Criminal Investigations:

TerrorismCJ 210

Week 9

Seminar

What is Terrorism?

According to the Textbook: Terrorism is “ The use of force or the threat of the use of force to achieve a political or criminal end”.

(Velky, p 565)

What is Terrorism

Generally it is acts of violence against a non combative or civilian population. Terrorist activities can also be carried out against military targets but generally over the years it has been used against civilian or non combative targets…..............Why?

Why non combative or civilian targets? Generally they do not fight back against

attackers. While military or police will, civilians are unarmed and untrained.

Civilian or non military targets are easier to hit or attack especially in free societies.

The goal of a terrorist attack is often to bring about fear. Non combatants fear combatants more than military.

But most of all…

Why non combative or civilian targets? Generally in free nations , primarily in

democratically elected civilian governments, civilians or non combatants hold the power in government to make change or to influence law makers to make laws / rules that are agreeable to the objectives of the terrorist group.

If civilian causalities are heavy then the voters will want the terrorists actions to stop.

What are the different types of Terrorism?Violent political movements – Separatist

movements or efforts to establish governments. In many cases they may be linked to religious or economic factors.

(Velky, p. 560)

Examples: Irish Republican Army, (I.R.A.)

Palestine Liberation Organization

The Taliban

What are the different types of Terrorism? Single Issue Terror Groups – movements that

focus on a specific issue, such as anti- abortion, ecology, animal rights, personal vendettas against government agencies. (Velky, p. 560) Examples – E.L.F. (Earth Liberation Front) – a

group that has been linked to terrorist activities in several parts of the world , primarily North America, who carry out terrorist actions against industrial targets such as lumber mills.

What are the different types of Terrorism? Racial, ethnic or religious threats – Attacks

focusing on racial, ethnic or religious minorities and consistent of groups or individuals who use terrorist tactics to vent their hatred. (Velky, p 560) Basque separatist movement in Spain. (E.T.A.) Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka Several Balkan national groups.

There are 7 new nations from Yugoslavia. Terror movements sprouted from nationalism turned into

civil wars.

What are the different types of Terrorism? Global Economic Movements - Use of

violence against international economic institutions, such as the world bank, as a means of protesting the disparity between rich and poor nations’ (Velky p. 560)

Examples: Yemini Rebels attacking Saudi Arabia. The group

is called the Houthi. Radical 1960’s / 70’s movements such as the

SLA, and the Bader Meinhoff gang.

What are the different types of Terrorism? Hate Groups and anti – immigration movements.

Longstanding form of terrorist violence that involves generally well organized and supported entities that frequently have a political base, which advocate violence by so called “lone wolves” and cells operating independently. (Velky , p 560)

Examples Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Various white supremacy movements. Skinhead groups in the US and Europe

Other Types of Terror Groups Narco Terrorist Groups – Terrorism

committed by drug trafficking groups in order to maintain their hold over lucrative drug trade routes. Examples

Current Mexican Drug Cartels Pablo Ecsobar of Colombia

Other types of Terrorist groups. State Sponsored Terror Groups – Terror

groups that are created and / or supported by nations or national leaders to have the groups conduct terrorist actions on their behalf without linking them to the sponsoring nation. Iran – Hezbolah Pakistan – Lashkar e Taiba (Mumbai Attacks)

Break

Take ________ minutes. Get a drink. Get a snack Go to the bathroom. Check on the kids. Get ready to get going again. Make sure you have your book. Then get on back.

How are Terror groups investigated Reactive Investigations – Investigation of

terrorist acts after they have occurred. Many times this can be easy and / or difficult. Terror groups commit actions to get recognition. Sometimes many groups admit to the same

action. Proactive investigations – Attempts by police

agencies to infiltrate terror groups and stop their actions before they happen. Sears Tower.

This week’s investigation : Pan Am Flight 103

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation

Wednesday, December 21st , 1988.

Pan American Airways Flight 103 leaves London’s Heathrow Airport at about 6:25pm GMT.

The flight is bound for NYC JFK.

The flight takes off about 30 minutes late.

There are 259 passengers and crew on board. Most are American Citizens.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation About 30 minutes into the flight the plane

moves into Scottish air space. Pilots make contact with Scottish Air traffic

control. With 2 minutes radio contact is lost with Pan

Am 103. Almost immediately, Scottish Radar shows

multiple images where the single radar image should be.

.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation The Aircraft was traveling over 300 MPH at

an altitude of over 31,000 feet. Wreckage begins to fall to the earth in a huge

debris area over the English / Scottish Border region almost directly over a town called Lockerbie in southern Scotland.

Large portions of the aircraft land directly in the town killing 11 people on the ground.

270 people die.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation – What Happened. Search for evidence. The black boxes (flight recorders) are

recovered but reveal little. A search over hundreds of square

miles takes place. Over 10,000 parts of the flight are

recovered. The aircraft is reconstructed from

located parts in a hangar.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation, What Happened? When the plane is reconstructed, it appears

that an explosion took place in the luggage compartment.

Recovered luggage parts reveal that an explosion took place inside a piece of luggage. This is based upon the burn marks on the debris located. In an explosion or fire investigation, the items closer to the source of the energy will have greater damage.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation, Clues Due to this investigation, investigators

discover that an explosive device is what caused the destruction of the aircraft.

Investigators are able to determine what type of suitcase the bomb was in and where it was placed inside the aircraft.

They are also able to determine the other contents of the suitcase.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation, Clues The investigators determined the bomb was

in a Samsonite suitcase and was inside a Toshiba radio in the suitcase. Also in the suitcase were items of Maltese origin. These items are baby clothes.

Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Lybia.

Investigators also find a small unknown electronic device that was in the case at the origin of the explosion.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation - Clues This device is examined and is determined to

be a fragment from a explosive timing device. This device is similar to a device that was

found on a Libyan intelligence agent who was arrested within a year prior to the Pan Am 103 bombing.

The device is traced to a Swiss company named MEBO and was sold to Libya.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terror Investigation – How did the bomb get on the plane? It is believed that the bomb in the suitcase

was initially placed on board a flight in Malta to Frankfurt, Germany.

Once in Frankfurt it was routed onto Flight 103 which actually initiated in Frankfurt.

Then the plane flew to London. Loaded more passengers and left for NYC.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation – What went wrong? The operation had to have been timed out

perfectly. The plan was to get the bag into the airline system in Malta. Go to Germany and the on to the target plane.

However the flight from London to NYC left late. That coupled with other delays allowed the bomb to explode early.

The bomb was meant to explode while the plane was over the Atlantic Ocean.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation – Who did it? Investigators develop two suspects.

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi – A Libyan intelligence officer and head of Libyan Airlines Security.

Lamin Khalifah Fhimah – The Libyan Airlines Station Manager in Luqa Airport in Malta.

It was believed that these two men who were employed by the Libyan government acted under orders from Momar Kadaffi the president of Libya for retribution for American actions.

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation – Who did it. Based upon the evidence that was collected

by investigators these two men were the most probable suspects.

Investigators actually located the store in Malta where the items in the suitcase were purchased by the suspects.

But how will they ever face justice?

Pan Am Flight 103 : Terrorist Investigation – The trial In 2000 Libya allowed the extradition of the

two suspects Fhimah and Megrahi. The Libyans allowed the suspects to be tried in an international court in front of Judges from Scotland.

Fhimah was acquitted and Megrahi was convicted. He was sentenced to life in prison in Scotland.

He was released in July of 2009 for compassionate reasons: Dying of cancer.