TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM, CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (FROM TERRORISM-INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES, 1977, BY YONAH ALEXANDER AND SEYMOUR MAXWELL FINGER-SEE NCJ-44307)

• NCJ Number: 62739
• Author(s): I L HOROWITZ
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: John Jay Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH TERRORISM AND COUNTERMEASURES ARE EXPLORED, AND A POLITICAL-SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF TERRORISM IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

WHILE DIFFERENT SOCIAL SYSTEMS HAVE VARYING REACTIONS TO TERROR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR SELF-INTERESTS, NO SURVIVING SOCIETY CAN IGNORE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY TERRORISM. SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WHO ACCEPT A CIVIL LIBERTARIAN VIEWPOINT MUST DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO AN ATTACK ON CIVIL LIBERTIES BY PERSONS PRESUMABLY ACTING IN THE NAME OF TERROR. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHERS MUST FIRST DETERMINE IF TERRORISM IS A FUNCTION OF LARGER AMBITIONS AND AIMS. IT IS THEN NECESSARY TO DISTINGUISH TYPES OF VIOLENCE AND INJURY PERPETRATED AGAINST PERSONS AND/OR PLACES IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH QUALITATIVE MEASURES OF TERRORISM AND COUNTERTERRORISM AND ALSO TO PROVIDE EMPIRICAL SUPPORT FOR LEGAL EFFORTS TO DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL MEASURES THAT DEAL WITH TERRORIST ACTIVITIES OF GUERRILLAS AND COUNTERTERROR ACTIVITIES OF THE STATE. TERRORISM HAS FIVE PRINCIPAL DANGERS WITH REGARD TO CIVIL LIBERTIES: (1) THE POWER TO INFLICT INJURY IS A BARGAINING POWER THAT, BY ITS NATURE, BYPASSES THE DUE PROCESS OF LAW; (2) TERRORISM PRESUMES AWARENESS OF WHAT IS SOCIALLY VALUED AND WHAT VICTIMS CAN TOLERATE; (3) A POLICY OF TERROR ASSUMES THE SOCIAL SYSTEM TO BE INHERENTLY LAW ABIDING; (4) A POLICY OF TERROR IS ANTIDEMOCRATIC AND VIOLATES CIVIL LIBERTIES AS DEMOCRATIC LIBERTIES; AND (5) TERROR GENERALLY VIOLATES CIVIL LIBERTIES OF NONPARTICIPANTS OR NONCOMBATANTS. COUNTERMEASURES EXTEND FROM INCREASED SECURITY CHECKS, GREATER POLICE SURVEILLANCE, AND IMPROVED SEARCH AND SEIZURE TACTICS TO CHANGES IN LEGAL CODES. AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE WATERGATE SCANDAL HOWEVER, COUNTERTERRORIST ACTIVITIES CAN ERODE CIVIL LIBERTIES. IN THE POLITICAL-SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF TERRORISM, THE FOCUS IS ON QUALITATIVE MICROPOLITICS COUPLED WITH THE LARGE-SCALE EXAMINATION OF SPECIFIC ISSUES TO EVALUATE NOT ONLY TERRORISM BUT ALSO WHO HAS THE MONOPOLY ON THE USE OF FORCE. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE FACTORS IN TERRORISM RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. (DEP)