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Study of Modern Terrorism and Responses by Governments

Aliheydar Rzayev, Ph.D. - 4/9/2005

At present, the main problem of the human society is the rise of terrorism, accompanied by numerous victims and big material causalities. As a result of development of modern technologies of ambiguous functions, mass-media and Internet, scenes of suppression and cruelty, represented through the means of mass culture, more and more people able to get and use information to create most modern weapons and methods of their use.

The former arrangement of a bipolar world with all characteristics of global and regional structures of international security was destroyed after the collapses of Soviet Union. This process often was followed with formation of unstable states. As of result world itself became more unstable and indefinite, all while security spending was reduced. More often has been lack of substantiated of mechanism of international and regional controls over world's event.

Geopolitical gaps resulted, especially in the military sphere. These geopolitical and social zones have transformed to objects of determined attention and political application of international terrorism.

In the different regions of the globe, political and national radicals chose terror as the main means of reaching goals. They organized and improved extensive net of underground arsenals, conspiratorial structures and financial institutions. The terrorist's leadership penetrated into civil organizations and state structures to recruit agents and control the spheres of political, economical and social life of society and to exercise single-minded influence over their activity [1].

In view of the fact that attacks by terrorist groups have become increasingly lethal over recent years, it is wise to plan for continuing trend towards massive car and track bombings in crowded city areas, and "spectacular" terrorist attacks, for example on civil aviation, airport facilities or military or diplomatic facilities, designed to capture maximum attention from the mass-media, to cause maximum shock and outrage and to effect some terrorist demands.

After the collapse of socialist world, the spread of "new" terrorism, different in form from "old" terrorism, traditional terrorism. New ideologies, new factors, new sponsors came into terrorism. "New" terrorism is more danger and more lethal, than previous traditional.

The "old" terrorism at first was "political". They set on a spread concrete political aims and tasks. They supported left wings ideologies such as Marxism and Maoism, and also nationalism and separatism. "Old" terrorists were ready to negotiations - they promises to stop terrorist actions in exchange to concrete political compromises.

"Old" terrorists mostly do not feel special esteem to religion - persons, involved in religion from all confessions unanimously condemned them. On the contrary, "new" terrorists are very respectful to religion.

Researcher Walter Lacquer believes that "new" terrorism has no concrete political goals. Its goal is to destroy societies and much of mankind.

Shoko Asahara, the founder of religious-terrorist organization "Aum Shinrikyo", saw a need for an Apocalypse. For that reason "Aum" created Weapons of Mass Destruction (nerve gas) and used it in a Tokyo subway. Asahara also strived to obtain nuclear weapons to provoke nuclear war between USA and Soviet Union.

So, the most striking difference of the "new" terrorists' attacks is the evolution of methods, put into use. Nerve gas attack in Tokyo and the use of civilian airliners as bombs on 11th of September prove that new terrorists will employ both traditional and unconventional means. As such, traditional methods to combat terrorism prove insufficient. This has created a new type of treat that is called "asymmetrical threat" [2].

At the basis of "asymmetrical threat" concept lays the superiority of the attackers against its target despite the terrorists' relative weakness. In this method, attackers use the fears of civilian and try to reduce support for the government, as well as to cause political and economical instability. Eventually, even the WMD will be accessed and used. Again, with the help of information technologies, a very small terrorist organization can attack causing heavy destruction totally out of sync with their number.

The number of terrorist attacks, counted as 489 in 1980 rose to 666 in 1987, and varied between 400 and 500 in the following years. The lower number of terrorist actions does not mean that the damage they caused has also fallen. The loss of lives and wealth caused by terrorist attacks is rising each year. The terrorist attacks, seen more often in only certain regions previously, have spread to the whole world [3].

Thomas Homer Dixon, Director of Centre for the Study of Pease, maintains that modern society is becoming very vulnerable to terrorist attacks. For example, destruction of the World Trade Center in New York could have resulted to collapse of tourist industry in whole world. Moreover, in his opinion, terrorism became so dangerous because terrorists such Bin Laden could act with the principles of jiu-jitsu - they used the power of modern society to deal a maximum blow to it.

It is necessary to note that CIA's experts advised reducing of terror alerts in the world half year before the attacks of 11th September. Beside this, they predicted that the most dangerous menace to the society has been derived from the aggressive defenders of animals.

In USA, which declared the "War On Terrorism", beside the traditional terrorists, such groups and movements as "Animal Liberation Front" and "Earth Liberation Front", Afro-American's "Nation of Islam", neo-Nazis and skinheads of the "Aryan Front", "World Church of Creator", "National alliance", extremely left and anarchist groups like the "Worker's World Party", "Carnival against Capitalism" and, of course the oldest Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have engaged in terror attacks.

These issue-group extremists are another growing source of the "new" terror violence. Recent escalation in attacks against medical personnel, clinics and hospitals by anti-abortion campaigners against research scientists, laboratories and commercial premises by animal right's activists are indication of the kinds of motivation involved. Although issue-group extremists aim at changing specific policies or practices rather than the whole socio-political system, their threat to life and social and economic well-being should not be underestimated. They have shown considerable sophistication in tactics, including the use of product combination and computer sabotage. Issue-motivated terrorism shows every sign of increasing in the heavily urbanized pluralistic democracies, with their complex and vulnerable systems of communication, transportation, electronic funding systems etc.

