
ARTICLE ALERT
Abstracts of a few recent articles on terrorism.

The author discusses how physical identification markers taggants can help solve terrorist attacks and other crimes. Taggants can mark human antibodies, fuels, explosives, cosmetics, perfumes, and pharmaceutical products.
Alali, A. Odasuo and Kenoye K. Eke. TERRORISM, THE NEWS
MEDIA,
AND DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ORDER
(Current World Leaders, vol.
39,
no. 4, August 1996, pp. 67+)
The role the mass media play in terrorist incidents is examined. At another level, the article analyses the impact of terrorism and media coverage of such acts of violence on political democractic order. Drs. Alali and Eke recommend that research efforts should be aimed at developing criteria to assess media coverage of terrorism, particularly in the area of ethical issues.
Jain, Vinod K. THWARTING TERRORISM WITH TECHNOLOGY
(The
World &
I, vol. 11, no. 11, November 1996, pp. 149-155)
The author describes technologies under development or in use to
detect concealed bombs and explosives that are not revealed by
the X-ray scanners and metal detectors currently in use at
airports and other locations. A system that combines
high-resolution X-ray imaging with computed tomography
(CAT
scanning) is being tested at several U.S. airports and is in
regular operation at airports in several other countries. Other
technologies include resonance analysis of low-intensity radio
waves, vapor- or trace-detection systems, and pulsed fast-neutron
analysis. All the systems involve trade-offs in speed,
sensitivity, selectivity, and costs.
Kamp, Karl-Heinz. AN OVERRATED NIGHTMARE
(The Bulletin of
the
Atomic Scientists, vol. 52, no. 4, July/August 1996, pp.
30-34)
The sub-headline, "There are a lot of danger terrorists wielding nuclear bombs isn't one of them," sums up the tenor of this article, which points out the difficulties terrorists would have in obtaining nuclear devices and using them effectively as nuclear weapons. The article mentions the extent of controls all nuclear states exert on their arsenals and nuclear materials. Though the author maintains it is naive to assume that terrorists could easily build nuclear weapons, he does not dismiss this as impossible. He concludes that nuclear materials should be protected stringently, and that prevention of nuclear terrorism should not be ignored.
Laqueur, Walter. POSTMODERN TERRORISM
(Foreign Affairs,
vol. 75,
no. 5, September/October 1996, pp. 24-36)
The author describes the evolution of terrorism from the ideological to the expression of ethnic grievances. The current and future terrorist is armed with new weapons and experimenting with others. State-sponsored terrorism is replacing warfare, and lone individuals with grudges are more apt to turn to terrorism. He asserts that terrorism is becoming more destructive and putting the most advanced societies at greatest risk.
Nacos, Brigitte Lebens. AFTER THE COLD WAR:
ssTERRORISM
LOOMS
LARGER AS A WEAPON OF DISSENT AND WARFARE
(Current World
Leaders,
vol. 39, no. 4, August 1996, 12 pp.)
This study examines the reasons why international terrorism has remained a major problem in the post-Cold War era. Dr. Narcos describes developments such as the eruption of ethnic nationalism in the former Soviet Union, the increased militancy of religious fundamentalists, the easy availability of weapons of mass destruction, and the global information highway, noting that these factors increase the likelihood of further terrorism and the need for more effective preventive measures.
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