NCJ Number
63137
Date Published
1979
Length
173 pages
Annotation
A MAJOR REFASHIONING OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORDER AND ANTITERRORIST STRATEGIES, BASED ON A THEORY OF COUNTERNUCLEAR TERRORISM, BOTH TECHNOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL, IS ADVOCATED.
Abstract
BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL EXPLOITATION BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS OF THE FORCES OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, AND THE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH EXPLOITATION--DESTRUCTION OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF A POPULATION, CONTAMINATION OF AN AREA EXPOSING INHABITANTS TO CANCER OR GENETIC DEFECTS, INSTIGATION OF A FULL-SCALE NUCLEAR WAR BETWEEN STATES, AND STRATEGIC EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE SUPERPOWERS WHICH WOULD BRING ABOUT VAST IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION AND FALLOUT EFFECTS LASTING FOR MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS--SECURITY MEASURES MUST INVOLVE THE INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION OF ALL STRATEGIES OF COUNTERTERRORISM. THE PREVENTION OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM REQUIRES STATES TO MOVE BEYOND THE DYNAMICS OF REALPOLITIK TO DEVELOP A GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF UNITY (PLANETIZATION). TO AUGMENT PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS, STATES MUST USE A BEHAVIORAL STRATEGY TO PRODUCE CHANGES IN THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES OF TERRORISTS AND THEIR SPONSOR STATES. PHYSICAL RETALIATION MAY ONLY STIFFEN TERRORISTS' INTRANSIGENCE, BUT THREATS OF MILD PUNISHMENT MAY BE MORE CREDIBLE AND SERVE AS A DETERRENT IF UNIFORMLY APPLIED BY ALL STATES. IN ANY CASE, STATES FACED WITH A DECISION ON TERRORIST NEGOTIATION OR RESPONSE SHOULD APPRAISE THE GROUP AND ITS LEADERSHIP ELEMENTS TO IDENTIFY PREDOMINANT PATTERNS OF RISK-CALCULATION AND THEN CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE COUNTERSTRATEGY BASED ON A TAXONOMY REFLECTING TYPES OF GROUP, DEGREE OF COMMITMENT, AND CRIMINALITY. (SUCH A TAXONOMY IS PROVIDED IN THE TEXT AND IDENTIFIES SIX PRINCIPAL TYPES OF TERRORIST GROUPS CORRELATING EACH TYPE WITH AN APPROPRIATE STRATEGY.) THREE PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS THAT MIGHT BE USED TO CHARACTERIZE AND DESIGN AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF WORLD ORDER ARE STRUCTURE (I.E. THE PREVAILING DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL POWER), PROCESS OR MANAGEMENT OF POWER (USUALLY BY BALANCE OF POWER, COLLECTIVE SECURITY, AND WORLD GOVERNMENT), AND CONTEXT (A DIMENSION WHICH MUST BEGIN WITH IDENTIFICATION OF STRATEGIES FOR HALTING THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS SPREAD). REFERENCES, NOTES, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)