Political terrorism

Schmid, A.R Jongman, A.J. (1988). Political terrorism a new guide to actors, authors, concepts, data bases, theories literature. 

Security Assistance. A Turkish-lead, U.S-supported program to provide security assistance to various Central Asian states, would certainly offer an alternative to the Russian option, or the politically unacceptable idea of direct U.S. engagement. Turkish experience in combating terrorism and insurgency, training and use of special forces in mountainous terrain and urban areas, and adept use of attack helicopters could in a relatively short time change the dynamics of actual and potential conflict in favor of the governments in countries such as Uzbekistan. 

In circumstances of increasing the threat of international terrorism, and attack with WMD, the regional and international cooperation becomes mandatory. A part of this cooperation is the availability of NBC-OD for affected population. In some cases, like biological attack, the affected area could be larger, pathogens crossing the political or administrative borders. 

Terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. 

Politically motivated terrorism Type of terrorism that limits the amount of violence to ensure that it does not impact supporters sympathy for its cause. 

Studies performed several years prior to September 11, 2001 showed that terrorist incidents around the world declined somewhat, while the severity of individual attacks increased dramatically.1 The motivation for terrorist acts has shifted in recent years from being politically driven to having a more fatalistic orientation. Current-day terrorism is increasingly motivated by body count, and more often than not is religiously or ethnically motivated. While politically motivated terrorism tends to limit the amount of violence in order to ensure that it does not impact supporters sympathy for its cause, today s nihilistic terrorism is more simply focused on massive death and destruction of property. 

Ferracuti, F. 1982. A sociopsychiatric interpretation of terrorism. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 463 (1) 129-40. 

It is likely that gun control will be an issue in the 2004 presidential race between Democrat John Kerry and incumbent George W. Bush, but it is unlikely to be a major issue like the economy, Iraq, or the war on terrorism. This does not mean it will not be an important issue, however—in the expected close election, any issue able to motivate even a relatively small number of voters could be decisive. (Indeed, Kerry attacked Bush in September 2004 for allowing the assault weapons ban to lapse without making any real effort on its behalf.) Although not as much so as abortion or same-sex marriage, gun control is a cultural issue. The effects of such issues on political outcomes are always hard to predict. 

LaPierre s latest advocacy of gun rights takes place in the context of the post-September 11, 2001 world. Along with a defense of the historical meaning of the Second Amendment and assertions about bias and venal politics on the part of gun control advocates, the author argues for arming airline pilots and suggests that armed, prepared citizens are a vital part of the defense against terrorism. 

Biological terrorism is a unique threat because of its dual-use nature, evolving technologies, and political factors. The production of vaccines, for instance, requires the growth and subsequent death of viruses or bacteria. A certain veterinary vaccine facility in Russia is capable of producing 12 metric tons of... 

Political issues over the last 10 years have had a profound effect on the threat of biological terrorism. As the value of the Russian ruble fell and the country continued in its dechne, between 30,000 and 40,000 Russian scientists and engineers, formerly employed at Ministry of Defense weapons facilities, lost their jobs. Perhaps these highly skilled scientists, who had families to feed and rent to pay, simply switched careers, but some were certainly recruited by Syria, Libya, Iran, and North Korea. 

The same understanding of what is critical, of what is an infrastructure and of what is entailed by the protection measures, have been a matter of discussion within countries and at the international level. These definitions, which are political in nature, more than technological, are influenced by the different perspectives taken by the problem stakeholders for instance, national defense, law enforcement, business continuity, and information assurance are four different domains that have their say on CIP. Moreover, even within governments there have been disagreements among the various policy standpoints—mainly originating from the requisite to link CIP initiatives with other on-going policies e.g., anti-terrorism, civil protection, security of supply, etc. 

The measures to stop nuclear terrorism involve political actions to stop uncontrolled nuclear weapons, to stop new nuclear materials, to stop new nuclear states. Reality is far from these goals but the main responsibilities for their realization are still in the government s hands of the main countries. 

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