN THEIR PRESENT COUNTERPARTS. ALTHOUGH ASSASSINATIONS AND BOMBINGS WHICH OCCURRED IN MANY COUNTRIES DURING THE PREVIOUS DECADES HAVE UTILIZED MULTINATIONAL RESOURCES, IT IS ONLY IN MORE RECENT YEARS THAT TERRORISM HAS BEEN DIRECTED AT THE GENERAL POPULACE, AND NOT JUST THE LEADERSHIP. A GENERAL TREND AWAY FROM TERRORISM MAY BE SEEN IN THE FEWER INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF VIOLENCE, AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS POLICE FORCES, BUT GRAVE DANGERS ARE FORESEEN IN TERRORISTS' ACQUISITION OF WEAPONS OF 'SUPERVIOLENCE.' THE USE OF NUCLEAR OR CHEMICAL WEAPONS COULD DESTROY AND ENTIRE COUNTRY, WITH LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF SUCH POTENTIAL DESTRUCTION WOULD ITSELF DETER THOSE PERSONS IRRATIONAL ENOUGH TO OBTAIN STRATEGIC WEAPONS. TERRORISM IN THE UNITED STATES APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SIMPLY INEFFECTIVE AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING THE GOALS SOUGHT BY TERRORISTS, IN OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH EXTREMISM HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SELF-DEFEATING. WHERE TERRORISTS HAVE SUCCEEDED IN TOPPLING DEMOCRACIES, SUBSEQUENT MILITARY GOVERNMENTS HAVE STAYED IN POWER AND CRUSHED THE TERRORISTS. THE NATIONALIST-SEPARATIST VARIETY OF TERRORISM IS TYPIFIED BY IRELAND'S IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY (IRA) AND BY THE PALESTINIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SUCH GROUPS ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR MOTIVES, BUT NOT THEIR TECHNIQUES, FROM INTERNAL TERRORIST GROUPS SUCH AS THE RED BRIGADE AND THE BAADER-MEINHOF GANG. WHILE THE FORMER GROUPS LACK A MEMBERSHIP OF MIDDLE-CLASS INTELLECTUALS, THE INTERNAL GROUPS LARGELY CONSIST OF THE CHILDREN OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS PARTICIPATING IN AN INVERTED CLASS STRUGGLE AGAINST WORKING CLASS MEMBERS OF THE POLICE AND MILITARY. ALTHOUGH TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS, AND ARE 80 TO 90 PERCENT LEFTIST, THEY RECIEVE AMBIVALENT ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE COMMUNIST COUNTRIES WHICH OPPOSE ANY CHALLENGES WITHIN THEIR OWN BOUNDRIES. ALTHOUGH THE PUBLICITY GIVEN TO TERRORISM IS SEEN AS BEING OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE INTRINSIC DANGER OF THE TERRORISTS, IT IS FELT NECESSARY TO COMPLETELY OPPOSE THE MORE DANGEROUS GROUPS AND ONLY ATTEMPT CONCILIATION WITH THOSE GROUPS WHICH ARE LESS THREATENING. (TWK)