Terrorism Gets a New Look

The last time the subject of terrorism was featured on the cover of this journal, a familiar image was used—that of masked killers toting guns against a backdrop of a powerful explosion. Nowadays, however, the picture is different.

IN THE light of dusk, a convoy of plain trucks moves quietly through the subdivisions. The trucks stop near a school building. Soon, a specially trained team of men in gas masks and chemical-protection suits trudge through the leafy shrubs. The only thing they know is that a small explosive device was detonated at a sports event in the school stadium, spreading fumes that sickened scores of spectators. In cooperation with local emergency personnel, the four men cautiously enter the contaminated area to find out what happened. What did the device unleash? Anthrax? Nerve gas?

The men walk slowly toward the arena, bringing with them an assortment of equipment for chemical analysis. They reach a small room where they find the remains of the explosive device. Their mission is delicate, requiring the handling of tiny detection kits and the moving of heavy objects.

Soon their masks steam up. The effort is taxing, even for trained men. In less than ten minutes, though, the residue is identified. “Positive hit on anthrax,” affirms the chemist accompanying them.

The Changing Face of Terror

This event was not as dangerous as it sounds. It was a drill, testing the team’s response to a simulated gas attack somewhere in upstate New York. The group is one of the recently formed Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams. Such teams are assigned to assess the scope and severity of a new breed of terrorist attacks by analyzing suspected germs, chemicals, or radioactive material.

This team is one of many worldwide that have been formed in response to the changing threats and challenges posed by terrorism.a Incidents in recent years suggest that acts of terror committed by independent groups or lone extremists are increasing. Although many terrorists still target military installations and diplomatic missions, some have expanded their list to include attacks on so-called soft targets, such as mass transportation systems, sporting events, busy urban locations, hotels, and tourist sites.

Confirming a shift in the behavior of terrorists, Porter Goss, chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, observed: “We’re having to graduate from our old thinking about state-sponsored terrorism to terrorism’s new look. We’re facing increasingly cause-sponsored terrorism.”

Terrorism’s emerging new look embraces actions and strategies that may be harder to prevent or combat. More and more, terrorists are able to utilize new technologies and secure independent financing. Reports USA Today: “New computer and communications technology and links with organized crime make terrorism even more difficult to combat.” The new look also involves new targets, forcing reporters and news analysts to coin such expressions as “cyberterrorism,” “bioterrorism,” and “ecoterrorism.”

How threatening is the new face of terrorism? Is your personal security threatened? Is there a solution to the plague of international terrorism? The following articles will shed some light on these questions.

[Footnote]

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A Decade of TERRORISM

1. Buenos Aires, Argentina

March 17, 1992

A car bomb demolishes the Israeli Embassy. Killed: 29. Injured: 242

2. Algiers, Algeria

August 26, 1992

A bomb explodes in the international airport. Killed: 12. Injured: at least 128

3. New York City, United States

February 26, 1993

Religious extremists explode a massive bomb below the World Trade Center. Killed: 6. Injured: some 1,000

4. Matsumoto, Japan

June 27, 1994

Members of the Aum Shinrikyo group spray sarin gas in a residential neighborhood. Killed: 7. Injured: 270

5. Tokyo, Japan

March 20, 1995

Aum Shinrikyo members carry six packages onto Tokyo subway trains, releasing deadly sarin gas. Killed: 12. Injured: more than 5,000

6. Oklahoma City, United States

April 19, 1995

A truck bomb explodes at a federal building. Right-wing extremists are blamed. Killed: 168. Injured: more than 500

7. Colombo, Sri Lanka

January 31, 1996

Ethnic terrorists ram a truck laden with explosives into a bank. Killed: 90. Injured: more than 1,400

8. London, England

February 9, 1996

Irish terrorists detonate a bomb in a parking garage. Killed: 2. Injured: more than 100

9. Jerusalem, Israel

February 25, 1996

A suicide bomber blows up a bus. Religious extremists are suspected. Killed: 26. Injured: some 80 others

10. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

June 25, 1996

A fuel truck carrying a bomb explodes outside a U.S. military housing facility. Killed: 19. Injured: 515

