NCJ Number
170156
Date Published
1997
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the organizational styles and structure of terrorism that makes it "big business."
Abstract
No one country is wholly responsible for terrorism's scope, nor is any single country so essential to the existence of terrorism that the withdrawal of its support would seriously diminish terrorism's spread. There is evidence that terrorist groups are becoming increasingly self-sufficient. Organizations such as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) have become increasingly entrenched, both in the communities in which their followers live and in the governments that do business with them. The PLO, for example, invested in farms, factories, the import-export business, and real estate. These investments provide revenues and jobs; they helped to integrate the PLO into the local economy, and they provided members of the organization with valuable experience as managers of both personnel and money, all of which should benefit the Palestinians as they begin self-government in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. There still are, however, many terrorist organizations that depend heavily on the support of patron states. It is most often these groups that commit the small-scale acts of terror. There is also cooperation on occasion between terrorist groups. With the increasing contact and sharing of support among terrorists, there is a potential for greater sophistication in the execution of terrorist acts. Terrorists operating in a foreign county can conduct more efficient operations when they can use the local expertise of indigenous groups. 8 suggested readings and 13 notes