ABSTRACT
In the late 1970s, Michael Stohl authored an introduction to the book The Politics of Terrorism entitled “Myths and Realities of Political Terrorism.” He noted, referring to terrorism, that “The burgeoning journalistic and scholarly literature that has resulted from this increased awareness has unfortunately not been accompanied by a commensurate increase in the understanding of the phenomenon.”1 Here we are some 20-plus years later, and has anything changed? Does the law enforcement community understand any better? The short answer is “no.” If academics and scholars continually struggle to understand terrorism and its repercussions, it is probable that law enforcement personnel are just beginning to understand and address the matter. This chapter is designed to aid the law enforcement community in understanding and defining terrorism, terrorist activity, and potential threat.
