Terrorism and Hostage Taking (From Insights Into Violence in Contemporary Canadian Society, P 255-261, 1987, James M MacLatchie, ed. -- See NCJ-122437)

• NCJ Number: 122466
• Author(s): M Wallack
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: John Howard Soc of Canada
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

The use of State violence to counter terrorist violence is likely to be counterproductive; the use of international cooperation to address the basic causes of terrorism is more likely to be effective.

Abstract

Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence with the aim of influencing political decisions by inducing fear. Terrorism, because it is militarily weak compared to State military armament, attacks weakly protected civilian targets, creating in the citizenry a sense of fear and vulnerability. This in turn causes citizens to place demands on their government for protection and retaliation. Protection of every citizen in every circumstance would be impossible, however, and retaliation with the use of force is likely to produce a cycle of escalating violence. States targeted by terrorists must guard against revising their democratic values to counter terrorism and must also adopt a policy of diplomacy and international cooperation in addressing the causes of various manifestations of terrorism.