NCJ Number
62334
Journal
Across the Board Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 57-67
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
BECAUSE TERRORISM USUALLY FAILS TO CHANGE A COUNTRY'S POLITICAL SYSTEM, AND BECAUSE TERRORISTS ARE FEW IN NUMBER, TERRORIST ACTIVITIES ONLY GENERATE PUBLICITY AND REDUCE THE OPENNESS OF DEMOCRACIES.
Abstract
THE TERRORIST ATTACK OF 1975 ON THE VIENNA HEADQUATERS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES DEMONSTRATED THE INCAPACITY OF TERRORISM TO SUBSTANTIVELY CHANGE THE WORLD ORDER. ALTHOUGH SUCH EVENTS PROVIDE PUBLICITY FOR TERRORISTS THEMSELVES, THEY ARE PERCEIVED AS UNRELATED TO SPECIFIC POLITICAL GRIEVANCES. UNLESS THE PUBLICITY IS LATER TRANSLATED INTO SOMETHING MORE TANGIBLE, THE VIOLENT INCIDENTS ARE LITTLE MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS. TERRORISTS' ACTS, UNLIKE THE GUERRILLA WARFARE AND REVOLUTIONS WHICH HAD SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES, ONLY REPRESENT THE DEFIANCE OF SMALL BANDS OF INSURGENTS. WHILE TERRORIST GROUPS ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND MAY SUCCESSFULLY INFLICT CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE, THEIR POLITICAL EFFECT IS LIMITED. A MYTHOLOGY OF TERRORISM WILL LIKELY PERSIST EVEN AFTER THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONS RESPOND TO TERRORISTS WITH THE SAME TACTICS USED SUCCESSFULLY BY THE AUTHORITARIAN STATES. CONTRARY TO WIDESPREAD BELIEF, TERRORISM AND ITS LITERATURE IS NOT NEW, NOR DOES IT USUALLY REFLECT MAJORITY GRIEVANCES. THE CONSEQUENCES OF TERROR HAVE RARELY INCLUDED SUCCESSFUL SEIZURES OF POWER; MORE LIKELY, TERRORISM RESULTS IN A REPRESSION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO A FRIGHTENED PUBLIC. TO SUCCEED IN CAUSING POLITICAL CHANGE, TERRORISTS MUST MAKE LIMITED AND REALISTIC DEMANDS AND FIND A NONVIOLENT APPROACH. (TWK)