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munications-and train anti-terrorist
squads to be instantly ready when–
ever an incident occurs." For even
greater effectiveness, these individ–
ual national agencies could then co–
operate closely with each other,
possibly even forming a common
unified international police com–
mand.
Stiffer punishments for convicted
terroris ts- including the death pen–
alty- a re also seen by many as a
de terrent to terrorism.
A few have advocated even
stronger measures, including pre–
ventive detention and restrictions on
travel for suspected terrorists, prohi–
bition of prívate gun ownership, of–
ficial identity cards for every citizen,
barring individuals with links to
radical groups from civil service
jobs, and the like. Proponents of this
approach point to countries such as
Iran, where tight security measures
have made it extremely difficult for
enemies of the Shah to opera te.
Critics of this approach a rgue,
plausibly, that the inevitable result
would be a repressive, authorita rian
police state and the loss of civil lib–
erties. But if the terrorist situation
worsens appreciably, there may be
no choice. Says Rand's Brian Jen–
kins: "1 think we may see govern–
ments in frustration opting fo r
measures that will result in the re–
duction ofliberties."
Cu rbs on the media a re a lso
viewed as a possible preventive
measure against terrorism. If the
sensationalism and glamorization of
terrorism imparted by media cov–
erage were eliminated, and terrorists
could no longer be assured of the
extensive worldwide publici ty for
their causes, sorne feel it would put
a definite darnper on terrorist activ–
ity. Sorne police departments have
gone on record as stating that if re–
sponsible media self-censorship is
not forthcoming, they will be forced
to ba r the media from vicinities
where terrorist incidents are in
progress.
F inally, since terrorism is a prob–
lem of global proportions, many
have suggested that formal inter–
oationallegal conventions be drawn
up to deal with it. Proposed anti–
terrorist pacts would impose sanc–
tions against natioos coUuding with
terrorists or failing to punish appre-
18
hended terrorists; provide for the
extradition of terrorists; a llow for
the crossing of na tio nal borders by
police in pursuit of terrorists; stan–
dardize national policies for han–
dling ierrorist si tua tions, and so on.
For years, however, the United
Nations has not even been able to
come up with a generally accepted
definition of terrorism, much less
tough international laws against it.
The oft-heard statement tha t "one
man's terrorist is another man's
freedom fighter" is a t the root of the
problem. With the majority of its
member nations customarily sup–
porting anything anti-Western, up
to and including terrorism, there
seems little hope tha t the U.N. will
come up with any sort of com–
prehensive and meaningful anti-ter–
rorist program. Certain regional
cooperative agreements, however,
might eventually be seen among the
nations of Western Europe and the
United States, for example.
Precautions against terrorism, ob–
viously, can be taken only up to a
point. Terrorists, knowing when and
where they will strike, a lways have
the advantage. How, then, should
police deal with an incident when it
does erupt?
Once terrorists demonstrate they
a re willing to
kili
or be killed for
their cause, there is no su re method
of dealing with them. No one re–
sponse can be expected to get the
same results in every case.
Rul ing out tota l capitulation to
their demands, most officials advo–
cate a
flexible
response- the use of
different tactics for each special situ–
ation, and shifts in tactics as the
situation changes. Such tactics in–
elude negotia tions, deals, sta lling for
time, and in sorne cases strong-arm
rescue or assault opera tions.
Officials generally agree that
overreaclion can be more dangerous
than the immedia te si tuation itself.
Often the best approach is a slow,
careful one- waiting it out and tak–
ing no precipitate action. The Israelí
Entebbe rescue cannot, in most
cases, be used as a model for re–
sponding to terrorism. The element
of surprise is not a lways possible.
Perilous Times
To the majority of people who have
not been victims of terrorism, the
te rrorist threat is a remole and ab–
stract thing. But if the experts are
right, more and more people on an
increasingly wider scale are going to
be touched by its effects in the years
just ahead .
The problem of terrorism, like the
worldwide epidemic of crime, was
predicted centuries ago in the pages
of the Bible. Jesus prophesied that
conditions in the world in the "latter
days" would mirror the chaotic state
of the earth in Noah's time- an evil
and corrupt world filled with vio–
lence (compare Luke 17:26 with
Genesis 6:5, 11). The apost le Paul
a lso warned
(JI
Timothy 3) that "in
the las t days
perilous times sha/1
come."
The Bible pictures an end-time
world filled with lawlessness a nd
hate; a world split by factions and
international disputes; an era of
rampant, indiscrimina te violence
and murder inspired by Satan the
devil- the origina l murderer (John
8:44).
Only Real Answer
As long as the inft uence of Satan
remains on the earth, terrorism and
crime will continue to increase.
When Satan is finally restrained
(Rev. 20:2-3) and God's millennial
rule is es tablished over the earth.
violence will be eradicated and last–
ing peace and tranquility will be re–
alized on a global basis. In that day,
Satan's way of vanity, jealousy, lust,
hatred and greed will be replaced
by God's way of loving, giving and
serving.
The CIA study declares: "All
told, transnational terrorism prom–
ises to pose a continuing and poten–
tially gravely unsettling problem for
the world community until such
time- possibly years hence- that the
intemational system gets into new
and genera lly accepted contours."
Those new "contours" will be
provided by the soon-coming gov–
ernmen t of God over the earth.
Only the Kingdom of God can res–
cue this world from tbe scourge of
vio lence and terror which has beset
it from the beginning of history, and
wbich now threatens to engulf it toa
greater degree than ever before.
It
is
a seemingly simplistic solution to
sorne, but it is the only
real
an–
swer. O
The
PLAIN TRUTH
June
1977