Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies
Another interesting read from RAND; this one goes well with their earlier two-volume study on terrorist organizational learning mentioned in another thread.
Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies
Quote:
Technical countermeasures are key components of national efforts to combat terrorist violence. Efforts to collect data about and disrupt terrorist activities through human intelligence and direct action, information gathering, and protective technologies complement technical countermeasures, helping to ensure that terrorists are identified, their ability to plan and stage attacks is limited, and, if those attacks occur, their impact is contained.
Given the potential effect of such measures on the terrorists’ capabilities, it is not surprising that they act to reduce or neutralize the impact of defensive technologies on their activities. In the event that the terrorists’ counterefforts are successful, the value and protection provided by defensive technologies can be substantially reduced. Through case studies of terrorist struggles in a number of nations, this document analyzes the nature and impact of such terrorist counterefforts on the value of defensive technologies deployed against them.
Contents
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Palestinian Terrorist Groups
Chapter Three: Jemaah Islamiyah and Affiliated Groups
Chapter Four: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Chapter Five: Provisional Irish Republican Army
Chapter Six: Conclusions: Understanding Terrorists’ Countertechnology Efforts
Appendix: Prominent Acts of LTTE Suicide Terrorism, 1987–2002