NCJ Number
167812
Date Published
1996
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Despite several recent terrorist acts within the United States, Americans are in little real danger of attack.
Abstract
Although individual acts can do major damage, the chances of a wave of terrorist attacks is slight. There are a number of reasons why the threat of terrorism is waning. First, the international terrorist network has collapsed; second, terrorism has proven politically unproductive; and third, antiterrorism technology and intelligence gathering are improving fast. The Soviet Union and its satellites did fund and provide technical assistance for a worldwide terrorist network. These resources are no longer available. Terrorism has also been weakened by its failure to achieve any politically significant goals. Although terrorist acts have caused significant suffering for victims, the ideological goals of the various terrorist groups have not been achieved by terrorist acts. Further, the technological and intelligence balance has shifted from terrorists to law enforcers. Experience with terrorism in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America has spurred a new industry of better detection and antiterrorism technology. Moreover, the Cold War's end has freed up intelligence agents to focus on terrorist threats.