States in Opposition - The War Against Terrorism

• NCJ Number: 81143
• Journal: Conflict Volume: 3 Issue: 2/3 Dated: (1981) Pages: 83-141
• Author(s): N C Livingstone
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 59 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Methods for countering terrorist threats and operations in nonauthoritarian countries are described.

Abstract

Supporters of international legal action against terrorism note that piracy on the high seas was not eradicated until it was made a universal crime, permitting any nation to punish pirates no matter what their nationality or where their crimes had been committed. Efforts to win international cooperation for the control of international terrorism and the punishment of terrorists, however, have met with little success. Depriving terrorists of a basis for a cause through social reform has also been undertaken, along with efforts to maintain high standards for government response to citizen needs. Timely and reliable intelligence is generally viewed as the first line of defense against terrorism. Such efforts are often hampered by a democracy's efforts to protect citizen privacy. Some countries have provided harsh punishments for those convicted of terrorism, but there are indications that this does not deter terrorists, many of whom are conditioned to accept the possible consequences of their activities. One of the most effective methods, short of using force, to combat terrorism is to isolate countries, both economically and in the areas of international travel and communications, which harbor terrorists or support terrorist activities. Another tactic is to isolate terrorists from the general population so that they are opposed by the public mind. Strict passport and identity control, including the issuance of national identity cards, greatly restricts the mobility of terrorists who would engage in activities in other countries. Other counterterrorist activities include restricted access to weapons and explosives, police well trained in counterterrorist methods, government-sanctioned vigilante actions, reprisals, the elimination of safe havens, execution action, commando operations, and new counterterrorist technology. Fifty-nine notes are listed.