NCJ Number
63563
Date Published
1974
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE TACTICS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL ORDER ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS STATEMENT BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON TERRORISM.
Abstract
TERRORISM CAN BE DEFINED AS A CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE DESIGNED TO INSPIRE FEAR; ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, TERRORISM IS ACTS OR CAMPAIGNS OF VIOLENCE OUTSIDE THE ACCEPTED RULES AND PROCEDURES OF INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY AND WAR. BECAUSE MOST TERRORIST GROUPS ARE SMALL AND WEAK, THEIR ACTIONS MUST BE DRAMATIC AND DELIBERATELY SHOCKING. TWO GROUPS WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE SUCCESSFUL ORCHESTRATION OF SENSATIONAL ACTS OF TERRORISM, AS WELL AS THE MANIPULATION OF THE MEDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS, ARE THE SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMY RESPONSIBLE FOR KIDNAPPING PATRICIA HEARST IN CALIFORNIA, AND THE PALESTINIANS. ALTHOUGH THE ABILITY OF SUCH GROUPS TO CREATE ALARM HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT, TERRORISM HAS NOT YET HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER. MEASURED AGAINST OTHER DISRUPTIVE FORCES IN THE WORLD, THE ACTIVITIES OF TERRORISTS RANK FAR BELOW SUCH ISSUES AS THE ARAB OIL EMBARGO, SOARING ENERGY COSTS, AND WORLDWIDE INFLATION. BECAUSE THE ISSUE OF TERRORISM REMAINS POLITICAL, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISTS HAS BEEN MINIMAL. NATIONS HAVE TAKEN VARIOUS TACTICS TO COMBAT TERRORISM, SUCH AS ACCESSION TO TERRORIST DEMANDS OR VIOLENT CONFRONTATION. FUTURE TRENDS FOR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WILL PROBABLY SHOW INCREASED SIGNS OF COOPERATION AMONG MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST NETWORK, THE USE OF MORE DESTRUCTIVE METHODS TO ACHIEVE GOALS, AND GOVERNMENT USE OF TERRORISTS AS A MEANS OF SURROGATE WARFARE AGAINST OTHER NATIONS. (WJR)