11. Phnom Penh, Cambodia

March 30, 1997

Assailants throw four grenades into a demonstration. Killed: up to 16. Injured: more than 100

12. Coimbatore, India

February 14, 1998

A series of bombings are carried out by religious militants. Killed: 43. Injured: 200

13. Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

August 7, 1998

The U.S. Embassies are bombed. Killed: 250. Injured: over 5,500

14. Colombia

October 18 and November 3, 1998

One attack with bombs and another with missiles. An oil pipeline is the target of the first attack. Killed: 209. Injured: more than 130

15. Moscow, Russia

September 9 and 13, 1999

Two huge explosions rip through two apartment buildings. Killed: 212. Injured: more than 300

[Credit Lines]

Source: The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel

Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

Victor Grubicy/Sipa Press

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Cyberattacks

March 1999: Reports show that Pentagon computers have been under a “coordinated, organized” barrage from intruders. Every day 60 to 80 attacks from hackers are recorded on the computer systems of the U.S. Defense Department.

Mid-1999: Within a three-month period, antigovernment hackers gain illegal entry to Web pages maintained by the U.S. Senate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army, the White House, and several cabinet departments in the United States.

January 2000: Worldwide, businesses are reported to have spent $12.1 billion during the previous year fighting “economic terrorism” in the form of harmful computer viruses.

August 2000: A hacker penetrates government-agency and local-authority Web sites in the United Kingdom.

Facing the Threat of Terrorism

IN THE late 1980’s, terrorism appeared to be on the decline. However, a new breed of terrorist has emerged. Today’s terrorist threat comes primarily from extremists who have established their own funding networks—through traffic in drugs, private business, independent wealth, charities, and local financial support. And they continue to be as ruthless as ever.

Recent years saw a proliferation of senseless acts of terrorism. The World Trade Center in New York City was bombed, killing 6 people and injuring some 1,000. A cult released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system, killing 12 and injuring more than 5,000. A terrorist leveled a federal building in Oklahoma City with a truck bomb, killing 168 and injuring hundreds. As the chart on pages 4 and 5 shows, terrorist acts of various kinds have continued up until now.

In general, terrorists seem to exhibit less restraint than they did in the past. The convicted bomber of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995 was quoted as saying that in order to get the level of attention he needed, he wanted “a body count.” The ringleader of the group responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City wanted to knock one building into the other, killing everyone in both.

Also new is the choice of weapons at the disposal of terrorists. Louis R. Mizell, Jr., an expert on terrorism, stated: “We live in an age of unimaginable rage and apocalyptic arsenals: nuclear, chemical, and biological.” Extremists who want to make a greater impression are turning to the more lethal weapons that technology has made available.

Attacking With Zeros and Ones

What has been called cyberterrorism involves the use of modern technology, such as computers. One weapon is the computer virus, which eats data or freezes up systems. There are also “logic bombs” that fool computers into trying to do something they can’t, thereby forcing them to malfunction. As the economy and the security of nations increasingly depend on information networks, many feel that the public is more open to such terrorist attacks. And while most armies have systems to keep their communications up even during a nuclear war, civilian systems—power supplies, transportation, and financial markets—may be more vulnerable to sabotage.

Not long ago, if a terrorist wanted to cause a blackout in, let’s say, Berlin, he might have sought a job as a utility worker so that he could sabotage the electrical system. But now, some say, it might be possible for a trained computer hacker to darken the city from the comfort of his home in a remote village halfway around the world.

Not long ago a hacker from Sweden invaded a computer system in Florida and put an emergency-service system out of commission for an hour, impeding the responses of police, fire, and ambulance services.

“In essence we’ve created a global village without a police department,” observed Frank J. Cilluffo, director of the Information Warfare Task Force of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). And Robert Kupperman, senior adviser to CSIS, stated in 1997 that if terrorists choose to use high-tech methods, “no government agency currently exists to cope with the repercussions of their attack.”