Some terrorist groups are evolving into new organizational structures that are harder to detect and infiltrate. These terrorist groups are often a collection of factions with common interests. Accordingly, the groups form, change and re-group in response to specific agenda or planned actions. The groups trend to be religious, ethnic or ideological organizations that often have major grievances against the United States, the world's sole remaining superpower. These extremist groups are not controlled or directed by either state. Instead they tend to be autonomous in their planning and decision-making functions. According to William Webster, former Director of Central Intelligence Agency there are dozens of such groups in the USA waiting for the opportunity to strike. The large number of these groups as well as their lack of central directions and changing organizational structures makes them very difficult to track. [4]

In 1999 "Southern States Alliance" tried to start terror campaign in some Southern States of USA to paralyze activity of local governments and, perceptively, to commit coup d'etat. The aggressive environment's defenders "Animal Liberation Front" and "Earth Liberation Front" at the end of 1990s organized series of blows and arsons in USA. Timothy McVeigh, who is an organizer of blow of administration building in Oklahoma-City (168 kills and more than 500 injured) has committed the biggest terror attack on U.S.-soil prior to September 11, 2001.

To this day, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) considers American extremists to be among the most dangerous terrorists. They repeatedly attempted to get WMD. For example, extremist Christian organization "Sword" or "Arm (of the Lord)" had planned to poison with cyanide the water pipelines of largest cities of USA. In the mid of 90s the racist "Minnesota Patriot Council", having similar goals, tried to get ricin.

After the terrorist acts of September 11, the extreme right and left in the U.S. congratulated Al Qaeda and advised their activity help to destroy present "unjust" world's order. The statement of "Sheriff's Posse Committees" declared: "They (Al Qaeda) destroyed World Trade Center and scorched the ruled there Satan's Childs - Jews, who'll have no more power over our lives."

David Duke, the leader of Ku Klux Klan offered his reason for the cause of this terrorist act: "too many American policies do not take to consideration that USA supports the most terrorist state in the world - Israel" [5].

"New" terrorists have been acting without urge. They have chosen well-known objects as targets and plan actions that bring numerous casualties.

As they are becoming more violent, terrorist groups also have expanded the range of targets they consider legitimate. Brian Jenkins, formerly Director of Rand Corporation's Program of Sub-national Conflicts, has proposed three reasons for this trend. First, as a generational replacement has occurred in terrorist organizations, new leaders have become less concerned with ideological constraints and adverse public opinion. As a result, they are more willing to use excessively violent or shocking tactics. Second, leaders desire to maintain media attention.

To receive attention, terrorists have escalated the level of violence and have used bolder, more shocking tactics designed to force the media and the public to pay attention to the terrorist groups and their demand. Finally, the international dynamics of terrorist groups require that the organization move inexorable towards its goals. Increasingly violent tactics allow group members to perceive that they are increasingly powerful and are likely to achieve their objectives [6].

Thomas Copeland from Center for International Security at the University of Pittsburg maintains that with the time "new" terrorism will be more dangerours. Process of globalization gave maximum improvement for the activity of terrorists - now they are not binge to someone country and have possibility for free moving to whole world. They can easy get all necessary weapons and technologies, components of explosion materials etc. From Internet they can get plans of many administrative and residence buildings, communications systems etc., that's make easier planning and preparation of terrorist actions. "New" terrorists often no need manuals, underground literature etc. - they can get easy all necessary information through Internet and able to provide contacts with acting terrorist structure or collect confederates to create own organization.


The main characteristics of recent terrorist activity are:
- Lack of state's boundaries, presence of connection and co-operation with international terrorist centers and organizations;
- Strict organizational structure, consisted from directional and operational teams, intelligence and counter-intelligence, material and technical provisions, groups of fighters and coverage;
- Strict conspirator and through selection of cadres;
- Presence of agents in law-enforcement and governments structures;
- Good technical and military equipment, often comparable to that of a regular army;
- Presence of extensive net of conspirator shelters, training centers training and shooting ranges.

Beside this, availability of modern means of waging of information wars lets international terrorism actively promote their ideas and assess situations, as well as to coax professional mercenaries and youth into terrorist organizations.

A very important peculiarity of modern terrorism is the well-structured and organized character, based on the common ideological-confessional, military, commercial and other interests. Terrorist organizations have created the common directories, organs, ruling bodies, planning subunits. Leaders of largest organizations and groups hold meetings to co-ordinate activity of different groups. They improve informational and propagandist provision for the creation of more moral and psychological effects and public response. Terrorists selected and trained followers, functionaries and fighters, especially in regions undergoing through a crises. Leaders of terrorist units co-operate in procurement of weapon, protection of each others, dividing of functions and tasks at the time of holding of wide-scale operations.

Also the specific peculiarities of modern terrorism are as follows:

- Agitation of anti-government mood in society for a successful fight for influence and power;
- Penetrating into the public and government political, economical and power structures;
- Creation a net of firms, companies, banks and foundations to use for financing and provision of terrorist activity;
- Creation a net of centers, bases, and training camps in different regions for fighter's training and provision of operations, creation a net of underground stores and hiding places of weapon and ammunition;
- Concentration of funds of drug dealing and arms arm's trade in the hands of terrorists;
- Using the right of political asylum, living, activity and basing in these countries, where is this possible;
- Use of conflicts and crisis situations for the spreading of their influence.[7]

Modern terrorism is the serious factor in initialing and forming a menace of flash points and militarization of situation in the numbers of regions of globe. Former more definitive line between war and terrorism by efforts of ideologists and practices of terrorism no longer exists.