CULTURE OF TERRORISM - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

Culture of Terrorism n 95Characteristics of TerroristsAlthough no single personality profile of a terrorist exists, some general characteristics arefairly common.StatusTerrorists rarely arise from a background of poverty and despair. They are much more likelyto spring from middle class backgrounds, with some even coming from the upper class oftheir society. You must understand these terms in the context of the terrorists’ society oforigin, however: “Middle class” or “privileged” are relative terms and will representcompletely different levels of income in West Africa and Western Europe, for example.Education and IntellectLeft-wing terrorists, the leadership of right-wing terrorist groups, and terrorists of eithertype who operate internationally usually have average or higher-than-average intelligenceand at least some advanced education. (Osama bin Laden and Yasir Arafat were botheducated as civil engineers.) While many terrorists generally have had exposure to higherlearning, they are often not highly intellectual and are frequently dropouts or possess pooracademic records. This, again, depends on the norms of their society of origin. In societieswhere religious fundamentalism is prevalent, higher education might mean advancedreligious training.US domestic and right-wing terrorists tend to come from lower educational and sociallevels, although they have some education. Right-wing domestic groups in the UnitedStates were quick to explore the Internet’s communications and organizational potential.Such terrorists will typically have a high school education and be very well indoctrinatedin the ideological arguments they support.AgeTerrorists tend to be young. Leadership, support, and training cadre can range into their40s, but most operational members of terrorist organizations are 20 to 35 years old. Individualsunder 20 usually lack the practical experience and training necessary to be effective. Somegroups, however, recruit children to offset personnel shortages and “grow” future terrorists.GenderTerrorists are not exclusively male, even in groups that are rigorously Islamic. Women’sroles in these groups will often be limited to support or intelligence work, but somefundamentalist Islamic groups use women in operational roles, including suicide missions.AppearanceTerrorists do not normally appear out of the ordinary and are capable of normal socialbehavior and appearance. Over the long term, elements of fanatical behavior or ruthlessnessmay become evident, but it is typically not immediately obvious. Although members ofso-called sleeper cells or other covert operators may marry as part of their disguise, mostterrorists do not marry—although notable cases of married couples within terroristorganizations have been reported.