Acts of International Terrorism

Abstract

This article examines a particular form of low-level conflict known as international terrorism. The failure in the international arena to cope and curb this form of political violence forced governments to seek out and design various avenues of response. The focus then is on confrontational terrorism that includes instances of hostage takings, kidnappings, and skyjackings. The common denominator to these incidents is the specific and tangible demands that terrorists attempt to extract from the targeted states. On the other hand, the study explores the various policies and approaches adopted by governments in their efforts to thwart acts of international terrorism. Thus, the analysis will be couched in the form of cost and benefit calculations. The data for the analysis is the hostage file included in the ITERATE II data base compiled by Edward Mickolus. The findings of the article point out that governments tend to adopt hardline policies for dealing with terrorists holding hostages. However, we have to distinguish between declared policies and practices. The majority of governments prefer to practice those harsh policies rather than declare them publicly and to apply a “deterrence by denial” approach. Governments are increasingly willing to use force to resolve terrorist incidents and some have adopted harsh authoritarian measures, especially in Latin America. Targeted states have diverted resources to combat terrorism, and have developed an array of counter-measures.