NCJ Number
170157
Date Published
1997
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This overview of how terrorists operate addresses training sites, training topics, the terrorist's arsenal, and terrorist tactics.
Abstract
From the 1960's through the 1990's, a number of countries operated terrorist training facilities within the structure of their own military services. These countries have included Algeria, Iran, Iraq, the People's Republic of China, and Poland. Training topics covered have included arson and bombs; assassination and ambush techniques; extortion, bank, and armored-car robberies; disguise techniques, clandestine travel, recruitment, and communications; intelligence collection and counterintelligence methods; and weapons. The terrorist's arsenal contains explosives, small arms, automatic weapons, and man- portable rockets. Potential weapons include chemical or biological agents of mass destruction and nuclear weaponry. That most groups have not yet used these weapons is less a factor of the difficulties and dangers involved in producing such weapons than of the problem involved in effectively disseminating the toxic or nuclear material. The tactics that have been used by terrorists in the past are bombing, arson, hostage-taking and kidnapping, assassinations and ambushes, airplane hijacking, sabotage, and threat/hoax. Another "weapon" used by terrorists is the media. The media is coveted as a means of capturing the attention of millions of people. Unfortunately, the attention of the media can only be gained by committing a crime sufficiently newsworthy. This means committing outrageous, dramatic, and even barbaric acts. 9 suggested readings and 16 notes