Chapter 5: Force Multipliers, Gender Roles, and Tactics

Chapter 5: Force Multipliers, Gender Roles, and Tactics

Chapter Introduction

  • Learning Objectives: After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
    • Summarize the tactics of modern terrorism.
    • Describe the types of threats posed by technological terrorism.
    • Summarize transnational economic targeting in the tourist, energy, and transportation industries.
    • Summarize theories of suicide bombing.
    • Describe the roles women play in terrorism.

5-1 Tactics and Force Multipliers

Learning Objective 1: Summarize the tactics of modern terrorism.

  • Definition of Terrorism:

    • Terrorism is a way of fighting, characterized as guerrilla warfare dominating historical warfare, with conventional war not being the normative method of fighting.

  • Tactics of Terrorism (per Brian Jenkins):

    1. Bombing
    2. Hijacking
    3. Arson
    4. Assault
    5. Kidnapping
    6. Hostage-taking

  • Technological Threats:

    • Recent advancements have allowed for virtual attacks via computer systems, thereby modifying traditional tactics with enhanced strike capability.

  • Force Multipliers Defined:

    • A method to increase striking power without increasing combat troops. Four primary force multipliers in terrorism include:
    1. Technology to enhance attacks.
    2. Transnational support.
    3. Media coverage.
    4. Religious fanaticism.

  • Examples of Force Multipliers:

    • Cyberterrorism: Involves attacks on technological infrastructures, potentially leading to significant collateral damage.
    • Media Coverage: Distorted media narratives can enhance the perceived power of terrorist groups.
    • Religious Fanaticism: Used to justify suicide attacks, enhancing the arsenal of terrorist methods.

  • Historical Context of Bombing:

    • The use of bombs as the primary tool of terror was emphasized as early as 1848 by anarchists, marking a philosophical shift in communications with social orders through violence.

5-2 Technology

Learning Objective 2: Describe the types of threats posed by technological terrorism.
  • Influence of Technology:
    • Technology can transform weapon use into strategy.
5-2a Cyberterrorism
  • Definition of Cyberterrorism:
    • The use of computers for attacks against networks or the physical world.
  • Threat Potential:
    • Catastrophic economic failures through digital attacks.
    • Definitions include:
    • National Conference of State Legislatures: Use of IT by terrorists for political agendas.
    • Barry Collin: Convergence of the physical with the virtual through technology.
    • Council on Foreign Relations: Utilization of information networks by terrorists.
  • Cyberterrorism Characteristics:
    • Political/motivated actions aimed at instilling fear.
    • Covert communications facilitated by computers.
    • Low-risk, high-impact strategy contested by modern networks.
5-2b WMD: Biological Agents
  • Biological Weapons:
    • Include two forms:
    1. Bacterial weapons.
    2. Viral weapons.
    • Types of biological agents:
    • Natural poisons.
    • Viruses.
    • Bacteria.
    • Plagues.
  • Significant Case Studies:
    • Historical instances of biological terrorism (e.g., 1984 Oregon incident with salad bars, and anthrax attacks post-9/11).
5-2c WMD: Chemical and Radiological Weapons
  • Chemical Weapons:
    • Types:
    • Nerve agents.
    • Blood agents.
    • Choking agents.
    • Blistering agents.
  • Radiological Devices:
    • Potential for long-term contamination, vulnerabilities in transport channels.

5-3 Economic Targeting and Transnational Attacks

Learning Objective 3: Summarize transnational economic targeting.
  • Target Sectors: Tourism, Energy, and Transportation
    • Tourism:
    • Example: 2002 Bali bombings to disrupt tourism.
    • Energy:
    • Economic attacks via oil production targeting (notably in Iraq).
    • Transportation:
    • High-profile threats with significant economic implications.

5-4 Suicide Attacks: Conflicting Opinions

Learning Objective 4: Summarize theories of suicide bombing.
  • Types of Suicide Attacks:
    • Historical perspective tracks three major types.
    • Suicide bombers generally believe they are serving a higher cause.
  • Statistics:
    • Noteworthy decline in global suicide attacks post-2015, attributed to counterterrorism efforts.

5-5 Tactical Misunderstandings and Gender

Learning Objective 5: Describe the roles women play in terrorism.
  • Cultural Stereotypes:
    • Perception that women are non-combatants in terrorism.
  • Gendered Participation:
    • Tactical roles differ based across organizational ideology.
    • Women have taken significant roles in revolutionary movements.
5-5a Tactical Roles and Organization
  • Influence of Ideology on Women’s Roles:
    • Women more frequently gain combat roles in domestic terrorist organizations.

5-6 Tactical Considerations

  • How Mission Affects Recruitment:
    • Groups targeting different ends (e.g., revolutionary vs. religious) employ varying tactics.
  • Tactical Effectiveness of Gender:
    • The strategic use of women as suicide bombers underscores tactical oversights in national security.

Chapter Review

Emphasizing the Points
  • Terrorism employs straightforward tactics but in innovative applications, leading to complex implications on national security.
    • Key Takeaways:
    • The impact of technology, media, and religion on terrorism leads to force multipliers, enhancing the danger posed by terrorists.
    • Understanding the dynamics of gender roles is crucial to an effective counterterror strategy.