Chapter 11: Political Crime and Terrorism

Political Crime

Illegal acts that are designed to undermine an existing government and threaten its survival. Political crimes can include both violent and nonviolent acts and range in seriousness from dissent, treason, and espionage to violent acts such as terrorism or assassination.

al-Qaeda (Arabic for “the base”)

An international fundamentalist Islamist organization comprising independent and collaborative cells, whose goal is reducing Western influence upon Islamic affairs. Also spelled al-Qa’ida.

Election Fraud

Illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud tend to involve affecting vote counts to bring about a desired election outcome, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates, or both.

Intimidation

Voters can be scared away from the polls via threats. For example, having armed guards posted at polling places may convince people its dangerous to vote.

Disruption

Bomb threats can be called in to voting places in area that are known to heavily favor the opposing party, with the goal of suppressing the vote. There can even be outright sabotage of polling places.

Misinformation

Flyers are sent out to voter registered with the opposing party containing misleading information such as the wrong election date or saying that rules have been changed regarding who is eligible to vote.

Registration Fraud

Political operatives may try to shape the outcome of an election by busing in ineligible voters from other districts.

Vote Buying

Securing votes by payment or other rewards or the selling of one’s vote is an age-old problem that still exists.

Treason

An act of disloyalty to one’s nation or state, especially by attempting to kill the leader, overthrow the government, or give aid to an enemy in time of war.

Espionage

Using spies or spying by other means to obtain information about the plans and activities of a. foreign government or a competing company.

State Political Crimes

Illegal acts and human rights violations committed by the government agents within the scope of their official duties.

Torture

An act that causes severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, that is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining a confession, punishing them for a crime they may have committed, or intimidating or coercing them into a desired action.

Waterboarding

Immobilizing a person on their back, with the head inclined downward, and pouring water over their face and into the breathing passages, producing an immediate gag reflex and an experience akin to drowning; the subject believes their death is imminent.

Ticking Bomb Scenario

A scenario that some experts argue in which torture can perhaps be justified if the government discovers that a captures terrorist knows the whereabouts of a dangerous explosive device that is set to go off and kill thousands of people.

Terrorism

The illegal use of force against innocent people to achieve a political objective.

Guerilla

The term means “little war” and developed out of the Spanish rebellion against French troops after Napoleon’s 1808 invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. Today the term is used interchangeably with the term terrorist.

Insurgent

Member of a group that confronts the existing government for control of all or a portion of its territory or that forces concessions in sharing political power. Whereas terrorists may operate in small bands with a narrow focus, insurgents represent a popular movement and may also seek external support from other nations to bring pressure on the government.

Reign of Terror

The period after the fall of the French monarchy in 1789 during which massacres of government officials and aristocrats took place.

Retributive Terrorists

Terror groups who refrain from tying specific acts to direct demands for change. They want to instead redirect the balance between what they believe is good and evil. They see their revolution as existing on a spiritual plane; their mission is to extract retribution against sinners.

Jihad

Has three meanings: first, a true believer’s internal struggle to live as a devout Muslim; second, to build a Muslim society; and third, to defend Islam, with force, against non believers.

State-Sponsored Terrorism

Terrorism that occurs when a repressive government regime forces its citizens into obedience, oppresses underrepresented groups, and stifles political dissent.

Failed State

A nation whose government has lost control of its own territory, is unable to provide public services and protection, and lacks the ability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.

Director of National Intelligence (DNI)

Government official charged with coordinating data from the nation’s primary intelligence-gathering agencies.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

An agency of the federal government charged with preventing terrorist attacks within the United States, reducing America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizing the damage and aiding recovery from attacks that do occur.

USA Patriot Act

Legislation giving US law enforcement agencies a freer hand to investigate and apprehend suspected terrorists.