US Army Counterterrorism Manual

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS TERRORISM?
Terrorism, for the purposes of this training circular, is defined as the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals, often political or ideological in nature, by intimidation, or coercion. Terrorism is a criminal act, sometimes sysbolic in nature, intended to influence an audience beyond the immediate victims.
Terrorism say be used by either individuals or groups to achieve goals. It is a tool which can be used to great effect by skilled practitioners.

Often groups turn to acts of terror to obtain their goals when other means (political process,, mass demonstrations, media attention) have failed. Generally, groups attempting to achieve their goals through repeated acts of terrorism have met with enough success to sustain their faith in terror as an effective weapon. When terror succeeds,, terrorist gains are large. There is wide publicity large sums of money may be obtained significant political concessions are made. When terror fails, terrorist losses are small. Few terrorists are killed or imprisoned.

Unless terrorism is prevented, terrorists will continue their activities because they know there is: Virtual certainty of gaining wide publicity whenever that is one of the terrorist goals
* Likelihood that all members of the terrorist team will escape
punishment or death whether or not they successfully seize hostage
* A chance that all or some demands will be met
* The possibility of full compliance with such demands
* Great likelihood of success where safe passage or exit is the sole demand
* Great likelihood that if demands are rejected all or nearly ail members of the terrorist team can still escape by going underground, accepting safe passage in place of their original demands,or surrendering to a sympathetic government.
YOU CAN HELP TO COUNTER TERRORISM AT YOUR INSTALLATION THROUGH GOOD, DETAILED COUNTERTERRORISM PLANNING.