DATE= 11/18/97 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-38116 TITLE=TERRORISM ON TRIAL (PART ONE) BYLINE=JIM MALONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS ITS HANDS FULL AT THE MOMENT DEALING WITH A RASH OF TERRORISM TRIALS, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. IN THE FIRST OF TWO REPORTS, V-O-A NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE EXAMINES SOME OF THE MAJOR TERRORISM CASES EITHER JUST CONCLUDED OR CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS, BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. TEXT: FROM NEW YORK CITY TO SACREMENTO, CALIFORNIA, FROM DENVER, COLORADO, TO FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, TERRORISM IS ON TRIAL HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. RECENT MONTHS HAVE SEEN AN UNUSUAL CONVERGENCE OF TERRORIST TRIALS MOVE INTO THE U-S COURT SYSTEM. ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT, THERE IS THE CASE OF RAMZI YOUSEF AND THE CONVICTED WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBERS IN NEW YORK AND THE CASE OF MIR AMAL KASI, CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE 1993 SHOOTING RAMPAGE IN FRONT OF C-I-A HEADQUARTERS OUTSIDE WASHINGTON. BUT TWO IMPORTANT DOMESTIC TERRORISM TRIALS ARE JUST BEGINING--THE SO-CALLED UNABOMBER CASE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE TRIAL OF A SECOND MAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE 1995 BOMBING OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY. JEFFREY SIMON TRACKS TERRORISM TRENDS FOR A LIVING AND IS PRESIDENT OF A RISK ASSESSMENT COMPANY IN LOS ANGELES. /// SIMON ACT. /// THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN REMARKABLE IN THE UNITED STATES IN RECENT YEARS IN THAT WE REALLY HAVE AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY IN TERRORISM AND TERRORIST TRIALS. WE HAVE THE HOME-GROWN AMERICAN TYPE OF TERRORIST SUCH AS THE (CONVICTED OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBER) TIMOTHY MCVEIGHS AND (SUSPECTED ACCOMPLICE) TERRY NICHOLS' AND (ACCUSED UNABOMBER) THEODORE KACZYNSKIS' AND THEN WE HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS WHO HAVE STRUCK ON AMERICA. /// END ACT. /// /// OPT /// IN TERMS OF COURTROOM ACTION, THE SPOTLIGHT NOW SHIFTS BACK TO DOMESTIC TERRORISM. THE MURDER TRIAL OF SUSPECTED UNABOMBER THEODORE KACZYNSKI CONTINUES IN SACREMENTO. HE IS ACCUSED SENDING BOMBS THROUGH THE MAIL, KILLING THREE PEOPLE. MEANWHILE, A JURY IN DENVER HEARS EVIDENCE IN THE CASE OF TERRY NICHOLS WHO IS ALLEGED TO HAVE HELPED CONVICTED BOMBER TIMOTHY MCVEIGH PLAN THE 1995 ATTACK ON THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY. /// END OPT /// EVEN AS SOME TRIALS CONCLUDE AND OTHERS GO FOWARD, TERRORISM EXPERTS IN THIS COUNTRY WORRY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TERRORIST CONVICTIONS ABROAD. HARVEY KUSHNER HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ABOUT TERRORISM AND IS A PROFESSOR OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK. /// KUSHNER ACT. /// THE POINT IS THAT WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A CLOSURE TO THESE (TERRORISM) CASES. THESE WILL BE CONVICTED CASES, THEY WILL BE SENTENCED AND LOCKED AWAY (IN THE CASE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBERS) FOR LIFE. THIS POSES A PROBLEM FOR US BECAUSE THEY ARE SYMBOLS THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, A THORN IN THE SIDE OF AMERICA PLACED IN A FEDERAL PENITENTIARY. /// END ACT. /// SYMBOLS LIKE SHEIK OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN NOW SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN A U-S PRISON FOR HIS 1995 CONVICTIONS ON PLOTTING TO BLOW UP THE UNITED NATIONS AND PLANNING TO ASSASSINATE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK. /// OPT /// IN FACT, SHEIK OMAR IMPRISONMENT MAY BE LINKED TO MONDAY'S BLOODY ATTACK ON TOURISTS NEAR LUXOR, EGYPT. A STATEMENT RELEASED BY EGYPT'S LEADING ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUP CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MASSACRE AND SAID THE GROUP HAD HOPED INITIALLY TO TAKE HOSTAGES IN A BID TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF SHEIK RAHMAN. /// END OPT /// SOME TERRORISM EXPERTS HERE WORRY THAT LONGTERM IMPRISONMENT OF FOREIGN TERRORISTS IN THE UNITED STATES INVITES THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE ATTACKS AND HOSTAGE-TAKING ATTEMPTS, EITHER AGAINST AMERICANS OVERSEAS OR PERHAPS EVEN AGAINST U-S CITIZENS AT HOME. NEIL LIVINGSTONE HEADS A CRISIS MANAGEMENT FIRM HERE IN WASHINGTON AND HAS WRITTEN NINE BOOKS ON TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY TOPICS. /// LIVINGSTONE ACT. /// WELL, SOME OF US BELIEVE ACTUALLY THAT WE ARE MORE AT RISK NOW WHILE THEY (CONVICTED TERRORISTS) ARE IN JAIL BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS THE INCENTIVE TO SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ELSEWHERE WHO DO NOT THINK THROUGH THE ISSUES VERY WELL THAT THEY CAN SOMEHOW PERHAPS GRAB HOSTAGES SOMEPLACE AND MAYBE TRADE THOSE HOSTAGES FOR THE IMPRISONED TERRORIST OR THEIR IMPRISONED FAMILY MEMBER. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, OF COURSE, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT. /// END ACT. /// /// OPT /// BUT AS THE U-S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM GRINDS AHEAD, U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED NOT ONLY WITH THREATS FROM ABROAD BUT ALSO WITH THE THREAT FROM WITHIN. THE 1995 BOMBING OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY WAS CARRIED OUT IN PART AS REVENGE FOR THE 1993 FEDERAL ASSAULT ON THE BRANCH DAVIDIAN COMPOUND NEAR WACO, TEXAS. AND TERRORISM EXPERT JEFRREY SIMON SAYS AMERICANS STILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT HOME-GROWN TERRORISM MAY BE AS MUCH OF A THREAT AS THE IMPORTED VARIETY. /// SIMON ACT. /// IN ONE WAY WE CAN SAY THAT AMERICA IS SOMEWHAT, UNFORTUNATELY, CATCHING UP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD IN EXPERIENCING THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE ON ITS OWN SOIL. AND AS WE FOUND OUT WITH OKLAHOMA CITY, IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS WHO STRIKE BUT IT COULD BE PEOPLE WHO WE THOUGHT WERE OUR OWN NEIGHBORS. /// END ACT. /// /// END OPT /// TERRORISM EXPERTS HERE NOW QUESTION WHETHER THE UNITED STATES IS WILLING TO ACCEPT THE RISKS WHICH COME WITH CONVICTING AND IMPRISONING FOREIGN TERRORISTS, RISKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO ATTACKS ON AMERICANS ABROAD OR PERHAPS FRESH ATTEMPTS TO TARGET AMERICAN CIVILIANS AND INSTITUTIONS AT HOME. /// OPT /// I'LL HAVE MORE ON THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF PROSECUTING TERRORISTS IN MY NEXT REPORT. /// END OPT /// (SIGNED) NEB/JBM/EH 18-Nov-97 1:55 PM EST (1855 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .