Terrorism and Global Security

GLOBAL ISSUES TERRORISM AND GLOBAL SECURITY Ann E. Robertson Foreword by James O Ellis III Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd i 8/1/07 4:31:46 PM GLOBAL ISSUES: TERRORISM AND GLOBAL SECURITY Copyright © 2007 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 ISBN-10: 0-8160-6766-X ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6766-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robertson, Ann E. Terrorism and global security / Ann E. Robertson; foreword by James O Ellis III. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-6766-X (acid free paper) 1. Terrorism—United States. 2. Terrorism—Case studies 3. Terrorism— Psychology. 4. Terrorism. 5. Security, International. I. Title. HV6432.R59 2007 363.3250973—dc22 2006029477 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can fi nd Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfi le.com Text design by Erika K. Arroyo Cover design by Salvatore Luongo Diagrams by Jeremy Eagle Printed in the United States of America MP Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd ii 8/1/07 4:31:46 PM CONTENTS1 j Foreword by James O Ellis III v PART I: At Issue Chapter 1 Introduction 3 Chapter 2 Focus on the United States 42 Chapter 3 Global Perspectives 84 PART II: Primary Sources Chapter 4 United States Documents 125 Chapter 5 International Documents 183 PART III: Research Tools Chapter 6 How to Research Terrorism and Global Security 257 Chapter 7 Facts and Figures 269 Chapter 8 Key Players 277 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd iii 8/1/07 4:31:46 PM Chapter 9 Organizations and Agencies 304 Chapter 10 Annotated Bibliography 314 Chronology 346 Glossary 377 Index 385 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd iv 8/1/07 4:31:46 PM j Foreword Th ough Edmund Burke coined the term terrorism in the 18th century to describe Robespierre’s Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, acts of terrorism have been documented as early as 66 c.e. between the Zealots and the Romans. Th roughout time, it has reappeared as an instrument of ma- nipulation and desperation for those who think they require fear to further their cause. At its heart, terrorism is a method to gain social, economic, and political concessions and to provoke change, often through the appearance of government overreaction or underreaction to violence against civilians. Despite its ancient roots, terrorism has only received formal study for a few decades. Much of the scholarship on terrorism has focused almost exclusively on international terrorism—terrorism involving the citizens of more than one country. As this book helps to make clear, however, terrorism is usually a domestic phenomenon. Within the United States, groups such as the Ku Klux Klan have long sown violence and hate, and terrorism has been a part of this country’s story since its founding. For most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the major form of terrorism confronting the United States came from within the country rather than without. Anarchists, anti-alienists, and violent labor movements perpetrated the majority of terrorist acts during this time period. Radicals called for “pro- paganda by the deed” and depended upon the “philosophy of the bomb.” Un- abashedly proclaiming themselves to be terrorists, some anarchists sought to inspire the masses to revolution through spectacular acts of terrorism meant to show that the powerful could be made vulnerable. Th is violence spread into parts of the labor movement, sparking explosions at bridges and factories across the country. Prominent government and business fi gures, including John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, and Supreme Court Justice Oli- ver Wendell Holmes were also targeted. In September 1919, a huge bomb exploded on Wall Street, damaging the headquarters of J. P. Morgan and the stock exchange, killing 29 people. v 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd v 8/1/07 4:31:46 PM TERRORISM AND GLOBAL SECURITY Following the end of World War II, terrorism in the United States in- creasingly came from extreme left, right, and nationalist-separatist groups. Domestic unrest emerged from the Civil Rights movement and the anti– Vietnam War movement. Th ough both of these movements had admirable aims and ultimately changed the character of our society, elements associated with them perpetrated considerable violence and terrorism. Left-wing radical terrorists pursued open class warfare and revolution against what they perceived to be an oppressive and racist capitalist system. Groups such as the Symbionese Liberation Army, the New World Liberation Front, and the Weather Underground used violence in the name of the poor or for social justice. Th ese organizations were often fellow travelers with African-Ameri- can separatist groups that occasionally resorted to terrorist activity, such as the Black Liberation Army or the Black Panther Party, whose members con- ducted two hijackings. Other notable nationalist or separatist groups during this period have included the Cuban Omega-7, the Croatian Freedom Fight- ers, and the Puerto Rican Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN). As you will read, Puerto Rican nationalists have carried out hundreds of attacks, including an attempt to assassinate President Harry S. Truman and an assault in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives. American right-wing extremists, on the other hand, have often employed terrorism to preserve the status quo or restore previously existing circum- stances. Th ese groups often embrace some form of racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-government rhetoric as part of their ideology. Organizations such as Posse Comitatus and Th e Order oppose taxes and gun control, while others focus on white supremacy and survivalism. Many within this movement have been inspired by William Pierce’s book, Th e Turner Diaries, which provided a blueprint for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government and helped inspire Timothy McVeigh to commit the Oklahoma city bombing on April 19, 1995. Some right-wing groups include an element of separatism as well, such as the Aryan Nations, which has sought the creation of an independent, whites-only homeland. In discussing right-wing terrorists, however, it is important to remember that militia members and survivalists are not always terrorists. Militias, however, often provide an environment where terrorist groups and lone wolves can grow and fl ourish. In recent times, secular terrorists have lost momentum when compared to religious fanatics. Much has been written about the current wave of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism targeting western countries in general and the United States in particular. However, many fail to appreciate the signifi cant history of other types of religious extremist terrorism. For example, members or groups such as the Jewish Defense League and Kach have been responsible for bombings, shootings, arson, and kidnapping. Members of the Sikh faith have also used terrorism in America including several murders and bombings. Cults and vi 0i-viii_GI_Terrorism_fm.indd vi 8/1/07 4:31:47 PM ChapterForeword Title religious sects have even resorted to bioterrorism, as was the case with the mass poisoning by the Bhagwan Shree Rajneeshees in Oregon. Th is volume also describes the acts of the Covenant, Sword and Arm of the Lord—a Christian fundamentalist terrorist group. Some of these Christian Identity followers assert that the white Aryan race is God’s chosen race, that whites comprise the lost tribes of Israel, and that a cleansing process must occur be- fore Christ’s kingdom can be established on earth. Th is cleansing may only be brought about by a violent and bloody struggle—a war between God’s forces and the forces of evil. Th ey use violence to punish violators of God’s law, killing interracial couples, abortionists, prostitutes, and homosexuals, burning pornography stores, robbing banks, and perpetrating frauds to undermine the “usury system.” Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, attention to terrorism has in- creased dramatically, though it has been a feature of the political and cultural landscape of America throughout its history. No one category of people has monopolized the use of terrorism in the United States. Groups from many political ideologies, religious persuasions, nationalities, and ethnicities have been associated with extremist violence at one time or another in the United States. Indeed, the groups, causes, and incidents are so vast and varied that it is very diffi cult to give a comprehensive overview, but Dr. Robertson is to be commended for the thorough survey that follows. It is important to remember that it is not the political or religious view that makes one a terrorist, nor is there anything inherently suspect about holding unconventional or even radical views. Th e advocacy and use of these ideas as the basis for violence, however, moves beyond the acceptable dialogue, debate, and pro- test enshrined in the American system. In a democratic society, taking up arms in furtherance of a cause is a sign of weakness, not strength, and those who do so admit their own inability to convince others through a reasonable exchange of ideas. In the modern age, terrorism often takes the form of assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, hostage situations, hijackings, arson, and armed assaults.

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