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Terrorism in America: A Structured Approach to Understanding the Terrorist Threat

NCJ Number
177704
Author(s)
Harvey W. Kushner Ph.D
Date Published
1998
Length
228 pages
Annotation
This text was written by an internationally recognized expert on terrorism, antigovernment violence, and extremism for criminal justice and security administration professionals.
Abstract
The first chapter focuses on the definition of terrorism, the history of terrorism in the United States, and contemporary terrorism. The second chapter covers international terrorism and contains information on the Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf War, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasir Arafat, and Carlos the Jackal, all considered to be old terrorist threats. The new terrorist threats are identified as Iran, Sudan, Afghanistan, boot camps for terror, the Islamic Resistance Movement, freelancers, suicide bombers, and cyberspace. The third chapter explores domestic terrorism in the United States and includes information on various organizations and antigovernment extremists. The fourth chapter assesses terrorist groups of the future, with emphasis on freelancers and what law enforcement agencies can do to cope with the threat. The fifth chapter analyzes domestic and international organizations that are currently active or in a position to make an immediate comeback. The sixth chapter presents a chronological summary of terrorist and terrorist-related incidents in the United States. The final chapter contains names and addresses of organizations to contact for additional information on terrorists and extremists. Actual case examples are used throughout the text to illustrate specific terrorist groups and freelancers. 104 references