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)
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Source: Voice of America
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