Terrorists -- What Are They Like. How Some Terrorists Describe Their World and Actions

摘要

To improve their defenses against possible forms of terrorist attack, it is important that security planners learn as much as possible about the nature of the adversary. This Note uses what little primary material is available at this time (i.e., written or spoken statements by captured or defected terrorists about themselves and their colleagues) to examine what kind of people terrorists are, why they become terrorists, how they feel and operate in that outlaw condition, and why they quit, as some of them have done. It also explores what happens inside the terrorist group, how plans are made and operations are carried out, what satisfactions and frustrations group members experience, what forces of cohesion and disintegration work upon the group, and how terrorists view the future. The Note consists of four parts: (1) an Introduction, which is a very brief critical discussion of the existing literature on the terrorist mentality and the perceived ideological origins of terrorism; (2) descriptive sketches of the terrorist individual based on interviews and autobiographical writings; (3) a discussion of the workings inside terrorist groups from sources who have themselves been members of such groups; and (4) conclusions, in which the author attempts to distill some vulnerabilities of terrorists that may be of use to security planners. The principal sources for this report are four former terrorists who have given in- depth interviews and one who has given sketchy history of himself. One of the sources also has written a book about himself and his experiences. Of the sources, two defected from the terrorist world and are now living underground, hiding out both from the authorities and from their former colleagues. The other three were apprehended and tried and are now serving time in prison. The five sources are: Michael Baumann, Hans-Joachim Klein, Zvonko Busic, Kozo Okamoto, and Horst Mahler.