CULTURE OF TERRORISM - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

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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.
96 n SECTION 4The Terrorist Planning CycleTerrorists usually meticulously prepare their operations to minimize risk and achieve thehighest probability of success. They focus on avoiding their opponents’ strengths andconcentrating on the opponents’ weaknesses. They work to achieve as much security andas powerful an effect on their target as possible. In practice, that means they use the fewestnumber of personnel and the most effective weapons available. To accomplish this, terroristsplan extensively, with an emphasis on target surveillance and reconnaissance.There is no universal “staff school” model for terrorist planning. Experience and successes,however, have shown terrorists what works best for effective planning and operations. Theirplanning generally goes through seven basic phases:Phase I: Broad Target SelectionThis phase involves collecting information on a large number of potential targets, someof which the terrorists may attack or seriously consider attacking. The personnel who collectthis information are typically not core members of the terrorist organization, but are eithersympathizers or dupes who may not even be aware of the purpose of their work. This phasealso includes collecting open-source and general information, much of it available throughthe Internet.Phase II: Intelligence Gathering and SurveillanceThe terrorists then focus their efforts on targets they believe to be most vulnerable. Thisfocus leads to additional information gathering on the targets’ patterns over time. The typeof surveillance the terrorists use depends on the target. Information gathered covers people’sroutines, physical layouts, routes of travel, and security measures surrounding the target.Phase III: Specific Target SelectionIn selecting a target for actual operational planning, terrorists consider some of the followingfactors:• Does success affect a larger audience than the immediate victim(s)?• Will the target attract high-profile media attention?• Does success make the desired statement to the correct target audience(s)?• Is the effect consistent with the group’s objectives?• Does the target provide an advantage to the group by demonstrating its capabilities?• What are the costs versus the benefits of conducting the operation?A decision to proceed requires continued intelligence collection against the chosen target.
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