NCJ Number
47479
Journal
EXPRESS Issue: 1394 Dated: (MARCH 22-APRIL 3, 1978) Pages: 74-75,77-79,81-82,84,87-88
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE HISTORIAN, WALTER LAQUEUR, CHARACTERIZES TERRORISM AND EXPLAINS TERRORIST ACTS SUCH AS THE MURDER OF ALDO MORO IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FRENCH MAGAZINE L'EXPRESS.
Abstract
ACCORDING TO LAQUEUR, TERRORISM HAS DECLINED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS EXCEPT IN ITALY, WHERE THE RED BRIGADE SEEKS TO CREATE A CIVIL WAR SITUATION, IN GERMANY, AND IN TURKEY. BUT IN HIS VIEW THE MEDIA CONTINUE TO EXAGGERATE THE SITUATION, AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY BECOMES CRIMINAL, ONLY WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OPPRESSORS ARE TORTURED AND KILLED. FURTHER, THE TERM 'URBAN GUERRILLA' IS NONSENSE, FOR NO UNIQUE POLITICAL STRATEGY IS INVOLVED. TERRORISM, WHICH ONLY EXISTS IN DEMOCRACIES, MAY BE ROOTED IN OPPOSITION TO A POLITICAL REGIME OR FIND ITS SOURCE IN A NATIONAL SEPARATIST MOVEMENT; THE STRATEGIES OF BOTH ARE PROVOCATION AND ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNMENT. NO ONE IDEOLOGY NEED BE ATTACHED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES, WHICH VARY ACCORDING TO SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXTS BUT OVERALL, MODERN TERRORISM HAS ABANDONED THE RIGOROUS MORALS AND RESPECT FOR INNOCENT HUMAN LIVES DISPLAYED IN THE 19TH CENTURY. TODAY THE LARGE SUMS OF MONEY NECESSARY FOR TERRORISTS' UNDERTAKINGS ARE FREQUENTLY SUPPLIED BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS (LIBYA, IRAQ, CUBA), ALTHOUGH COMMUNIST GOVERNMENTS TEND TO BE HOSTILE TOWARD TERRORISM BECAUSE OF THE INEFFICIENCY AND INSTABILITY OF THE STRATEGY. TERRORISTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY PREDISPOSED TO AGGRESSION, BUT OFTEN DISPLAY A TENDENCY TOWARD A MYSTICAL OBSESSION WITH DEATH AND ARE YOUNG. THE LARGE NUMBER OF WOMEN TERRORISTS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR DESIRE FOR EMANCIPATION OR TO WOMEN'S PROPENSITY TO FANATICISM. WHILE TERRORISM HAS IN THE PAST PROVOKED CIVIL WAR (E.G., IN CYPRUS), THE HOPED-FOR DESTRUCTION OF MODERN DEMOCRACIES BY MEASURES TO REPRESS TERRORISM APPEARS UNLIKELY, AND THE DRASTIC MEASURES ARE NECESSARY DEFENSES BY THE STATE. THE GREATEST DANGER IN THE FUTURE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT TERRORISTS MIGHT RESORT TO MODERN WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OR TO BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WARFARE. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)