Diffusion of Transnational Terrorism (From Responding to the Terrorist Threat, P 190-224, 1980, Richard H Shultz, Jr and Stephen Sloan, eds. - See NCJ-86019)

• NCJ Number: 86027
• Author(s): E S Heyman
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 55 pages
• Sale Source: Pergamon Press, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The spread of terrorism throughout the international community during the last decade is examined, with emphasis on the reasons for the diffusion of transnational terrorism.

Abstract

Transnational terrorism has spread to 98 countries over the last 10 years. Four hypotheses have been advanced to account for this diffusion. First, terrorists exchange ideas, weapons, and funds, and share training. The result is a spread of tactical expertise and support. In addition, terrorists travel to new locations to strike their enemy's weakest point or to derive the greatest benefit from the act. Moreover, terrorists who are not in contact with one another imitate each other's actions in the belief that another group's success can be duplicated through the use of similar tactics. The fourth hypothesis is the null hypothesis that terrorists are not connected with one another. However, this hypothesis is not supported by evidence. Factors which contribute to the diffusion of terrorism are the coordination of terrorist activity, government support to terrorists, conferences that bring together terrorists under nonoperational conditions, the availability of rapid communications and travel, and the lack of legal barriers to terrorism. Few natural or artificial barriers exist to the diffusion of transnational terrorism. Thus, it is likely to continue to spread. Twenty-six reference notes, figures, and appendixes presenting adjacency maps showing the diffusion of terrorism are provided.