Mark S. Hamm
Criminology Department
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809
"This project was supported by Grant No. 2003-DT-CX-0002 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice."
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This research systematically examines the major terrorism trials of our times. Those trials involve a number of terrorism cases both foreign and domestic in nature. In summarizing concisely both the varieties and the specific techniques of criminal activity within various terrorist organizations, the study shows that terrorist-oriented criminality does, indeed, have distinguishing features.
International jihad groups are statistically more likely than domestic right-wing groups to commit aircraft and motor vehicle-related crimes; violations of explosive materials; and firearms violations. Right-wing domestic groups are more likely to commit mail fraud; racketeering; robbery/burglary; and violations involving machine guns and destructive devices.
The main finding of the study is that the most successful method of both detecting and prosecuting cases of terrorism is through the pursuit of conventional criminal investigations. By analyzing past successful prosecutions and the evidence accumulated from studying them, the research strongly suggests that the best practices of investigators should be directed to crimes that facilitate the operation of complex organizations. A clear pattern of precursor activity across diverse terrorist organizations is discovered. The study shows that all terrorist organizations require money, material, transportation, identity documents, communication systems, and safe havens to accomplish their aims. Crimes that finance these operations should be the top priority for investigators.
These crimes reflect the natural history and culture of each organization. The study indicates that bank robbery, credit card theft, document counterfeiting, motor vehicle violations, and money laundering are the types of crimes that those charged with combating terrorism should focus on. As such, this research reduces the problem of terrorism to its simple common denominators, thereby removing the mystery that shrouds these groups. Once the hype surrounding terrorism is removed, we are able to see the vulnerabilities of such organizations.
The case studies and content analysis indicate that the opportunities and skills associated with criminal successes and failures are contingent upon historical and cultural factors as well. Jihad groups rely on low-level operatives to perform menial criminal acts necessary for a terrorist attack. They are recruited less for their criminal skills than for their connections to local communities and attendant opportunities to exploit routine activities. Jihad leaders with specialized training are responsible for successes in the areas of surveillance, financing, communications, breaching airline security, smuggling explosives, and bomb-building.
Unlike the jihadists, domestic right-wing groups recruit individuals specifically for their criminal skills. Typically headed by charismatic leaders, domestic groups are most successful at acquiring false identity documents, manufacturing illegal firearms, armored truck and bank robbery, and murder. They are surveillance experts, often spending weeks taking into account every moment in the taken-for-granted order of daily routines in and around their targets.
Yet none of these terrorists are the “criminal masterminds” we have been led to believe they are. The greatest failures of jihad groups involve cultural conflicts that manifest themselves in such seemingly innocuous crimes as passport fraud, immigration infractions, and traffic violations. Yet their Achilles heel is an inability to cross international borders without attracting attention. Jihadists are inexperienced criminals who often fail to conceal incriminating evidence. Likewise, often they do not display the criminal skills necessary to transform opportunity into terrorism, nor do they setup contingencies in the event that their terrorist plots go awry.
Domestic terrorists fail in different ways. They are failures when it comes to counterfeiting, theft, arson, constructing weapons of mass destruction, and maintaining internal security. Yet their greatest failure has been the showcasing of imagery and style. While jihad groups do not use appearances or panache to make ironic statements about their violence, domestic terrorists present themselves as entertainers, thereby turning terrorism into performance. And this is their Achilles heel.
Yet the research also demonstrates that there are some important similarities among these organizations. One of the most compelling findings of the research is the discovery of attempts made by domestic terrorists to forge alliances with international jihad groups. Similarly, both domestic and international terrorists have financed their operations through counterfeiting. Both domestic and international groups have stolen arms, explosives, and equipment from military installations. Both have exploited military training for terrorist purposes. And both have engaged in assassination.
If criminal activity is the lifeblood of terrorist groups, then choking off the blood supply begins with identifying these sorts of similarities and differences. This research does so by couching the distinguishing features of terrorist-oriented criminality in the social learning and routine activity perspectives. For in the end, history shows that the FBI’s most successful terrorism investigations have recognized these criminological implications.
Posted on 05 November 2005 @ 05:20