Sociology and Psychology of Teerrorist and Why_, The - Rex A. Hudson, Marylin Majeska.pdf - Sociology and Psychology of Tmes a Terrorist and Why_, The - colette87

THE SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF TERRORISM:

WHO BECOMES A TERRORIST AND WHY?

A Report Prepared under an Interagency Agreement

by the Federal Research Division,

Library of Congress

September 1999

Author: Rex A. Hudson

Editor: Marilyn Majeska

Project Managers: Andrea M. Savada

Helen C. Metz

Federal Research Division

Library of Congress

Washington, D.C. 20540–4840

Tel: 202–707–3900

Fax: 202–707–3920

E-Mail: frds@loc.gov

Homepage: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/

Dear Reader:

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of Congress under an Interagency Agreement with the sponsoring United States

Government agency.

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research unit and has served United States Government agencies since 1948. At the

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Federal Research Division

Library of Congress

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E-mail: rwor@loc.gov

PREFACE

The purpose of this study is to focus attention on the types of individuals and

groups that are prone to terrorism (see Glossary) in an effort to help improve U.S.

counterterrorist methods and policies.

The emergence of amorphous and largely unknown terrorist individuals and

groups operating independently (freelancers) and the new recruitment patterns of

some groups, such as recruiting suicide commandos, female and child terrorists,

and scientists capable of developing weapons of mass destruction, provide a

measure of urgency to increasing our understanding of the psychological and

sociological dynamics of terrorist groups and individuals. The approach used in

this study is twofold. First, the study examines the relevant literature and

assesses the current knowledge of the subject. Second, the study seeks to

develop psychological and sociological profiles of foreign terrorist individuals and

selected groups to use as case studies in assessing trends, motivations, likely

behavior, and actions that might deter such behavior, as well as reveal

vulnerabilities that would aid in combating terrorist groups and individuals.

Because this survey is concerned not only with assessing the extensive literature

on sociopsychological aspects of terrorism but also providing case studies of

about a dozen terrorist groups, it is limited by time constraints and data

availability in the amount of attention that it can give to the individual groups, let

alone individual leaders or other members. Thus, analysis of the groups and

leaders will necessarily be incomplete. A longer study, for example, would allow

for the collection and study of the literature produced by each group in the form

of autobiographies of former members, group communiqués and manifestos,

news media interviews, and other resources. Much information about the

terrorist mindset (see Glossary) and decision-making process can be gleaned

from such sources. Moreover, there is a language barrier to an examination of the

untranslated literature of most of the groups included as case studies herein.

Terrorism databases that profile groups and leaders quickly become outdated,

and this report is no exception to that rule. In order to remain current, a terrorism

database ideally should be updated periodically. New groups or terrorist leaders

may suddenly emerge, and if an established group perpetrates a major terrorist

incident, new information on the group is likely to be reported in news media.

Even if a group appears to be quiescent, new information may become available

about the group from scholarly publications.

There are many variations in the transliteration for both Arabic and Persian. The

academic versions tend to be more complex than the popular forms used in the

news media and by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). Thus, the

latter usages are used in this study. For example, although Ussamah bin Ladin is

the proper transliteration, the more commonly used Osama bin Laden is used in

this study.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE....................................................... i

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: MINDSETS OF MASS DESTRUCTION............. 1

New Types of Post-Cold War Terrorists.......................... 1

New Forms of Terrorist-Threat Scenarios ........................ 5

INTRODUCTION ................................................ 9

TERMS OF ANALYSIS ........................................... 11

Defining Terrorism and Terrorists ............................. 11

Terrorist Group Typologies .................................. 14

APPROACHES TO TERRORISM ANALYSIS ........................... 15

The Multicausal Approach................................... 15

The Political Approach...................................... 15

The Organizational Approach ................................ 16

The Physiological Approach ................................. 15

The Psychological Approach ................................. 18

GENERAL HYPOTHESES OF TERRORISM ............................ 19

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis ............................ 19

Negative Identity Hypothesis................................. 20

Narcissistic Rage Hypothesis................................. 20

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE TERRORIST ............................. 22

Terrorist Motivation........................................ 22

The Process of Joining a Terrorist Group........................ 24

The Terrorist as Mentally Ill.................................. 26

The Terrorist as Suicidal Fanatic .............................. 31

Fanatics ........................................... 31

Suicide Terrorists .................................. 32

Terrorist Group Dynamics ................................... 34

Pressures to Conform .............................. 36

Pressures to Commit Acts of Violence ................ 37

Terrorist Rationalization of Violence .................. 38

The Terrorist’s Ideological or Religious Perception................. 41

TERRORIST PROFILING.......................................... 43

iii

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