9 Major Questions Terrorism Investigators Need to Know About Terrorists

September 27, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Terrorism 

Terrorist groups conspire to and actually violate laws and therefore commit criminal offenses. Some of the statutes they violate are directly connected with violent political attacks, including the illegal use of explosives and weapons. However, many of the laws that are broken by terrorists relate to raising funds for the group and gathering the means and materials required by the group in order for it to function. “Know thy enemy” is a motto that investigators should follow with respect to investigating terrorist groups and their members. It is important for the investigator to know the philosophy of the terrorist organization, how the group is structured, how it functions, how its members are governed and controlled by the group, and how they relate to other members of the organization.

The following are questions that an investigator studying a terrorist
should attempt to resolve during the course of an investigation:

Philosophy of the Group to Which the Terrorist Belongs

  • What is the political philosophy of the terrorist group to which the subject belongs?
  • What aspects of this philosophy does the subject strongly support, and what aspects does the subject least support?
  • Does the subject fully understand the group’s philosophy, and can he verbally defend it?
  • Is the group’s philosophy rational?
  • Is the philosophy based on religion, and if so, which religion?
  • Is there a “Bible” or “manifesto” that outlines the group’s philosophy?
  • Does the philosophy include deadlines and ends—is there an exact doomsday?
  • Does the philosophy revolve around one person? If so, what will occur if something happens to that person?
  • Do other terrorist groups follow similar political philosophies? If so, what keeps them from merging or keeps the subject from joining one of these other groups?
  • Does the terrorist group exclude anyone because of their race, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or for any other reason?
  • Is the political cause popular, such that many non-terrorists might lend sympathy to members of the group?
  • Did the group split from another organization, and does that other group continue to exist? If so, was the subject a part of the other group?

Group Rules and Policies with Respect to Its Members

  • Under what rules does the terrorist group permit the subject to operate?
  • Are all group members treated equally and if not, how is the subject treated in comparision with other members?
  • Is there a written document that outlines the group’s rules and regulations or operating procedures?
  • Does the subject need group permission to do certain things?
  • Does the subject live in a commune or safe house?
  • Is the subject a member of a covert cell?
  • Does the subject live totally under a false identity?
  • Is the subject forbidden to talk with law enforcement personnel?
  • Is the subject expected or permitted to carry a firearm or other weapon?
  • Does the subject receive direct financial assistance from the group, or is he (and possibly his family) entirely on his own?
  • What are the subject’s options if he is arrested, or if he is merely confronted by a law enforcement officer?
  • Is the subject regarded as an obedient member or a maverick and rule violator?
  • Can the subject leave the group, and if so, what does he lose?

Group Structure and How the Individual Fits Into It

  • What is the group’s hierarchy and structure?
  • Is there a written document outlining the structure?
  • Is the structure cellular in nature?
  • Where does the subject fit within the group’s structure?
  • Does the subject have power and authority in the group?
  • Does the subject have expertise needed by the group, and does it give him some form of special status?
  • Does the subject know the identities of all group members above, below, and at the same level as himself?
  • Does the subject have any close associates in the group?
  • Is the subject in a sexual relationship with another group member, and if so, do other members know about it and approve of it?

Personal Aspects of the Terrorist’s Commitment to the Cause
and Group

  • Is the subject a “thinker” or a “doer” with respect to the political movement?
  • Is the subject involved in recruitment for the cause?
  • Has the subject actually committed a violent act?
  • Will the subject kill someone if it is deemed politically justified?
  • Would the subject perpetrate a suicide attack?
  • How did the subject get involved in the cause? Who recruited him?
  • Does the subject have any outside interests that are separate from the political cause?
  • Does the subject have friends who are not involved in the cause? If so, who are they, and what kind of contact does the subject maintain with them? Does the group know about them?
  • Does the subject have any forms of personal problems, including physical or mental illness, sexual deviation, or narcotics/alcohol addiction; and does the group know about them?

How Does the Subject Fit into the Group?

  • Is he a “perfect fit” or is there something about him that makes him different from other group members?
  • Are other group members likely to directly assist the subject should he be injured or arrested?
  • Does the subject have a particular skill or expertise that the group needs?
  • Does the subject have any “secrets” relating to himself or his family of which the terrorist group is not aware?
  • Are there things going on in the group that affect the subject of which the subject is unaware?
  • Has the subject belonged to terrorist groups in the past? If so, why did he leave them?

How Does the Subject Regard Himself with Respect to the
Group?

  • Is the subject a confident, self-assured member, or is he constantly concerned about his status and membership?
  • Is the subject popular with other group members?
  • Does the subject need the group more than the group needs the subject?
  • Is the subject jealous of any other group members, and if so, why?
  • How will the subject hold up in custody away from the group? Has he ever been incarcerated?

Skills of Value Possessed by the Subject

  • Is the subject proficient in using weapons?
  • Is the subject knowledgable about explosives, and has he used them in the past?
  • Does the subject possess skills in flying an airplane, piloting a boat, speaking a foreign language, programming a computer, or in any other area that may be of value to the group?
  • Has the subject been in the military or had experience in law enforcement?
  • Has the subject attended a terrorist training camp, and if so, where, when, and what did he study?
  • Does the subject train others in the group?
  • Does the subject author philosophical papers for the group?

Outside Support for the Terrorist

  • Does the subject have legal support through his political movement, and if so, are the subject’s legal advisors members of the terrorist group?
  • Is there an “underground” to support the subject should he become a fugitive or just decide to conceal himself from government scrutiny?
  • Is there a surface political network to support the subject and his cause?
  • Will the group’s members and supporters raise funds for the subject, procure legal support, protest his situation, write letters, gather names on petitions, and otherwise provide him with assistance?
  • If the subject was forced to flee, where would he logically go?
  • Does the subject have a foreign haven where he could go when in trouble, and if so, is the subject able to speak the language of that country, and has he ever been there before?

The Terrorist’s Relationship with His or Her Family

  • What happens to the subject’s family if he is arrested, injured, or killed doing a political action or is forced to go underground?
  • What family members, if any, are aware of his involvement in the terrorist group, and which members support the group’s cause?
  • Is anyone in the family an actual member of the group?
  • Which family members are likely to cooperate with law enforcement agencies?
  • Will his political cause provide direct support to the subject’s family?
  • Will the subject’s family be pressured by the group to provide assistance to the subject?
  • Will the subject divorce himself from his family, if the group so demands it?
  • Was the subject raised in a radical political setting?

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