DATE=8/1/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-37156
TITLE=U-S TERRORISM THREATS
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE DISCOVERY OF AN ALLEGED TERRORIST PLOT IN NEW YORK
HAS SPARKED RENEWED CONCERN ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF THE UNITED
STATES TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ATTACKS. TERRORISM EXPERTS SAY
THERE IS PLENTY TO BE AFRAID OF. BUT THEY ALSO SAY THE UNITED
STATES COULD BE DOING MORE TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM TERRORIST
THREATS, BE THEY FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC. V-O-A NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS A REPORT.
TEXT: FOR MANY YEARS, AMERICANS SAW TERRORISM AS SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE 1993 BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE
CENTER IN NEW YORK AND THE 1995 ATTACK ON THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN
OKLAHOMA CITY CHANGED ALL THAT.
NEIL LIVINGSTONE RUNS A CRISIS MANAGEMENT FIRM HERE IN WASHINGTON
AND HAS WRITTEN NINE BOOKS ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
/// LIVINGSTONE ACT. ///
BUT WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING, IT DEMONSTRATED
THAT A GROUP OF RELATIVELY UNSOPHISTICATED BOMBERS COULD
COME VERY CLOSE TO CREATING A MAJOR CATASTROPHE HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES. AND I THINK THAT STIMULATED OTHER
MIDDLE EASTERN GROUPS TO SAY, 'WELL, MAYBE THE F-B-I IS
NOT TEN FEET TALL AND THE C-I-A AND SO ON, MAYBE THESE
GUYS ARE A LOT MORE VULNERABLE THAN WE THOUGHT THEY
ARE'. SO I THINK THAT AS WE SEE MORE VIOLENCE IN THE
MIDDLE EAST AND AS WE SEE AN EROSION OF THE PEACE
PROCESS, A CONTINUED EROSION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THAT
SOME OF THAT VIOLENCE MAY SPILL OVER INTO THIS COUNTRY.
/// END ACT. ///
/// OPT /// IN THE LATEST CASE IN NEW YORK CITY, POLICE SHOT AND
WOUNDED TWO SUSPECTED BOMBERS AS ONE OF THEM APPARENTLY REACHED
FOR A DETONATING DEVICE. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THEY WERE PLANNING A
SUICIDE BOMBING ATTACK ON A SUBWAY TRAIN.
TERRORISM EXPERT BRIAN JENKINS SAYS THAT PRESENTS U-S LAW
ENFORCEMENT WITH A NEW CHALLENGE.
/// JENKINS ACT. ///
WELL, THE FACT THAT IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A SUICIDE
BOMB IS WORRISOME BECAUSE THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM HAS
HELD THAT WE WERE NOT LIKELY TO HAVE SUICIDE BOMBINGS
OUTSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST. THAT IS, THIS WAS A TERRORIST
TACTIC THAT DID NOT TRAVEL WELL BECAUSE IT WOULD
PROBABLY BE DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVE
TO CARRY OUT A SUICIDE BOMBING.
/// END ACT & OPT. ///
TERRORISM EXPERT BRIAN JENKINS SAYS THAT FUTURE THREATS MAY COME
MORE FROM SMALL CELLS OF COMMITTED TERRORISTS RATHER THAN SOME OF
THE LARGER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE PAST.
/// JENKINS ACT. ///
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY IN SOME OF THESE EVENTS IN
THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE IS NOT THE KIND OF
TRADITIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITY THAT WE SAW BEFORE
DIRECTED BY LARGE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. BUT RATHER,
AD HOC CONSPIRACIES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO MONITOR AND
PENETRATE.
/// END ACT. ///
/// OPT /// DOMESTIC TERRORIST GROUPS ARE ALSO BECOMING MORE
DIFFICULT TO PENETRATE. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN MISSOURI DID
HAVE SOME RECENT SUCCESS WITH THE ARREST OF SEVEN SUSPECTED
MILITIA MEMBERS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ATTACK AN ARMY BASE IN
TEXAS. BUT MILITIA EXPERT JOEL DYER SAYS LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS ARE ALREADY DEALING WITH AN EPIDEMIC OF LOW-LEVEL
THREATS FROM DOMESTIC TERROR GROUPS.
/// DYER ACT. ///
WELL, WE ALREADY ARE. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS
INTERESTING IS THAT THERE IS SOMEWHERE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OF 6-HUNDRED PIPE BOMB INCIDENTS A YEAR IN
THE UNITED STATES NOW. AND THAT HAS BEEN ESCALATING. SO
TO A LARGE DEGREE WE ARE ARE ALREADY SEEING A LOT OF
TERRORISM ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS. WE JUST DO NOT PUT
IT TOGETHER AND WE DO NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THE
TARGETS.
/// END ACT & OPT ///
EXPERTS SAY THAT THE U-S GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS
INTELLIGENCE GATHERING TECHNIQUES TO TRACK BOTH INTERNATIONAL AND
DOMESTIC TERROR THREATS. THEY ALSO SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES
NEEDS TO TIGHTEN UP ITS IMMIGRATION CONTROL PROCEDURES.
/// REST OPT ///
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE MEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE
FOILED BOMBING PLOT IN NEW YORK ACKNOWLEDGED ON AN IMMIGRATION
FORM THAT HE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN ISRAEL FOR ALLEGEDLY
BELONGING TO A TERRORIST GROUP.
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI SAYS IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
NEED TO BECOME MORE VIGILANT.
///GIULIANI ACT. ///
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO PAROLE INTO THE UNITED STATES
SOMEBODY WHO IS ALLEGED TO BE PART OF A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION IN A GOVERNMENT THAT IS THE ALLY OF THE
UNITED STATES. AND WHATEVER THE DEFENSIVENESS ABOUT IT
OR WORRY ABOUT IT, HOW ABOUT FROM NOW ON WE DO NOT DO IT
AND WE WILL BE A LOT SAFER.
/// END ACT. ///
TERRORISM EXPERTS WARN THAT UNLESS AMERICANS ARE WILLING TO GET
SERIOUS ABOUT PREVENTING ATTACKS BEFORE THEY OCCUR, THEY ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO THE IDEA OF TERRORISM GAINING A
FOOTHOLD ON AMERICAN SOIL. (SIGNED)
NEB/JBM/WFR
01-Aug-97 2:56 PM EDT (1856 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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