Some analysts believe that computer terrorists have the technological tools available to outwit any protection devices that security forces come up with. “An adversary capable of implanting the right virus or accessing the right terminal can cause massive damage,” said George Tenet, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Terror by Chemicals and Germs

Concern also exists over the use of chemical as well as biological weapons. The world was shocked in early 1995 to hear of the terrorist poison-gas attack in the Tokyo subway system. Responsibility for the incident was laid at the doorstep of an apocalyptic sect.

“Terrorism has changed,” says Brad Roberts of the Institute for Defense Analyses. “Traditional terrorists wanted political concessions. But now, some groups say their main aim is mass casualties. That makes biological weapons appealing.” Is it difficult to obtain such weapons? The magazine Scientific American says: “One can cultivate trillions of bacteria at relatively little risk to one’s self with gear no more sophisticated than a beer fermenter and a protein-based culture, a gas mask and a plastic overgarment.” Once the germs are prepared, delivering them is relatively easy. Victims would not even know that a weapon had been set off until a day or two later. And by then it could be too late.

Anthrax is said to be a likely choice as a biological weapon. The disease gets its name from the Greek word for coal—a reference to the black scabs that typically form over sores that develop on the skin of those who come in contact with anthrax-infected livestock. Defense planners are more concerned about lung infections caused by breathing in anthrax spores. In humans, anthrax infection has a high mortality rate.

Why is anthrax such an effective biological weapon? The bacterium is easy to cultivate and is highly resistant. It would take several days before the victims would experience the first symptom, a flulike malaise and fatigue. A cough and mild chest discomfort follow. Then come severe respiratory distress, shock and, within hours, death.

Nuclear Weapons in the Hands of Terrorists?

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, some wondered whether a stolen nuclear weapon would turn up on the black market. Many experts, however, doubt that this will ever happen. Robert Kupperman, quoted earlier, notes that there is “no evidence that any terrorist group has sought to acquire nuclear material.”

A more immediate concern is the nuclear bomb’s quiet but deadly cousin—radioactive material. It does not explode. There is no blast or heat damage. Instead, it emits radiation that destroys individual cells. Bone marrow cells are especially vulnerable. Their death sets off a cascade of effects, including hemorrhaging and the collapse of the immune system. Unlike chemical weapons, which degrade once they come in contact with oxygen and moisture, radioactive material can continue to inflict damage for years.

An accident in Goiânia, a city in south-central Brazil, illustrates how deadly radiation can be. In 1987 an unsuspecting man opened a lead canister attached to a piece of abandoned medical equipment. The canister contained cesium-137. Fascinated by the stone’s luminous blue glow, he shared his find with his friends. Within a week the first victims began coming to the local health clinic. Thousands were checked for signs of contamination. About a hundred residents became sick. Fifty required hospitalization, and four died. The thought of what might have happened had the cesium been intentionally dispersed gives antiterrorism experts nightmares.

The Staggering Cost

The tragic loss of human life is the most obvious result of terrorism. But there are broader implications. Terrorism can destroy or delay the peace process in trouble spots on the planet. It provokes, prolongs, or entrenches conflicts, and it accelerates the cycle of violence.

Terrorism can also have an impact on national economies. Governments have been forced to spend enormous amounts of time and resources to combat it. For example, in the United States alone, antiterrorism spending was budgeted at more than ten billion dollars for the year 2000.

Whether we notice it or not, terrorism affects us all. It influences the way we travel and the choices we make when we travel. It forces countries around the world to spend huge amounts of tax money to protect public figures, vital installations, and citizens.

So the question remains, Is there a lasting solution to the scourge of terrorism? This will be discussed in the next article.

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Terrorism in the Name of Ecology

A new type of terror has taken the form of “arsons, bombings and sabotage in the name of saving the environment and its creatures,” reports the Oregonian newspaper. These destructive acts have been called ecoterrorism. At least a hundred major acts of this type have occurred in the western United States since 1980, with damages totaling $42.8 million. Such crimes are typically intended to disrupt logging, the recreational use of wilderness areas, or the use of animals for fur, food, or research.

