NCJ Number
51205
Editor(s)
D CHRISTENSEN
Date Published
1978
Length
87 pages
Annotation
WEAPONS USED BY TERRORISTS ARE CONSIDERED, AND AN OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
TERRORISTS AIM TO GENERATE FEAR--TO FRIGHTEN PEOPLE INTO SUBMISSION. THEIR GOALS ARE INFLEXIBLE AND THEIR BEHAVIOR MERCURIAL. ESTIMATES OF THE NUMBER OF TERRORIST GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, BUT EXACT NUMBERS ARE NOT KNOWN. AN ASSOCIATED PRESS SURVEY EARLY IN 1978 REPORTED THAT 226 GROUPS, PARTIES, OR MOVEMENTS IN 56 COUNTRIES USE TERRORIST VIOLENCE FOR THEIR POLITICAL OR SOCIAL ENDS. HALF OF THESE GROUPS CHARACTERIZE THEMSELVES AS LEFTISTS, ABOUT 30 PERCENT ARE EITHER RIGHTIST OR NEOFASCIST, WHILE 20 PERCENT ARE NATIONALISTIC GROUPS CLAIMING SEPARATIST MOTIVATION. MOST TERRORISTS USE STANDARD CALIBER MILITARY AND SEMIMILITARY WEAPONS; HOWEVER, AS THEIR STRENGTH, SIZE OF THEIR ARSENAL, AND SOPHISTICATION OF THEIR WEAPONRY GROW, THEY ARE BECOMING MORE AMBITIOUS. THE COST OF ANTITERRORIST SECURITY IS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. A BRIEF OVERVIEW IS PRESENTED OF 11 GROUPS REPRESENTING THE LOOSE ALLIANCE OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS, THAT COOPERATE IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL, FUNDS, ARMS, INTELLIGENCE, AND OPERATIONS. PHOTOGRAPHS HEAVILY ILLUSTRATE THE BOOK, DEPICTING STANDARD AND MODIFIED SMALL WEAPONS. AN EXPLANATION OF THE WEAPONS' USE IS PROVIDED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE FUTURE CAPABILITIES OF TERRORISTS MUST BE CONSIDERED AND DETERRED AS THE POSSIBILITIES OF MORE VULNERABLE TARGETS AND MORE DESTRUCTIVE WEAPONS BECOME A REALITY. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JCP)