Chapter One: The Criminology and Controversy of Terrorism

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Chapter OneThe Criminology and
Controversy of Terrorism
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Why Definitions are Important
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Why Definitions are Important

• Why do people argue about the meaning of
  terrorism?
• Meaning changes
• It is a concept
• Means different things at different times

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Why Definitions are Important

• Pejorative Connotation of Terrorism
• Political and social degradation when labeled a
  terrorist
• Routine crimes assume greater importance when
  described as terrorism
• Political movement can be hampered when followers
  believed to be terrorists

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Why Definitions are Important

• Definitions of Terrorism from Various Interest
  Groups
• Law Enforcement
• Governments
• Advocating for redistribution of wealth
• Pro-life/Pro-choice

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Definitions of Terrorism
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Definitions of Terrorism

• Jenkins Threat or use of force for political
  change
• Laqueur Use of force to achieve political
  objective targets innocent people
• Crenshaw Cannot be defined without analysis of
  act, target, and possibility of success

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Definitions of Terrorism

• Herman Defined in terms of state repression
• Schmid Meaning is derived from targets and
  victims of terrorists
• Barnett Terrorists do not have vested interest
  in maintaining political/economic structures
  because they do not benefit from them

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The Meaning of the War on Terrorism
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The Meaning of the War on Terrorism

• Arguments accepting the war with terrorism
• Friedman
• Blank
• Cohen
• Hill

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The Meaning of the War on Terrorism

• Argument that does not accept the war on
  terrorism
• Howardterrorism is an emergency situation best
  handled by intelligence and law enforcement
  services

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The Tactics of Terrorism
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The Tactics of Terrorism

• Jenkins six tactics of terrorism
• Bombing (most common)
• Hijacking
• Arson
• Assault
• Kidnapping
• Hostage Taking
• Weapons of mass destruction?

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Tactics of Terrorism

• Four Force Multipliers
• Technology
• Transnational support networks
• Media coverage
• Religious fanaticism

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How Terrorists Groups Justify Behavior
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How Terrorist Groups Justify Behavior

• Justification for violence
• Consumed with the cause
• Reasons potential terrorists join groups
• Sympathy for the cause
• Social misfits

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How Terrorist Groups Justify Behavior

• Posts Motivational Theories
• No single terrorist personality
• Social outcasts who fall in with like-minded
  individuals
• Us against them mentality
• Antisocial behavior rewarded and reinforced
  within this group
• Rejection of external authority acceptance of
  internal authority

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How Terrorists Groups Justify Behavior

• Sterns View on Group Cohesion
• Us against them mentality against common enemy
• Group must have a story/mythology to inspire and
  guide members
• Group needs own language or symbolic words to
  demonize enemy

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How Terrorist Groups Justify Behavior

• Berlet and Lyons
• Groups look for conspiracies and then scapegoat a
  group for the conspiracy
• Demonize scapegoats as primary cause of injustice
• Leaders inspire members to action and search to
  demonize more enemies

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Warrior Dreams
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Warrior Dreams

• Warrior Culture
• Warriors social outcasts whose lives center on
  violence lone wolf
• Identity crisis of extreme conservatives
  following Vietnam War
• Culture values guns and violent confrontations
• Paramilitary culture/lifestyle war games,
  paramilitary religion, war films/books,
  extremists

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Warrior Dreams

• Targets of the warrior
• Enemy lacks all standards of human decency whose
  goal is to destroy American society and culture
• Communist
• Dope dealer
• Mafioso
• Academic
• Liberal

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Warrior Dreams

• Lone warrior
• SWAT, commando units reflect organized military
  values, so warrior rejects them
• At war with status quo
• Justifies actions of militias, New Order,
  neo-Nazis
• Provides formula for justifying terrorism

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Terrorist Profiles Three Views
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Terrorist Profiles Three Views

• Hacker one of first criminal profilers
• Hackers three types of terrorists
• Criminals
• Join terrorist groups for payoff or vengeance
• Crazies
• Join terrorist groups for thrills of lifestyle
• Crusaders
• People who believe deeply in a cause

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Terrorist Profiles Three Views

• Laqueurs Views of Terrorist Profiling
• No terrorist profile possible due to different
  types of terrorism
• Terrorism fluctuates over time
• Some group characteristics can be determined
  through type of terrorist movement
• Impossible to profile terrorist personality
  because terrorism is a political activity rather
  than a subject of criminology

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Terrorist Profiles Three Views

• Ross alternative view Social/psychological
  processes rather than profiles
• Joining the group
• Forming the activity
• Remaining in the campaign
• Leading the organization
• Engaging in acts of terrorism