These acts are considered terrorist acts because they involve violence intended to change the behavior of individuals and institutions or to alter public policies. Ecoterrorists frustrate investigators by hitting remote targets, often at night, and leaving little evidence but charred ruins. Until recently, crimes in the name of environmental protection had limited, local impact and drew little attention. But targets have grown larger in recent years. “The objective of these people is to bring attention to their cause for change,” said special agent James N. Damitio, a veteran U.S. Forest Service investigator. “And if they don’t feel like they’re getting that attention, they try something else.”

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Terrorism and the Media

“Publicity has been at once a primary goal and a weapon of those who use terror against innocent people to advance political causes or to simply cause chaos,” says Terry Anderson, a journalist who was held in captivity for nearly seven years by terrorists in Lebanon. “The very reporting of a political kidnapping, an assassination or a deadly bombing is a first victory for the terrorist. Without the world’s attention, these acts of viciousness are pointless.”

[Pictures on page 8, 9]

1. A suicide bombing in Jerusalem, Israel

2. Ethnic terrorists bomb a bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka

3. A car bomb explodes in Nairobi, Kenya

4. Family of the victims of a bomb explosion in Moscow, Russia

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Heidi Levine/Sipa Press

A. Lokuhapuarachchi/Sipa Press

AP Photo/Sayyid Azim

Izvestia/Sipa Press

Terrorism—Soon to End!

A BUS in Jerusalem, a federal building in Oklahoma City, or an apartment building in Moscow can all be targets of terrorism. Although terrorists apparently want to convey a powerful message to politicians, military leaders, or economic leaders, there often seems to be no link between their cause and their target. In many cases the actual targets are ordinary people—people who have nothing to do with the terrorists’ avowed cause. Why, then, do extremists resort to acts of terrorism?

Why Terrorism?

Terrorism is systematic, premeditated, and calculated. The resulting toll in deaths and injuries is not the primary objective. Such carnage is a means to an end, part of the atmosphere of shock and fear that the terrorist wishes to create in order to undermine authority and gain a hearing for his specific cause. Consider some of the factors behind the violent acts of terrorists.

Hatred. “Terrorism . . . is fueled by hatred,” stated Louis J. Freeh, director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Those who harbor such hatred live in a world that is colored by bigotry, shaded by conspiracy, and framed by ignorance.”

Oppression. “To be sure, there are leaders of groups and countries whose irrational goals are the annihilation of other cultures,” writes Stephen Bowman in his book When the Eagle Screams. “But it is also clear that a great deal of terrorism is born of despair.”

Frustration. “In many cases . . . the primary motivation for a terrorist is a genuine frustration with seemingly intractable political, social, and economic forces,” observes the editor of the book Urban Terrorism.

Injustice. “Terrorism is a symptom of a problem, not the actual cause,” remarks Michael Shimoff in his paper “The Policy of Terrorism.” He continues: “Our long-term goal should be to eliminate the underlying social and political causes of terrorism. . . . Paralleling our actions against terrorism, we must have equally vigorous efforts to enhance freedom, dignity, justice, and humanitarian values. Only when those vigorous efforts are effective, will we be able to dismantle our counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism operations.”

The causes and history of terrorism have proved the truth of the Biblical statement: “Man has dominated man to his injury.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9) The Bible even foretold the traits that have nurtured terrorism. It says: “In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, . . . having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride.”—2 Timothy 3:1-4.

The reality is that human efforts to combat terrorism, no matter how sincerely motivated, cannot successfully deal with its causes. The Bible realistically observes: “To earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) However, while the solution to the problem of terrorism is beyond human power, it certainly is not beyond God’s power.

The Solution

Those who have been wronged or oppressed and who feel frustrated can find comfort in the Bible’s sure promise: “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”—Proverbs 2:21, 22.

This promise of God will soon be fulfilled. His Ruler, the reigning King Jesus Christ, will see to that. A Bible prophecy says regarding Christ: “He will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears. And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth.”—Isaiah 11:3, 4.

Yes, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will soon eliminate all injustice as well as those responsible for it. In God’s righteous new system, terrorism and violence of every kind will be things of the past. Then everyone on earth will live in security, free from fear of any harm.—Revelation 21:3, 4.

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The Bible promises that God will soon eliminate all oppression and injustice