Week 3
Topic: Comprehending Terrorism
Based on your readings thus far from the text and your own research,
describe the behavior and tactics used by terrorists. How has terrorism
changed over the years to what it is now? How is it now? At what point does
one become a terrorist?
Readings:
•
McEntire, Introduction to Homeland Security (2018). chs. 4 - 5
Lecture Notes - Comprehending Terrorism
Just as there is no one good definition of terrorism, typologies do not account for all
forms of terrorism. Typology development in criminology and criminal justice
scholarship seems to exist for the ease of teaching. Typologies of terrorism are
usually neither motive-based nor behavior-based, like they are in other areas of
criminological study, such as the areas of profiling and street crime. This is evident
from the following examples commonly found in textbooks and/or in the strangely
confused way the media reports what is going on in times of terrorist-related crisis
or war. In the following typologies, notice in the headings how the types are
classified in different ways.
Terrorism Classified by Place
1.
Domestic -- by residents of a country within that country
2.
International -- by representatives of a country against another country
3.
Non-state -- extremism and revolution for its own sake
4.
State-sponsored -- by a government against its own people or in support of
international
terrorism against another government
5.
Internecine -- conflict that spills over into another country or fought on foreign soil
Terrorism Classified by Personality Trait
1.
Crazies -- strong survival attitude, but not based in reality; self-centered; goals
clear only to perpetrator; irrational and unpredictable; strikes at random
2.
Crusaders -- sacrificial, death attitude; blends politics and religion; seldom
willing to negotiate; task-oriented and indifferent to risk; seeks publicity and
largest group possible
3.
Criminals -- strong self-preservation attitude; selfish; seeks gain and is task-
oriented; avoids high risk; predictably targets small groups
Terrorism Classified by Purpose
1.
Political -- for ideological and political purposes
2.
Nonpolitical -- for private purposes or gain
3.
Quasi-terrorism -- skyjacking and hostage taking
4.
Limited political -- ideological but not revolutionary
5.
Official or state -- used by nation against nation or people
Terrorism Classified by Target
1.
Mass terror -- targets general population
2.
Dynastic terror -- selective targeting of individuals or groups
3.
Random terror -- targets anybody in wrong place at wrong time
4.
Focused random terror -- targets specific public places frequented by opposition
5.
Tactical terror -- attacks government or politically attractive
targets Terrorism Classified by Issue
1. Revolutionary 5. Environmental
2. Political
6. State-sponsored
3. Nationalist
7. Nuclear
4. Cause-Based
8. Genocide
