Goal #7 Objective A


Objective A:
Without the use of the course text or class notes, the student will identify specialized investigative aspects for terrorism.
The investigation of terrorism is really not much different than other investigations.

Specialized investigative aspects for terrorism

Definition
The People Involved
Physical Evidence
Records
Follow-up Activities

terrorism -
A synthesis of war and theater, a dramatization of the most proscribed kind of violence - that which is perpetrated on innocent victims - played before an audience in the hope of creating a mood of fear, for political purposes.

Crucial Components of "terrorism"

violence -
Terrorism is fundamentally a violent act. Non-violent demonstrations are not terrorist act.

Violence - the threat of violence and the willingness to commit violence - is fundamental to terrorism.

The violence need not be carried out - it only needs to be known that the potential for violence was present. People will conclude for themselves how endangered they were personally or as a society.

audience -
In order for terrorism to effective, the act must be shocking. When an event is shocking, it captures the attention of the population.

This "shock factor" erodes the feeling of security in the population.

mood of fear -
Unlike other acts of murder and warfare, acts of terrorism are meant to disturb the population, to cause them to feel less secure in their environment. The event is most usually only tangently related to the ends sought. Events of terror are crafted to create a mood of terror in the "audience."

What makes terrorism different, particularly from a motive perspective, is that these people carry out their actions not for monetary or personal gain, but instead as a means to support a movement or belief.

The People Involved -
People involved in the investigation of terrorism

victims/witnesses -
The difference between terrorism and other warfare or crimes is that it is perpetrated deliberately on innocent third parties in an effort to coerce the opposing party or persons into some desired political course of action.

With a terrorist incident it is likely an investigator will be confronted with a large number of both victims and witnesses. The same investigative strategy discussed in homicide and other violent crime investigations should be employed with terrorism.

Detailed interviews should be conducted to determine:

suspect(s) -
In terrorism incidents, the person committing the act is usually affiliated with a particular group or belief. This is where the investigation of terrorism begins to stray just a little from conventional homicide and assault investigations.

The investigator should make use of available intelligence on likely or specific groups. The identification of likley or specific groups can be halpful in narrowing the list of potential suspects.

Categories of terrorist groups

Intelligence sources within the law enforcement community may be able to identify specific people within the group that may have committed similar acts in the past. Which may provide a specific focus for the investigation.

Physical Evidence -
Again, good investigative practices are important to an investigation of a terrorist act. The location of the attack should be treated like any other crime scene.

Good evidence collection and preservation practices are central to an effective investigation.

Common methods of attack in terrorist incidents

bombing -
Common explosives used in terrorist attacks in the US

Common methods of explosive delivery in terrorist attacks in the US

chemical -
Chemical attacks use primarily nerve agents which are odorless and colorless. They are normally delivered in normally fatal doses. The most recent use of chemical agents was in a Tokyo subway in 1995 where 11 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

Chemicals are introduced into the air of the target and the chemicals are not usually detected until it is too late to avoid injury and sometimes death.

ecological -
Ecological attacks are primarily aimed at people whose work is perceived as destroying the environment, like lumbering. The method of attack is generally driving metal spikes into trees to hurt persons who try to cut the trees down with chain saws. The industrial equipment is also a target of attack in this type of terrorism.

assassination -
Assassination is usually carried out with bombs or firearms.

Terrorist assassinations are generally planned in advance. The terrorist will usually try to mislead and disguise in a variety of ways. This could cause the tracing of an event to a particular suspect shortly after the event difficult. Leads could point to various locations and additional physical evidence.

The key here is to not jump to a conclusion or form a hypothesis early in the investigation.

kidnapping -
With terristic kidnapping, it is important to determine the reason for the kidnapping; money, political concession, or to try their "political prisoner."

The initial crime scene will be the location where the victim is taken, and other scenes may develop quickly.

Records -
Law enforcement intelligence files are the primary records of concern in a terrorist incident.

It may be to the advantage of the investigation to have multiple law enforcement agencies involved. Such involvement may open wider intelligence resources of many agencies, rather than just one or two.

The sharing of intelligence resources makes the use of an investigative task force a sensible investigative tool. In a terrorist investigation a task force offers the highest probability for successful resolution.

Follow-up Activities -
Because individuals involved in terrorist acts are likely to have arrest records or other confrontations with authority, there are several other areas that can be used for investigative follow-up.

Terrorism Investigative Follow-Up



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