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GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
ADJ 475-002 & GOV 444-007 Spring 2006
Tuesdays, 4:30 – 7:10 PM, Thompson Hall, Room 138
Fairfax Campus
TERRORISM: THEORY & PRACTICE
INSTRUCTOR: Dennis Pluchinsky
dpluchinsky@rocketmail.com (preferred e-mail address), or
dpluchin@gmu.edu
Course Objective: To provide the student with an analytical
framework by which he/she can better understand the problems,
concepts, goals, strategies, tactics, targeting, mindset, and
ideologies of contemporary international and domestic terrorist
groups. A brief history of the United States’ confrontation with the
international terrorist threat and the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism strategy and policies will also be examined. Class
lectures, handouts, outside readings, slides, and videotapes will be
used to accomplish the above objectives. STUDENTS ARE NOT
ALLOWED TO TAPE LECTURES.
Course Web CT Site: You must frequently check the course web
site for announcements and new files. All students have access to
this site.
Required Textbooks Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism (N.Y:
Columbia University Press, 1998); Michel Scheuer Anonymous,
Through Our Enemies’ Eyes (Washington, D.C: Brasseys, 2002);
John Esposito, Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (N.Y:
Oxford University Press, 2002). All softcover books.
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Course Requirements: A student constructed hypothetical
terrorist attack plan with a communiqué claiming responsibility (17
pages, double-spaced) OR a 25 page, double-spaced research
paper on a terrorism-related topic will constitute 50% of the grade
(-5 points for a late paper, per class). A final exam will comprise
the remaining 50% of the final grade.
Grading: I will use the following grading scale –
A = 95-100
A- = 90-94
B+ = 87-89
B = 84-86
B- = 80-83
C+ = 75-79
C = 70-74
D = 65-69
F = 0 - 64
Statement on Academic Integrity: I believe very strongly in the
principle of academic integrity, and I will simply not accept any
violations of the University Honor Code in my class. The Honor
Code contains provisions on cheating, lying, plagiarizing, and
stealing. If I witness any violations of the Honor Code, I will
follow the standard reporting procedures as outlined in the
University catalog. Please read the Honor Code again for this
class.
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COURSE LECTURE SCHEDULE
January 24: Course objectives & organization. Review of
terrorist activity in 2005, problems in defining terrorism, statistical
snapshots of terrorist activity, outlining the analytical framework
for the course.
January 31: Introduction continued, course typology, ethnic
terrorism. Required reading – Hoffman, chapter 1.
February 7: Ethnic terrorism, left-wing, right-wing, single-issue,
and religious terrorism. Required reading – Anonymous, chapters
1-3.
February 14: Left, right, single-issue, and religious terrorism.
Required reading – Hoffman, chapter 2.
February 21: Evolution of secular Palestinian terrorism.
Required reading – Anonymous, chapters 4-5.
February 28: Anatomy of a terrorist attack. The Mechanics of
terrorism. Required reading - Anonymous, chapters 6-8, Esposito,
chapter 2.
March 7: Terrorist Tactics. Required reading - Hoffman, chapter
3; Anonymous, chapter 9,
March 14 – NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
March 21: Terrorist Tactics. Required reading, Anonymous,
chapters 10-11; Esposito, chapter 3.
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March 28: Lecture on State-sponsored terrorism. Required
reading, Hoffman, chapter 4; Anonymous, chapters 12-13,
Esposito, chapter 4.
April 4: Lecture on Islamic revolutionary terrorism Required
reading, Hoffman, chapter 5; Anonymous, chapters 14-15.
April 11: Islamic revolutionary terrorism – the Global Jihadist
Movement, al-Qaeda. Required reading, Hoffman, chapter 6;
April 18:. Global Jihadist Movement. Hoffman, chapter 7;
Anonymous, “Epilogue.” OPERATIONAL PLANS DUE
TODAY !!!!!
April 25: Evolution of U.S. Counter-terrorism Policy and
Programs.
May 2: Spillover lectures
May 9 ---------- FINAL EXAM -------------
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STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECT: CONSTRUCTING A
HYPOTHETICAL TERRORIST OPERATIONAL PLAN
Know the enemy. To understand how and why terrorist groups do
what they do, it is necessary to step, albeit in a very limited way,
into their shoes. This course will teach you the theory behind their
motivations and actions. It will also provide you with an analytical
framework to help you understand the different types of terrorist
groups that operate in the world, the stages of a terrorist attack, and
a typology of terrorist tactics. This exercise is designed to see if
you can put all the pieces of the course together to hypothetically
plan a terrorist attack that is consistent with the selected group’s
goals, capabilities, tactical profile, targeting pattern, and
operational area.
A terrorist group’s sole reason for existence is to carry out attacks.
They want successful attacks, not failures. This exercise will
demonstrate to you the difficult and complex process that is
involved in planning a major terrorist attack. By drafting a
hypothetical terrorist communiqué claiming responsibility for your
proposed attack you will also understand your selected group’s
ideological mindset, worldview, and strategic objectives.
Having spent 28 years analyzing terrorism for the U.S.
Government I can assure you that this is a valuable and effective
exercise to help you understand the problem of terrorism in the
world today, especially as it impacts on U.S. interests at home and
abroad.
