Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st Century Perspective

• NCJ Number: 190726
• Journal: Studies in Conflict & Terrorism Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2001 Pages: 321-327
• Author(s): Brian M. Jenkins
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Presentation
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This document focuses on terrorism in the past, present, and future.

Abstract

In the early 1970's, a unique confluence of political circumstances and technological developments gave rise to a new form of conflict where groups were hijacking airliners, kidnapping diplomats, and announcing themselves with bombings. Jet air travel gave terrorists worldwide mobility and the development of radio, television, and communication satellites gave them access to a global audience. Experts accurately predicted that in the last two decades of the 20th century there would be a rise of aggressive, fundamentalist religious groups and cults both in the United States and abroad. They predicted that terrorist escalation would be gradual rather than abrupt, and that there would be increasing use of military force in response to terrorism. There have been many successes in the battle against terrorism. There is now a broad international consensus on what terrorism is, international cooperation has increased, and new antiterrorist laws have been implemented both in the United States and abroad. Some of the traditional terrorist tactics, such as hijackings and embassy takeovers, occur far less frequently today. Intelligence collection and analysis has improved, and more information is being usefully shared. However, the motives driving terrorism have changed from ideology to ethnic conflict and religious fanaticism. This has produced a new breed of terrorists, people less constrained by the fear of alienating perceived constituents or angering the public. In the 1990's, less attention was paid to what might cause terrorism and instead focused on its suppression, improving intelligence, increasing security, identifying effective counterterrorist strategies, and applying new technology. Since the power of terrorism lies in the psychological reactions it creates, it is the public, not the authorities, who can best combat it.