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Terrorism: Indicators & Implications

By: James F. Pastor, PhD, JD

President of SecureLaw Ltd. and Associate Professor in Public Safety at Calumet Collegeof St. Joseph

Implications of Terrorism

In order to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism, it is important to understand the

concept. Terrorism has been around for centuries, dating back to Roman times. It hasbeen a deadly, and effective technique, throughout the ages. However, the affects of

terrorism can be diminished, and even negated, if appropriate attitudes and techniques are

utilized.

One of the first aspects of terrorism which needs to be understood is that it is different

from "normal" crime in some important ways. First, the motivation of a typical criminalis usually financial gain or benefit. The motivation of terrorism is larger than financial

gain, with political, ideological and religious motivations at the core of the true terrorist.

While it is true that terrorists have financial desires, these are secondary to the largerpolitical, ideological or religious motivations. In this way, financial desires are only a

means to an end. The end is the destruction of the society or political system, or at least,

substantial concessions or changes in basic policies.

Second, the typical criminal seeks to commit a crime without much, if any, publicity or

acclaim. Conversely, the terrorist desires publicity and acclaim, which is often the reasonfor committing the particular act. In this sense, the target of terrorism is chosen to foster

publicity or acclaim. Further, once the direct action is "accomplished", the terrorist

usually seeks notoriety for the act. This basic motivation is why terrorism experts roundlyagree that terrorism is primarily theater. It is theater because the target of the violence is

not the person who is killed, wounded or robbed. Instead, the target is society and the

political system. In this way, the audience (society) is the true target, not the person(s)

who happen to fall prey to the violence (the victims). Consequently, the motivation to killand create destruction is to create fear within the larger society. The fact that people are

actual victims of the violence is secondary. The true desire is to create fear. The creation

of fear is intended to bring down the government by demonstrating to the "people" thattheir government is unable to protect them from the violence.

The use of violence to create fear can also backfire against the terrorists. It is possiblethat this violence could foster patriotic responses from society, such as what we saw after

9-11. In this way, the violence served to bring people together as a people and a country.When this occurs, the terrorists become the target, with the resources of the politicalsystem used against the terrorists. However, the imposition of prolonged climates of fear

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Terrorism: Indicators & Implications (continued)

can change this delicate equation. Over time, the constant threat of fear, or the assertion

of government power deemed unreasonable or improper, can result in certain segments ofthe population turning against the government. This possibility always exists, and mustbe considered by both government and business leaders in their decision to institute

certain security methodologies.

Finally, another distinction between criminals and terrorists regards the focus on

"symbolic" targets. Criminals typically do not care about symbolic targets, except

possibly when gang members mark their "turf" with graffiti. In this way, graffiti is thesymbol of the particular gang's control over a geographic area.

Terrorists, however, are much more selective in their targets, with the "symbolic

significance" of such an important reason why the action is planned. Said another way,the target is often selected specifically because it stands for a symbol of the larger

society. For example, the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon were not just buildingswith people who can be killed or destroyed. They were symbols of American financial

and military power, respectively. In this sense, the symbol was larger, and more

important, than the building. A rather poignant description of symbolism has developedwithin the lexicon. The notion of a "trophy building" is a fitting, but disconcertingdescription of the symbolism contained within terrorism. This is not to say that only

trophy buildings are subject to terrorist attack. If attacks against some targets are deemed

too difficult, terrorists may decide to attack "softer" targets, such as parking areas, cafs,movie theaters, and the like.

Terrorism Prevention Concepts

The techniques used to prevent terrorism are similar to those used to prevent "normal"

crime. While it is important to consider the mindset and motivations of terrorism, the

defense against terrorist attacks are largely related to existing security methodologies. In

this sense, the notion of "target hardening" is instructive. Target hardening relates to themethods and techniques used to make the commission of a crime (or terrorist action)

more difficult to achieve. Hence, the key is to use various security mechanisms, such as

extending the perimeter, developing layers of different security methods, integratingsystems of overlapping security techniques, and analyzing existing security procedures,

policies, and personnel.

The goal of these methods and techniques is to make the environment dedicated to

security and the culture sensitive to security. Achieving these dual goals, however, mustbe tempered by the realities of the workplace, and of the community. While being safeand secure is critical, it must be balanced by other viable goals, such as expediency and

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Terrorism: Indicators & Implications (continued)

profitability. In this sense, being secure within an environment also implies that the

people with the environment have a degree of convenience associated with their actionsand movements. Further, security procedures and policies must be implemented withinthe realities of doing business. As such, proper business practices and security

methodologies must be reconciled. The goal is to maximize protection while maximizing

productivity and profitability.

These competing goals are similar to the tension between security and liberty within the

societal context. The desire to maximize security can adversely affect the extent of libertyafforded to citizens within this country. It is generally accepted that the more draconian

security methods employed, the less freedom people will have in their everyday lives.

Conversely, the more freedom people have, the less secure they will be in their everyday

lives. Consequently, the goal is to achieve a balance between security and liberty withinsociety, with a similar balance between protection and profitability within the workplace.

The achievement of this delicate balance is a very fact specific assessment. The

appropriate balance depends on the circumstantial, financial, organizational, political, and

cultural aspects of the business. Being sensitive to these factors are critical to any soundrisk management and security assessment. Our technique is to work closely withcorporate decision makers, in order to truly appreciate the nuances, challenges and

objectives of the business. We do not work at cross purposes with the organization.

Instead, we work with the organization, as we realize and appreciate that fundamentalsecurity decisions are made within the context and circumstances of the environment.