IMPACT OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM ON THE MILITARY'S ROLE IN SOCIETY (FROM INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD, 1978, BY MARIUS LIVINGSTON - SEE NCJ-52737)

• NCJ Number: 52756
• Author(s): R W MENGEL
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Greenwood Publishing Group
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

NUCLEAR TERRORISM AND THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF THE MILITARY IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY FOR COPING WITH THIS FORM OF TERRORISM ARE REVIEWED.

Abstract

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IS REASONABLY AVAILABLE TO TERRORISTS. SINCE THE MILITARY IS NOT FUNCTIONALLY INTEGRATED INTO THE DAILY DOMESTIC LIFE OF A COUNTRY AND DOES NOT INTERACT WITH PRIVATE CITIZENS ON A RECURRING BASIS, MILITARY INTERVENTION INTO THE DOMESTIC REALM CARRIES OMINOUS CONNOTATIONS. WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE NUMEROUS NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND MATERIALS. THE TRADITION OF CIVILIAN CONTROL OVER THE MILITARY AND MILITARY NONINTERVENTION IN DOMESTIC MATTERS HAS PREVAILED AND THE SOCIOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS REFLECTIVE OF PEACEFUL CONDITIONS WHERE THE MILITARY IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE DAILY LIVES OF MOST CITIZENS. NUCLEAR TERRORISM INCLUDES ACTS THAT CONTAIN A NUCLEAR ELEMENT AS THE PRINCIPAL MEANS OF VIOLENCE. A TYPOLOGY OF NUCLEAR MALEVOLENT ACTIONS HAS BEEN DEVISED THAT CONTAINS SEVEN CATEGORIES: THREAT, HARASSMENT, DISRUPTION/DAMAGE, HOSTAGE/BARRICADE, THEFT, DISPERSAL, AND FABRICATION OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MOST SIGNIFICANT AMONG NUCLEAR MALEVOLENT ACTIONS ARE THEFT, DISPERSAL, AND FABRICATION. EVIDENCE FROM DISASTER AND TERRORISM RESEARCH POINTS TO THREE PRINCIPLE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SUBJECTIVE CONSEQUENCES OF A MAJOR INCIDENT: (1) IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THREATS OR OTHER LOW-LEVEL NUCLEAR MALEVOLENT ACTIONS WILL ALTER THE PUBLIC'S VIEW OF DANGER; (2) THE LOCAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR TERRORIST ACTS IS FAR GREATER THAN THE NONLOCAL IMPACT; AND (3) SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY THAT ARE SUBJECTED TO MAJOR ACTS OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM WILL MORE READILY ACCEPT INCREASED SAFEGUARDS AND A CONCOMITANT DECREASE IN CIVIL LIBERTIES. THE MOST PROBABLE APPLICATION OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM WITH REGARD TO MILITARY INTERVENTION IS THE OCCUPATION OF A NUCLEAR FACILITY WHERE A HOSTAGE SITUATION PREVAILS. INCREASED MILITARY PARTICIPATION IN NUCLEAR TERRORISM IS NOT ADVOCATED IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING A VIABLE CIVIL-MILITARY BALANCE. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, NONMILITARY AGENCIES, AND THE MILITARY IN COUNTERING NUCLEAR TERRORISM IS DISCUSSED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (DEP)