Exploding the Myths of Superterrorism

Terrorism and Political Violence

Volumn 11, Issue 4, 1999, Pages 133-148

  Claridge, David ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0033262276     PISSN: 09546553     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/09546559908427536     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. The term 'superterrorism' may first have been used by Yonah Alexander in his article 'Superterrorism: a Global Threat', World & I, 86/3 (June 1993) pp.86-92, and was subsequently adopted by Stephen Sloan, during discussions at the US Army War College in May 1995.
2. Brian Michael Jenkins, Will Terrorists Go Nuclear (Santa Monica, CA; RAND Corp 1974), No. P-5541.
3. Walter Laqueur, 'Postmodern Terrorism', Foreign Affairs 75/5 (September/October 1996) pp.24-36.
4. For a discussion of this sort see Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism (London: Victor Gollancz 1998) pp.200-205.
5. Ehud Sprinzak, 'The Great Superterrorism Scare', Foreign Policy No. 112 (Fall 1998) pp.110-125, p.112.
6. Judith Miller and William J. Broad, 'Clinton Describes Terrorism Threat for 21st Century', New York Times, 22 January 1999.
7. st Century, White House Press Release, 22 January 1999.
8. Judith Miller and William J. Broad, 'Exercise Finds US Unable to Handle Germ Threat', New York Times, 26 April 1998.
9. During 1999 a rash of publications on WMD terrorism were made available by authors such as Walter Laqueur, Richard A. Falkenrath and Nadine Gurr, all taking a prosuperterrorism approach. See also James K. Campbell, Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism (Seminole, Fla.: Interpact 1997).
10. William J. Broad and Judith Miller, 'The Threat of Germ Weapons Is Rising. Fear, Too', New York Times, 27 December 1998.
11. In fact, unlike chemical or biological terrorism, radiological terrorism has been used by a conventional terrorist group: Chechen insurgents in November 1995. Obtaining radiological material is almost as simple as acquiring lethal chemicals, and probably more so than biological agents. See Bruce Hoffman with David Claridge, 'Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear Materials', Conflict Studies No. 314/315 (January/February 1999).
12. 'Daily News from Israel', The Mid-East Dispatch Vol. 2/094, 14 April 1998, http://www.ipub.com.
13. In fact there was very little panic over the reports, and the story soon fell from the headlines. For details see Philip Webster et al., 'Anthrax Alert on Duty Free Spirits', The Times (London), 24 March 1998.
14. 'US Indictment: "Detonated an Explosive Device"', New York Times, 5 November 1998.
15. Benjamin Weiser, 'As Trade Center Smouldered, Suspect Watched, Jury Hears', New York Times, 23 October 1997.
16. See Terrorism in the USA Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (Monterey, CA: Monterey Institute of International Studies 1998) for a list of incidents. Also on CD-ROM.
17. Jessica Stern, The Ultimate Terrorists (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press 1999) pp.1-3 and Richard K. Betts, 'The New Threat of Mass Destruction', Foreign Affairs 77/1 (January/February 1998).
18. Jessica Stern, The Ultimate Terrorists (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press 1999) pp.1-3 and Richard K. Betts, 'The New Threat of Mass Destruction', Foreign Affairs 77/1 (January/February 1998).
19. For example, Bruce Hoffman links the two bombings on US soil with the Aum Shinrikyo Sarin attack, on the basis of religious motivation, using the incidents to identify a trend of increased acceptance of high fatalities, see note 4, p.200.
20. For example, James K. Campbell (note 9) and Jessica Stern (note 17) pp.8-10.
21. For example, James K. Campbell (note 9) and Jessica Stern (note 17) pp.8-10.
22. The most recent published version of the RAND Chronology is Bruce Hoffman and David Claridge, 'The RAND-St Andrews Chronology of International Terrorism 1996', Terrorism and Political Violence 10/2 (Summer 1998) pp.135-180.
23. Ehud Sprinzak (note 5) p.112.
24. Joseph W. Foxell, Jr., 'The Prospect of Nuclear and Biological Terrorism', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 5/2 (June 1997) pp.98-108, p.101.
25. For the fullest account of the Aum case see David Kaplan and Andrews Marshall, To the Ends of the Earth (New York: Crown 1996).
26. Entries in RAND Database of Chemical and Biological Terrorism Incidents.
27. Harris was referring specifically to biological weapons, and was in fact talking about their advantages. Associated Press, 20 February 1999.
28. For example, according to the RAND Chronology, in 1996 there was just one international terrorist attack in North America, compared with 88 in Europe and 43 in Latin America. Bruce Hoffman and David Claridge (note 20) p.143.
29. EPA's Role in Counter-Terrorism Activities, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste Management and Emergency Response, EPA 550-F-98-014, February 1998, p.1.
30. ABC News, 11 February 1999, http://abcnews.go.com:80/sections/tech/DailyNews/chemplants990211.html.
31. CBS News, 7 March 1999, http://www.cbs.com:80/prdl/now/template.display? p_story=133946&p_who=network.
32. Allen Arthur, 'Guinea Pigs?' Salon Magazine, 13 May 1999, http://www. salonmagazine.com:80/health/feature/1999/05/13/anthrax/print.html.
33. Jerrold Post and Ehud Sprinzak, 'Why Haven't Terrorists Used Weapons of Mass Destruction', Armed Forces Journal (April 1998) pp.16-17, p.17.