Terrorism
“On September the 11th, enemies of freedom
committed an act of war against our country…
Either you are with us or you are with the
terrorists.
~ President George W. Bush, 20 Sep 2001
“…the American people should remain vigilant….
Those plotting against us seek not only to
undermine our security, but also the open society
and the values that we cherish as Americans.
~ President Barack Obama, 28 Dec 2009
Overview
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History
Definitions
Characteristics, Objectives, & Tactics
US National Policy and Military Policy
Future of Terrorism
History
• Terrorism to achieve political
agendas is not new
– Jewish dissidents opposed Roman
rule (48 C.E.)
– Islamic sect called Hashshashin
pursued “righteous causes”
– Crusaders employed rape as terror
tactic
Hassan-i Sabbah, Iranian
missionary who founded
the Hashshashin
History
• Since 1990s, religious
fundamentalism emerged
as primary force for
terror
• Weapons proliferation
narrowed the gap
between the firepower of
the state and dissidents
Radical Shiite Muqtada al-Sadr
Definitions
• Walter Laqueur:
– “Terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use of force
to achieve a political objective when innocent
people are targeted.”
• Department of Defense:
– “The unlawful use or threatened use of force or
violence against individuals or property to coerce
or intimidate governments or societies, often to
achieve political, religious, or ideological
objectives.”
Joint Pub. 3-07.2
The unlawful use of violence or threat of
violence to instill fear and coerce governments
or societies. Terrorism is often motivated by
religious, political, or other ideological beliefs
and committed in the pursuit of goals that are
usually political.
- Joint Publication 3-07.2, Antiterrorism
Key Criteria
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Violence
Political goal
Psychological impact and fear
Targeting of noncombatants
Like Guerilla warfare……?
Guerilla vs. Terrorism
Guerilla
Targets
Intended
Impact
Terrorism
Mostly military, police,
State symbols, political
or political opponents opponents, and the public
at large
Mainly physical
Psychological coercion
attrition of the enemy
Tactics
Commando-type
operations
Specialized tactics:
kidnapping, car bombs,
hijacking, etc.
International
Legality
Yes, if follow rules of
armed conduct
No
Typologies of Terrorism
• Political: Force governments
to change structure or
policies, or to achieve radical
societal change
• Religious: Objectives/actions
divinely guided; often tied to
ethnic and nationalist
identities
• Social: “Special interest”
(e.g., ????, ????, ????)
2004: Train bombings in Spain
Group responsible for attack has
link to Al Qaeda
Two Categories of Terrorism
• 1: Domestic Terrorism
– Terrorism perpetrated by the citizens of a country
against their fellow citizens
Two Categories of Terrorism
• 2: International or transnational terrorism
– Terrorism in which planning and execution of the
terrorist act transcends national boundaries
– Examples: Hezbollah; Al Qaeda
Characteristics
• Status: Most from middle class backgrounds,
with some from extreme wealth
• Education: Intelligent and literate, with
varying levels of formal education
• Age: Operational members aged between 2035, while suicide bombers tend to be younger
• Gender: Most are male but not exclusively
“There’s nothing wrong with being a terrorist, as long as you win.”
(Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)
Objectives of Terrorism
• Attract attention for cause
• Demonstrate group’s power
• Show government’s lack of
power
• Exact revenge
• Obtain logistical support
• Cause a government to overreact
Terrorist Planning Cycle
3.
2.
4.
Intelligence
Pre-attack
target
surveillance
and
selection:
surveillance:
and
Decision
point!
1.Broad
target
selection:
Collection
of in,
data
on
7.
Escape
and
exploitation:
Escape
plans
5. Specific
6.
Action:
Attack
rehearsal:
Generally,
Often
goal
is
includes
toplanning:
get
get
large
number
of
potential
targets
Information
Quantity
and
gathering
quality
of
on
data
the
targets
gathering
with
well
rehearsed
andget
exploitation
of
the job
relocation
done,
to
target
and
site,
out
testing
before
of
security
security
greatest
increases,
possibility
and
usually
ofescape
success
is
(e.g.,desired
over
successful
attack
vital
to gathered
achieve
forces can
responsiveness
react
and
routes,
and
schedules,
days
to weeks
security, layout,
etc.)
effect
checking
equipment
performance
Tactics
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•
•
•
•
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Assassination
Arson
Bombing
Hostage taking
Kidnapping
Hijacking
• Seizures
• Raids
• Sabotage
• Threat or Hoax
• Use of WMD
“Between now and 2015 terrorist tactics will become increasingly sophisticated and designed
to achieve mass casualties.” (National Intelligence Council)
Tactics
• Assassination—Murder of
prominent persons,
symbolic enemies, or
traitors who defect from
the group
• Arson—Requires little
technical knowledge, poses
low risk to terrorist, and can
cause significant destruction
Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat
(top right) and Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin (below)
Tactics
• Bombing—Explosive devices
commonly employed in
warfare are now an integral
part of the terrorist’s arsenal
– Oct 1983: Marine barracks in
Beirut; 245 were killed and
146 wounded
– Oct 2000: Navy destroyer USS
Cole attacked, resulting in the
death of 17 sailors and 39
injured
Tactics
• Improvised explosive device
(IED) is the terrorist’s
weapon of choice:
– Inexpensive to produce
– Detonation techniques
– Low risk to the perpetrator
– Placement/concealment
– High attention-getting
capacity
Tactics
• Hostage taking: Overt
seizure of individuals with
the intent of gaining
publicity or concessions in
return for release of the
hostage
• Kidnapping: Covert seizure
of one or more specific
person(s) in order to extract
specific demands
Sep 2004: Chechen terrorists took
hundreds of school children and adults
hostage in Beslan, Russia
Rescued
Oct 2002: Ingrid Betancourt kidnapped
by the FARC; still missing
Tactics
• Hijacking or Skyjacking: Normally
executed to produce a spectacular
hostage situation; any passenger
transport can be used
• Seizure: Usually involves a building
or object that has value in the eyes
of the audience
1976: Highjacked Flight 139 out of Tel Aviv
was diverted to Entebbe, Uganda. Israeli
forces, led by Col Yoni Netanyahu, rescued
the hostages in Operation Thunderbolt.
