NCJ Number
102240
Journal
Terrorism Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (1986) Pages: 345-350
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
If local police are to be prepared to deal with terrorist threats and incidents, they must learn about terrorist groups operating in the United States, assess available resources, and develop a plan for dealing with various terrorist scenarios.
Abstract
Three kinds of terrorist groups are among the paramilitary groups operating in the United States. One type consists of national or ethnic revolutionary groups which use violence to gain recognition or object to government policy. Included among these groups are Cuban, Armenian, and Puerto Rican revolutionaries; the Black Liberation Army; and the Jewish Defense League. A second type of terrorist group is composed of ideological fanatics opposed to a society's dominant beliefs which it challenges with confrontations that often turn violent. The MOVE group in Philadelphia is an example of such a group. The third type of terrorist group is based in an extreme rightist ideology that advocates violence and discrimination against ethnic and racial minorities. The Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups are in this category. Local officials should assess resources for addressing possible terrorist acts by the aforementioned types of groups. Both the FBI and the Federal Emergency Management Agency provide training and support for cities interested in upgrading their capabilities in this area.