Political Crime and Terrorism Lecture Outline
Issues to consider during Group Discussion (all Barkan, ch. 14, unless otherwise noted):
1. Definition of Political Crime
2. Crimes by Government
A. Political Repression & Human Rights Violations (types & examples – Any in US?)
- Genocide
- Torture, Assassination, & related Violence
- Surveillance, Infiltration, Disruption --- E.G., PA, MD State Police & FBI examples what were the problems? (Couloumbis et al. web rdg)
- Legal Repression
B. Political Corruption--- Personal economic gainPolitical Power & Influence
3. Crimes Against Government
A. Political Violence (Riots, terrorism)
- TERRORISM (definition & 4 Types: State, Insurgent, Vigilante, Transnational)
What type of terrorism are the recent NYC and London cases? (Johnston et al web rdg.) What do they suggest about “profiling”?
- Countering Terrorism
Solution-- Law enforcement / military approach VS. Address Underlying Grievances
Problems with PA, MD, and FBI broad approaches? (Couloumbis et al. web rdg)
B. Civil Disobedience – define and give examples, is C.D. legitmate protest? How serious a threat to public safety or national security? (Couloumbis et al. web rdg)
C. Espionage & Treason – how common?
4. What were US intelligence problems re: Al Qaeda threat prior to Sept. 11? (Bamford web rdg)
A. What did US know about Al Qaeda and its activists before Sept. 11 & their travel plans? B. How did 9/11 hijackers enter country?
C. How did US intelligence agencies screw up -- esp. NSA, CIA, and FBI -- & why?
D. Could US intelligence agencies have stopped 9/11 beforehand? What was needed?
5. What were Problems on Sept. 11 among NYC Fire Dept. and Police Dept. (Powell web rdg.)
6. What are the Dangers of Blurring lines between Terrorism and Political Protest, & how authorities respond to each. Does focus on Pol. Protest harm or help Anti-Terrorism efforts? (Barkan, Ch. 14; Couloumbis et al. web rdg)
Lecture & Group Disc. Report-in Points
Political Crime (definition)(Barkan ch. 14)
Crimes By Govt. [somewhat shocking to consider, but do occur…]
Crimes Against Govt.
Crimes by Government
Political Repression & Human Rights Violations (types & examples – Any in US?)
Unethical Medical Experiments (Nazi’s, Tuskegee Experiment in US, etc.)
Most extreme type is type is Genocide—Debate over whether US war in Vietnam was genocide… Scale of killing (2 million) an issue, as well as intent (or lack of)…(Barkan ch. 14)
Infiltration and Surveillance & Disruption Problems with this, history of Govt. overstepping limits and not playing fair-- Op. CoIntellPro, etc. (Barkan ch. 14)
Privacy Vs. Security? Debate of this…
E.G.--- PA and MD State police Spy efforts against Gay Pride, Education, anti-death Penalty activists, war protestors, & environmentalists (Couloumbis et al. web rdg). Lack of any evidence of crime, waste of resources & effort that would be better sued against real threats…
Need for Oversight illustrated by -- the various crimes by governments (Barkan, ch. 14) & errors / ineptitude in searching for terrorist threats (e.g., 9/11 mistakes by NSA and CIA & FBVI, ala Bamford web rdg.) and state monitoring of peaceful non-threatening protestors (Couloumbis et al. web rdg)
Police & Fire Fighter rivalry & lack of coordination for 9-11cost lives (Powell web rdg.)
Pre-Sept. 11 Mistakes by NSA, CIA, & FBI, esp the first 2.
Coordination problems, bureaucratic rivalry between NSA< CIA, & FBI, errors… how easily preventable it was, or at least how easily some of key operatives could have been caught from earliest phases of preparation of attacks… (Bamford web rdg.) Yet no one at top of those agencies loses jobs, no accountability for mistakes that cost 3,000 lives…
FBI new criteria for surveillance are overly broad—no suspicion of any wrong-doing is needed (Couloumbis et al. web rdg). … This is an example: Crimes by Govt. -- Surveillance, Infiltration, Disruption (Barkan ch. 14)
Crimes Against Govt:
Terrorism (definition) Very broad definition of terrorism in Text (Barkan ch. 14) vs. a more common definition stressing civilian deaths… . Dangers of broader definitions re: rule of law and rights
4 types of Terrorism and examples(Barkan ch. 14)
Example of NYC recent arrests for subway bombing plot ((Johnston et al web rdg.) – what types is this example?
Fed. Officials take up marginal cases sometimes (“aspirational terrorists”) rather than more serious threats (like NYC would-be bomber that was caught, he was more serious case (Johnston et al. web rdg.) This raises issue of need to prioritize risks and threats so as to spend resources wisely to stop most dangerous…
Civil Disobedience – breaking unjust laws key means for social change (Barkan ch. 14). Dangers of authorities interpreting Political Protest like civil disobedience as a threat like violence of terrorism, & how authorities respond to each.
Other Issues to be Aware of:
2 approaches to try to reduce terrorism: Law enforcement & Military approach VS. address underlying grievances fueling terrorism.. (Barkan ch. 14)
State-Corporate crime—Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up in 1986 despite years of warnings from company engineer whistle-blowers on dangers of product. (Barkan Ch. 14)
Terrorism is not irrational (though effects are horrible) but rather is rational & based on grievances that are more widely shared by others than just terrorists and may have some basis in fact. (Barkan ch. 14)