Criminal Justice reflection assignment

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Chapter 9:

Terrorism

Defining Terrorism

Difficult to define for several reasons:
Varied behavior motivated by various agendas
Continuously evolving phenomenon
Definition depends on perspective
Instead of focusing on any particular definition, it might be helpful to review some common themes and ideas that many definitions share.

Common Themes

First, terrorism is a violent activity.
It is about destruction and harm, whether of people or property or both.
Terrorists have chosen violence as the preferred method of accomplishing their goals.
While various social, political, economic, and cultural avenues are available to help bring about change, terrorists have settled on violence.

Common Themes

Second, the violence is instrumental.
There is purpose and reason to it.
In this sense, at least, it is rational.
Terrorists engage in extreme acts of violence because they perceive it will help them achieve some goal.

Common Themes

Third, terrorism usually targets defenseless victims.
Civilian and noncombatant targets are the most common victims.
They are soft targets.
Their status as innocents heightens the dramatic impact of the violence.

Terrorist Attacks by Type of Target, 2014

Source: Adapted from data from The Institute for economics and Peace. Global Terrorism Index 2015: Measuring and Understanding the Impact of Terrorism.

Chart1

Private Citizens & Property

Other

Military

Police

Business

Government

Religious

Deaths by Type of Target

15380

3496

2530

6124

1983

2060

1111

Sheet1

	Deaths by Type of Target
Private Citizens & Property	15,380
Other	3496
Military	2530
Police	6124
Business	1983
Government	2060
Religious	1111

Common Themes

Fourth, the purpose of terrorism is to terrorize.
Terrorist groups aim to create a climate of fear within a society.
The indiscriminate nature of the attacks coupled with civilian targets exacerbates the fear and perceived vulnerability of a population.
Creating a climate of fear throughout a society is one way that these groups can project an image of strength and pervasiveness that is not based on actual capabilities.

Common Themes

Fifth, terrorism is systematic.
An isolated event, though it might be considered terrifying, is not necessarily considered terrorism.
Instead, terrorism is a recurring phenomenon.

Terrorism and Guerilla Warfare

Guerrilla means “little war,” and this kind of conflict is often termed
Low intensity warfare
Insurgency warfare
Tends to involve larger military style forces that attack military forces and seek to hold and control territory
Terrorist groups tend to be smaller, do not operate in the open, target primarily noncombatants, and do not hold territory

Terrorism and Guerilla Warfare

Guerrilla forces sometimes use terror tactics in their military campaigns.
Terrorist groups may organize in military style units.
Individuals and groups can move from one type to the other.
A good example is Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda,
Some organizations encompass both. Hezbollah, for example, includes a political arm, social services, a paramilitary branch, and also engages in terrorism.

History of Terrorism

Terrorism has been around a long time with many examples from many different places.
Zealots (Sicarii)
Romans
Assassins
French Revolution
Molly Maguires

How Frequent Are Terrorist Acts?

Source: Adapted from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). (2013). Global Terrorism Database [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd

Chart1

1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

Terrorism Events in the United States, 1994-2014

Sheet1

	Terrorism Events in the United States, 1994-2014
1994	56
1995	62
1996	36
1997	40
1998	30
1999	53
2000	33
2001	40
2002	33
2003	32
2004	9
2005	23
2006	6
2007	9
2008	19
2009	11
2010	17
2011	9
2012	13
2013	16
2014	19

Terrorism Acts by Region

Source: Adapted from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). (2013). Global Terrorism Database [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd

Chart1

Southeast Asia

Central America, Caribbean

East Asia

North America

Australasia, Oceania

South America

Central Asia

Middle East, North Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Asia

Eastern Europe

Western Europe

Terrorism Acts by Region

9313

10338

758

3195

239

18453

529

34462

11493

33273

4204

15709

Sheet1

	Terrorism Acts by Region
Southeast Asia	9313
Central America, Caribbean	10338
East Asia	758
North America	3195
Australasia, Oceania	239
South America	18453
Central Asia	529
Middle East, North Africa	34462
Sub-Saharan Africa	11493
South Asia	33273
Eastern Europe	4204
Western Europe	15709

Typology of Terrorism

Source: Post, J. M. (2004). Leaders and their followers in a dangerous world: The psychology of political behavior. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Who Becomes a Terrorist?

Is there a typical profile of someone who becomes a terrorist?
Research indicates that the majority of terrorists do not suffer from psychological problems such as schizophrenia.
This makes sense, for such a person would pose a significant security risk for the organization.
Some believe that terrorists suffer from a narcissistic personality disorder that renders them somewhat sociopathic, arrogant, and without care or concern for others.

Tactics and Weapons

Terrorists employ a wide range of tactics and weapons.
Range from nonlethal assaults and campaigns of intimidation, to massively deadly attacks using bombs and firearms
Tactics are largely dictated by the goals of the organization.

Terrorism by Type of Attack, 2014

Source: Adapted from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). (2013). Global Terrorism Database [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd.

Chart1

Bombing/Explosion

Unarmed Assault

Unknown

Assassination

Kidnapping/Hostage Taking

Armed Assault

Facility/Infrastructure

Hijacking

Other

Attack Type

8802

817

1403

1449

4435

984

188

Sheet1

	Attack Type
Bombing/Explosion	8802
Unarmed Assault	47
Unknown	817
Assassination	1403
Kidnapping/Hostage Taking	1449
Armed Assault	4435
Facility/Infrastructure	984
Hijacking	48
Other	188

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Many terrorism experts fear terrorist organizations will acquire and use WMD.
These include
Nuclear
Build, steal, or buy; All difficult
Easier to deploy “dirty bomb”
Biological
Long pedigree, but hard to contain and control
Chemical
Nerve=inhibits functioning of important enzymes that regulates nerve activity
Blood=affects blood after being inhaled; prevents body form using oxygen in blood
Choking=damages lungs and causes lungs to fill with mucus
Blistering=burns whatever parts of body they come in contact with

What Are We Doing About Terrorism?

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The mission of DHS includes preventing terrorism and enhancing security, managing U.S. borders, administering immigration laws, securing cyberspace, and ensuring disaster resilience.
Giving hope and security to disenfranchised young people may do more to combat terrorism in the first place by preventing these youth from being recruited to groups like ISIS in the first place. Unfortunately, there is no mention of strategies such as this on the DHS website.

Conclusions

Terrorism is likely to be a problem for the United States and the world for some time to come.
Islamic fundamentalism is the most recent manifestation of international terror but far from the only terrorist agenda.
Manufacturing and sale of weapons of mass destruction exponentially increases potential lethality of terrorism.

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Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd Edition