Terrorism: Indicators & Implications

By: James F. Pastor, PhD, JD

President of SecureLaw Ltd. and Associate Professor in Public Safety at Calumet College
of 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 has
been 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 criminal
is 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 larger
political, 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 reason
for 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 roundly
agree 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 kill
and 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" that
their government is unable to protect them from the violence.

The use of violence to create fear can also backfire against the terrorists. It is possible
that 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 political
system used against the terrorists. However, the imposition of prolonged climates of fear

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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 of
the population turning against the government. This possibility always exists, and must
be 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 the
symbol 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 buildings
with 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 developed
within the lexicon. The notion of a "trophy building" is a fitting, but disconcerting
description 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, cafés,
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 the
methods 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, integrating
systems 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, must
be tempered by the realities of the workplace, and of the community. While being safe
and secure is critical, it must be balanced by other viable goals, such as expediency and

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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 actions
and movements. Further, security procedures and policies must be implemented within
the 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 liberty
afforded 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 within
society, 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 sound
risk management and security assessment. Our technique is to work closely with
corporate 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 fundamental
security decisions are made within the context and circumstances of the environment.

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