Netanyahu was the only military casualty.
Tactics
• Raids/Attacks on Facilities:
Done to gain access to media,
acquire resources, and/or
demonstrate government’s
inability to secure critical
facilities
• Sabotage: Destruction of
equipment or infrastructure to
demonstrate vulnerability of
society and to disrupt services
April 2005: Insurgents led a
coordinated attack on Abu Ghraib
prison; intended to free detainees
and kill US forces… FAILED!
Tactics
• Threat or Hoaxes: Threat that
causes diversion of resources;
can dull effectiveness of
preventive or
countermeasures
• Use of WMD: Chemical
weapons used in the past…
many groups have expressed
desire to acquire WMD
1995: Terror group Aum Shinrikyo
released Sarin gas in the Tokyo subway,
injuring thousands and killing 12 people
“Acquiring weapons (WMD) for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty.”
(Osama Bin Laden)
Terrorist Attacks 1970-2007
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
US Terror Policy
• First articulated by the Reagan administration
and reaffirmed by every president since
• Four enduring policy principles
– Make no concessions to terrorists
– Bring terrorists to justice for their crimes
– Isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor
terrorism to force them to change their behavior
– Bolster the counterterrorist capabilities of those
countries that work with the United States and
require assistance
National Strategy for
Combating Terrorism
• Advance effective democracies as the long-term antidote
to the ideology of terrorism;
• Prevent attacks by terrorist networks;
• Deny weapons of mass destruction to rogue states and
terrorist allies who seek to use them;
• Deny terrorists the support and sanctuary of rogue states;
• Deny terrorists control of any nation they would use as a
base and launching pad for terror; and
• Lay the foundations and build the institutions and
structures we need to carry the fight forward against terror
and help ensure our ultimate success.
US Policy Post 9/11
• Dept. of Homeland Security established: Third
largest cabinet department after DOD and VA
• Incorporates existing agencies, including US
Coast Guard, Secret Service, and Citizenship
and Immigration Service (CIS)
• Coordinates capabilities of 22+ agencies to:
– Secure borders, transportation, critical
infrastructure
– Synthesize/analyze homeland security intelligence
– Spearheads domestic counter-terrorism efforts
US Military Policy
• Guiding principles:
– US forces will continue to engage
– Force protection will be a major
consideration
• DOD addresses terrorism from
two distinct perspectives:
– Counterterrorism (offensive)
– Anti-terrorism (defensive)
• Intelligence critical component for success
US Military Policy
• Counterterrorism
– Offensive measures taken to prevent, deter, and
respond to terrorism include Operation El Dorado
Canyon and the GWOT
• Antiterrorism
– Defensive measures to reduce vulnerability include
facility hardening, setting buildings back from
roads/parking lots, and limiting access to military
posts
Force Protection
• Force Protection—An integrated application of
offensive/defensive actions that deter, detect, preempt,
mitigate, or negate threats against or hazards to Air
Force air and space operations and assets, based on an
acceptable level of risk (JP 1-02)
– Relocation of deployed forces out of
heavily populated areas to an isolated base
– Deployment of floating barriers around
warships in high-risk areas
“Asymmetric challenges can arise across the spectrum of conflict that
will confront US forces in a theater of operations or on US soil.”
(National Intelligence Council)
Future of Terrorism
• Terrorists are a dynamic enemy…and are
adapting to the challenges posed by developing
societies
• Groups like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah benefit
from and are exploiting globalization, even as
they fight against it
• Terrorist groups are becoming more network
based, encouraging loosely organized, selffinanced organizational structure
Future of Terrorism
• International or transnational cooperation
among terrorist groups is becoming the norm
• WMD proliferation amplifies the danger of
broad, network-based terrorism.
• Terrorists increasingly display a willingness to
use catastrophic violence to cause mass
casualties and destruction
Future of Terrorism
• Other trends:
– Intense motivational extremism
– Flexible organization structure
– Aggressive training to improve operational
capability
– Increasing exploitation of media
– Increasing mass casualties and chaos through use
of more advanced weapons
“States with poor governance; ethnic, cultural, or religious tensions; weak
economies; and porous borders will be prime breeding grounds for terrorism.”
(National Intelligence Council)
Summary
•
•
•
•
•
History
Definitions
Characteristics, Objectives, & Tactics
US National Policy and Military Policy
Future of Terrorism
Questions?
“We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will
not fail.” —President Bush, 20 Sep 2001