Several U.S. government agencies have expressed interest in this
exercise. They would like an opportunity to examine your
hypothetical operational plans to learn from them. If you do not
have a problem with this simply place the following statement on
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the cover of your paper: “I give permission to my instructor to
allow the U.S. government to examine my research paper – with or
without (you select) my name attached.” If this sentence is not on
your cover page I will assume that you do not want this paper to go
beyond me.
HYPOTHETICAL OPERATIONAL PLAN
Using primarily the Internet, the student will assume the role of
an operational cell leader of a current, active terrorist group who is
charged with developing a lethal attack plan against a major
American symbolic, economic, social, military, or political target
in OR outside the United States. Your proposed attack plan, along
with a draft communiqué claiming responsibility for the attack, is
being submitted to the group’s leaders for approval. In your
operational plan, you will provide the following components:
1. The reason for your selection of the target.
2. How the attack will further your group’s objectives.
3. What tactic will you use (no suicide attacks!)
4. What logistical / financial help will you require.
5. How will you communicate with your cell & leadership.
6. How many and what type of personnel will be required.
7. The timing of the attack (when will the attack take place).
8. Describe the attack in moderate detail.
9. Outline escape plans.
10.What will the attack cost the group in terms of infrastructure.
11.How might the USG government react to the attack.
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In addition to the attack plan, students will also submit a three page
communiqué claiming responsibility for the attack, using relevant
language, content, slogans, mindset, and worldview of the group
you select to carry out the attack. The whole plan and
communiqué must be 17 pages, double-spaced, at a minimum.
Insert schematics, diagrams, maps, and photos as appropriate and
desired. However, these do not count as pages.
No physical surveillance of a target is allowed without the
instructor’s approval. If you select a public landmark or facility,
you may be able to perform unobtrusive, distant physical
surveillance of the intended target. Given the current tension in
the city (and country), use good judgment here!! ALL
PROPOSED TARGETS THAT WILL REQUIRE PHYSICAL
SURVEILLANCE MUST BE CLEARED BY ME IN
ADVANCE!!
Again, you will use the Internet to carry out most of your research.
You must provide a bibliography of the sources you use. The key
for this exercise is to stay within the known capabilities,
operational area, tactical tendencies, and targeting patterns of
the group you select. Groups will periodically carry out a new
tactic or shift targeting patterns. However, you must explain in
your operational plan the reasons behind this shift (s) you are
proposing to the leadership.
My advice to you is to select a proper group that can implement
the attack parameters outlined in the second paragraph. Research
the attacks of the group, looking for tactics, targeting patterns,
operational area, etc. Then examine any written documents or
communiqués of the group to get a feel for the group’s ideology,
objectives, worldview, and mindset.
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STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PLACE THE
FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER ON THE COVER PAGE OF
THE OPERATIONA PLAN – “THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL
EXERCISE FOR A UNIVERSITY COURSE ON
TERRORISM.” IN ADDITION, ON EACH PAGE PLACE
THE FOLLOWING AS A HEADER – “CLASS
HYPOTHETICAL EXERCISE.”
ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT: There may
some students who for various reasons feel uncomfortable in
undertaking this exercise. All students have the option of writing
a 25 page, double-spaced research paper on any terrorism-related
topic or issue. Please see me and let me know if you will select
this option so I can help with topics. The workload for students
who must construct the operational plan is much higher than those
who write the research paper. Therefore, the latter have a higher
page count.
Given the current security climate in this country, I understand that
Muslims, Arabs, and Arab-Americans may be hesitant to undertake
the hypothetical operational plan. I encourage you to talk to me
about your concerns to see if we can work something out.
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Dennis Pluchinsky
I am currently the senior Threat Analyst for TranSecur, Inc. based
in Potomac, Maryland. On January 3, 2005, I retired after
analyzing terrorism for the U.S. Department of State for 28 years.
For my entire career, I worked in the Office of Intelligence and
Threat Analysis of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. I retired as
the senior intelligence analyst. Over these 28 years, I handled the
following regions: Africa, Europe, the Newly Independent States,
Middle East, East and South Asia, and the Pacific.
In 1992 and 2003 I was selected for Director of Central
Intelligence’s Exceptional Intelligence Analyst program. My 1992
research project concerned ethnic conflict in Eastern Europe and
the Former Soviet Union. My 2003 research project examined
terrorist surveillance techniques.
I have co-authored several books on terrorism, including European
Terrorism: Today and Tomorrow and Europe’s Red Terrorists –
The Fighting Communist Organizations. I am a frequent
contributor to the journal Terrorism and Political Violence and
the journal Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, where I am a
contributing editor. I have also published several newspaper
commentaries on terrorism in the Washington Times and
Washington Post.
I am on the adjunct faculty at the George Washington University
(Forensic Sciences), Mary Washington College (Political Science
Department), the James Madison University (Political Science
Department, and George Mason University (Administration of
Justice program) where I teach undergraduate and graduate courses
on terrorism. While in the U.S. Government, I was a frequent
lecturer on terrorism at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint
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Military Intelligence College; the FBI Academy at Quantico; the
U.S. Secret Service Training Academy; and the Diplomatic
Security Training Center. I currently lecture at CIA University, the
Kent School for Intelligence, the Office of Personnel Management,
the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, and the Joint
Military Intelligence Training Center.