CULTURE OF TERRORISM - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

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Culture of Terrorism n 99FirearmsTerrorists use a variety of firearms, including submachine guns, pistols, assault rifles, sniperrifles, and shotguns. When selecting weapons, terrorists look for three major characteristics:availability, simplicity, and efficiency. They like automatic weapons that can kill from adistance and have stopping power. They also want to be able to conceal the weapon, especiallyin urban terrain.Terrorists do try to standardize calibers of their weapons as much as possible to easeammunition resupply. They favor easily available military and semi-military weapons. Mostinternational terrorist groups favor fully automatic weapons, such as the AK-47 and theM16. A weapon favored by small groups in the United States is the 12-gauge shotgun.PistolsPistols are standard weapons for terrorists. They are small and easily concealed. Most ofthem are lightweight, and many modern pistols provide good firepower. Since their effectiverange is generally limited to about 50 meters, they require the attacker to be fairly near thetarget. They can be very effective at close range.Submachine GunsSubmachine guns have a full automatic fire capability, use pistol-caliber ammunition, andtypically have large magazine capacities. Their range, accuracy, and penetration are betterthan that of pistols because of their longer barrel and sight radius. Submachine guns are afavorite with terrorist groups because they are small, light, and easily concealed. They providea large amount of firepower and are deadly at close range.Assault RiflesAssault rifles are the primary offensive weapons of modern militaries and used extensivelyby terrorist organizations. They normally have selective firing capability to allow singleshot, two- or three-round bursts, or full automatic mode. Their effective ranges can oftenexceed 600 meters, and they have effective rates of fire up to 400 rounds per minute infull automatic mode. They provide terrorists the same firepower as they do for a modernSoldier on the battlefield.Sniper RiflesSince one of the primary terror tactics is assassination, terrorists often use sniper rifles toattack targets that are difficult for other weapons to reach. With the development oflarge-caliber sniper weapons, terrorists can also effectively engage light-armored vehicles.ShotgunsAlthough limited in range and penetration capability, shotguns are excellent close-rangeweapons, especially for assassinations. Shotguns require less precision in aiming since thedispersion of buckshot allows a large number of pellets to cover a wide area. They arereadily available and relatively inexpensive compared with other weapons. Additionally,the barrels can be sawed off to permit easy concealment and increased dispersion of shot.
100 n SECTION 4MunitionsTerrorists have used grenades in all types of attacks, including rocket-propelled grenades(RPGs). Although originally developed as an antitank weapon, RPGs double as terroristantiaircraft weapons. Attackers brought down two MH-47 Chinook helicopters in Afghanistanin 2002 using RPGs. In 1993, a pair of UH-60 Black Hawks suffered a similar fate inMogadishu, Somalia.Terrorists also favor portable surface-to-air missiles (SAM). These weapons proved tobe highly effective in the hands of the Afghan Mujahideen guerrillas during their insurgencyagainst the Soviets in the 1980s. In a number of documented cases, terrorists have usedthem against civilian airliners.Although terrorists use mostly “homemade” bombs, they do use some conventionalmunitions, especially as booby traps. They often obtain unexploded ordnance and modifyit for their purposes. Terrorists have used various forms of aerial bombs, as well as artilleryand mortar rounds, in this fashion. Additionally, they employ conventional mines to engagea variety of targets.The following are examples of common explosive charges terrorists have employedto great effect and success:• Improvised explosives, such as fertilizer, black powder, gasoline, match heads, andsmokeless powder• Chemical reactions, such as acid bombs; caustic bombs, such as Drano anddry ice• Plastic explosives, such as C-4 and SEMTEX• TNT• Dynamite.These explosive devices require some kind of trigger to detonate them. Triggers range fromvery simple homemade devices to highly technical ones. Some examples are:• Manual wind-up alarm clocks and wristwatches• Pressure release switches, such as in mousetraps• Pull switches that activate with a tripwire• Pressure switches• Wire-command detonation• Radar guns.improvised explosivedevice (IED)a “homemade”ordnance used to disableor destroy personnelor vehicles froma hidden emplacementImprovised Explosive Devices (IEDs)While terrorists will use conventional weapons, such as RPGs and assault rifles, to achievetheir tactical goals, they also assemble and employ a wide variety of lethal improvisedexplosive devices (IEDs). They incorporate highly destructive lethal and dangerous explosivesor incendiary chemicals designed to kill or destroy the target. They often steal the materialsthey need for these devices from military or commercial blasting supplies. If necessary, theywill also use fertilizer and other readily available household ingredients.IEDs basically include some type of explosive, a fuse, detonators and wires, shrapneland pieces of metal, and a container in which to pack the explosives and shrapnel. Althoughterrorists use manufactured explosive material, they can easily obtain the ingredientsrequired to make improvised explosive material as well.
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