CONTEMPORARY TERRORISM - SELECTED READINGS - INTRODUCTION (FROM CONTEMPORARY TERRORISM - SELECTED READINGS, 1978, BY JOHN D ELLIOTT AND LESLIE K GIBSON - SEE NCJ-48724)

• NCJ Number: 48725
• Author(s): J D ELLIOT; L K GIBSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE TRANSITION OF TRADITIONALLY RURAL GUERRILLA WARFARE TO CONTEMPORARY MANIFESTATIONS SUCH AS URBAN GUERRILLA WARFARE AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

URBAN GUERRILLA WARFARE EMERGED IN THE 1960'S AND INVOLVED A TRANSITION FROM ESSENTIALLY RURAL GUERRILLA OPERATIONS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GUERRILLA BASES AND TARGETS PRIMARILY IN URBAN AREAS. THIS TRANSITION WAS STIMULATED BY THE FAILURE OF CHE GUEVARA TO TRANSPORT THE SUCCESSFUL CUBAN RURAL GUERRILLA WARFARE TO OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES. OPERATIONS IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT PROVIDE A MULTIPLICITY OF TARGETS; A CONCENTRATED POPULATION OF PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM MAY BE DISSATISFIED WITH THE GOVERNMENT; AND AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO UNDERGROUND NETWORKS. TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM, PREVALENT IN THE EARLY 1970'S, USED THE AIRLINES AS A MEANS TO GAIN MEDIA ATTENTION AND ATTEMPT TO MANIPULATE VARIOUS NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS BY HOLDING HOSTAGES OF VARYING NATIONAL CITIZENSHIPS. THIS TYPE OF TERRORISM WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THREE STAGES: A CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF LOGISTICS SUPPORT GROUPS BETWEEN TERRORIST GROUPS WITH COMPATIBLE IDEOLOGIES, TERRORIST GROUPS WITH SIMILAR IDEOLOGIES ACTUALLY CONDUCTING OPERATIONS ON BEHALF OF ONE ANOTHER, AND THE COORDINATION OF TERRORIST ATTACKS BY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO ACHIEVE DESIRED GOALS IN A CLANDESTINE MANNER. THIS THIRD STAGE OF TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM HAS LED TO ITS MOST ADVANCED STAGE: INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM EMBRACES THE SAME TECHNIQUES, PERSPECTIVES, AND OBJECTIVES AS OTHER STRUCTURES OF TERRORISM; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE LIES IN ITS BEING CONTROLLED BY A SOVEREIGN STATE THAT IS AIMING TO ACHIEVE ITS ENDS SHORT OF CONVENTIONAL WARFARE OR ADMITTED VIOLENT CONFRONTATION WITH ANOTHER SOVEREIGN STATE. INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MAY OPEN THE WAY FOR TERRORIST USE OF MORE SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY. NUCLEAR DEVICES AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES ARE MENTIONED AS POSSIBILITIES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTERMEASURES AND RESPONSES BASED ON A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE CAUSES AND COMPONENTS OF CONTEMPORARY TERRORISM IS RECOMMENDED. (RCB)