DATE=8/1/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-37156
TITLE=U-S TERRORISM THREATS
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:   THE DISCOVERY OF AN ALLEGED TERRORIST PLOT IN NEW YORK 
HAS SPARKED RENEWED CONCERN ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF THE UNITED
STATES TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ATTACKS. TERRORISM EXPERTS SAY 
THERE IS PLENTY TO BE AFRAID OF. BUT THEY ALSO SAY THE UNITED 
STATES COULD BE DOING MORE TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM TERRORIST 
THREATS, BE THEY FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC. V-O-A NATIONAL 
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS A REPORT.    

TEXT:  FOR MANY YEARS, AMERICANS SAW TERRORISM AS SOMETHING THAT 
HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE 1993 BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE 
CENTER IN NEW YORK AND THE 1995 ATTACK ON THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN
OKLAHOMA CITY CHANGED ALL THAT.

NEIL LIVINGSTONE RUNS A CRISIS MANAGEMENT FIRM HERE IN WASHINGTON
AND HAS WRITTEN NINE BOOKS ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.

                    /// LIVINGSTONE ACT. ///

         BUT WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING, IT DEMONSTRATED
         THAT A GROUP OF RELATIVELY UNSOPHISTICATED BOMBERS COULD
         COME VERY CLOSE TO CREATING A MAJOR CATASTROPHE HERE IN 
         THE UNITED STATES. AND I THINK THAT STIMULATED OTHER 
         MIDDLE EASTERN GROUPS TO SAY, 'WELL, MAYBE THE F-B-I IS 
         NOT TEN FEET TALL AND THE C-I-A AND SO ON, MAYBE THESE 
         GUYS ARE A LOT MORE VULNERABLE THAN WE THOUGHT THEY 
         ARE'. SO I THINK THAT AS WE SEE MORE VIOLENCE IN THE 
         MIDDLE EAST AND AS WE SEE AN EROSION OF THE PEACE 
         PROCESS, A CONTINUED EROSION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THAT 
         SOME OF THAT VIOLENCE MAY SPILL OVER INTO THIS COUNTRY.

                        /// END ACT. ///

/// OPT /// IN THE LATEST CASE IN NEW YORK CITY, POLICE SHOT AND 
WOUNDED TWO SUSPECTED BOMBERS AS ONE OF THEM APPARENTLY REACHED 
FOR A DETONATING DEVICE. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THEY WERE PLANNING A
SUICIDE BOMBING ATTACK ON A SUBWAY TRAIN.

TERRORISM EXPERT BRIAN JENKINS SAYS THAT PRESENTS U-S LAW 
ENFORCEMENT WITH A NEW CHALLENGE. 

                      /// JENKINS ACT. ///

         WELL, THE FACT THAT IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A SUICIDE 
         BOMB IS WORRISOME BECAUSE THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM HAS 
         HELD THAT WE WERE NOT LIKELY TO HAVE SUICIDE BOMBINGS 
         OUTSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST. THAT IS, THIS WAS A TERRORIST 
         TACTIC THAT DID NOT TRAVEL WELL BECAUSE IT WOULD 
         PROBABLY BE DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVE
         TO CARRY OUT A SUICIDE BOMBING.

                     /// END ACT & OPT. ///

TERRORISM EXPERT BRIAN JENKINS SAYS THAT FUTURE THREATS MAY COME 
MORE FROM SMALL CELLS OF COMMITTED TERRORISTS RATHER THAN SOME OF
THE LARGER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE PAST.  

                      /// JENKINS ACT. ///

         WHAT WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY IN SOME OF THESE EVENTS IN 
         THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE IS NOT THE KIND OF 
         TRADITIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITY THAT WE SAW BEFORE 
         DIRECTED BY LARGE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. BUT RATHER, 
         AD HOC CONSPIRACIES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO MONITOR AND 
         PENETRATE.

                        /// END ACT. ///

/// OPT /// DOMESTIC TERRORIST GROUPS ARE ALSO BECOMING MORE 
DIFFICULT TO PENETRATE. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN MISSOURI DID
HAVE SOME RECENT SUCCESS WITH THE ARREST OF SEVEN SUSPECTED 
MILITIA MEMBERS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO ATTACK AN ARMY BASE IN 
TEXAS. BUT MILITIA EXPERT JOEL DYER SAYS LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICIALS ARE ALREADY DEALING WITH AN EPIDEMIC OF LOW-LEVEL 
THREATS FROM DOMESTIC TERROR GROUPS. 

                        /// DYER ACT. ///

         WELL, WE ALREADY ARE. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS 
         INTERESTING IS THAT THERE IS SOMEWHERE IN THE 
         NEIGHBORHOOD OF 6-HUNDRED PIPE BOMB INCIDENTS A YEAR IN 
         THE UNITED STATES NOW. AND THAT HAS BEEN ESCALATING. SO 
         TO A LARGE DEGREE WE ARE ARE ALREADY SEEING A LOT OF 
         TERRORISM ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS. WE JUST DO NOT PUT 
         IT TOGETHER AND WE DO NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THE 
         TARGETS.

                      /// END ACT & OPT ///

EXPERTS SAY THAT THE U-S GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS 
INTELLIGENCE GATHERING TECHNIQUES TO TRACK BOTH INTERNATIONAL AND
DOMESTIC TERROR THREATS. THEY ALSO SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES 
NEEDS TO TIGHTEN UP ITS IMMIGRATION CONTROL PROCEDURES.

                        /// REST OPT ///

FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE MEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE 
FOILED BOMBING PLOT IN NEW YORK ACKNOWLEDGED ON AN IMMIGRATION 
FORM THAT HE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN ISRAEL FOR ALLEGEDLY
BELONGING TO A TERRORIST GROUP.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI SAYS IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES 
NEED TO BECOME MORE VIGILANT.  

                      ///GIULIANI ACT. ///

         IT MAKES NO SENSE TO PAROLE INTO THE UNITED STATES 
         SOMEBODY WHO IS ALLEGED TO BE PART OF A TERRORIST 
         ORGANIZATION IN A GOVERNMENT THAT IS THE ALLY OF THE 
         UNITED STATES. AND WHATEVER THE DEFENSIVENESS ABOUT IT 
         OR WORRY ABOUT IT, HOW ABOUT FROM NOW ON WE DO NOT DO IT
         AND WE WILL BE A LOT SAFER.

                        /// END ACT. ///

TERRORISM EXPERTS WARN THAT UNLESS AMERICANS ARE WILLING TO GET 
SERIOUS ABOUT PREVENTING ATTACKS BEFORE THEY OCCUR, THEY ARE 
GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO THE IDEA OF TERRORISM GAINING A 
FOOTHOLD ON AMERICAN SOIL. (SIGNED)

NEB/JBM/WFR 

01-Aug-97 2:56 PM EDT (1856 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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