WHITHER NOW? TERRORISM ON THE BRINK (FROM CONTEMPORARY TERRORISM - SELECTED READINGS, 1978, BY JOHN D ELLIOTT AND LESLIE K GIBSON - SEE NCJ-48724)

• NCJ Number: 48739
• Author(s): H H A COOPER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM CHITTY'S LAW JOURNAL, V 25, N 6 (1977), TORONTO, CANADA

Annotation

THE FAILURES OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN 1976 ARE RECOUNTED WITH PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE ATTACHED TO ENTEBBE; THE RISE OF 'OFFICIAL TERRORISM' IS NOTED, AND THE PROSPECT FOR FUTURE TERRORIST ACTIVITY IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE FAILURE OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN 1976 MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A REGROUPING PERIOD FOR THE OPERATIONS OF SMALL TERRORIST GANGS, WHILE THE RISE OF OFFICIAL TERRORISM IS ASSUMING NEW IMPORTANCE. THE RAID ON ENTEBBE, UGANDA, IS VIEWED AS A DEFEAT FOR TERRORIST SKYJACKING OPERATIONS, PARTICULARLY AS A BLACKMAIL PLOY. IT IS SEEN AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFEAT FOR TERRORISTS AS THEIR COMPETENCY AND EXPERTISE IN THEIR PARTICULAR DOMAIN OF POWER WAS SHOWN TO BE WOEFULLY LACKING. THE PRESUMED SAFETY OF CERTAIN SPOTS WHERE HOSTAGES CAN BE HOUSED AND FROM WHICH NEGOTIATIONS CAN TRANSPIRE WAS FOUND VULNERABLE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT IN THE WAKE OF THE 1976 FAILURES, TERRORIST GROUPS EVALUATED THE COSTS OF PREVIOUS METHODS OF MANIPULATIVE TERRORISM AND NOW ARE DEVISING NEW APPROACHES. SUCH APPROACHES MAY ELIMINATE THE HOLDING OF HOSTAGES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF IDENTIFIABLE STRONGHOLDS FROM WHICH NEGOTIATIONS ARE COORDINATED. INSTEAD, INSTANTANEOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE INVOLVING EXTENSIVE DESTRUCTION AND DEATH MAY BE PERPETRATED WITHOUT WARNING, FOLLOWED BY COMMUNICATIONS FROM A MOBILE COMMAND CENTER THAT FURTHER, INCREMENTAL DESTRUCTION WILL OCCUR UNLESS CERTAIN DEMANDS ARE MET. SUCH A TACTIC COULD BE PRESUMED TO REDUCE THE COST IN TERRORIST LIVES, WHILE POSSIBLY INCREASING SUCCESS BY BLACKMAIL. IN ADDITION, FAILURE OF THE USE OF CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS BY TERRORISTS MAY CONSTITUTE A STIMULUS TO EMPLOY MORE DESTRUCTIVE WEAPONARY. THE USE OF REPRESSIVE VIOLENCE BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AND INCREASE THEIR POWER OVER THE BEHAVIOR OF THE CITIZENRY IS VIEWED AS AN ALARMING DEGENERATION OF GOVERNMENT BY LAW AND RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNED. THE SPREAD OF A MENTALITY FASCINATED BY AND COMMITTED TO AN AUTHORITARIAN USE OF VIOLENCE TO ESTABLISH AND EXERCISE POWER, WHETHER IT BE PRESENT IN THE GOVERNMENTS OF NATIONAL STATES OR EXTRANATIONAL TERRORIST GROUPS, IS VIEWED AS A MOST ALARMING TREND. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)