ABSTRACT
One area of contention that has surfaced in regard to terrorism has been the extent to which foreign countries have sponsored such activities. In many cases it is foreign governments that have been considered responsible for the bombings, hijackings, and assassinations. It is argued that without the involvement of these foreign sponsors, the terrorist threats to domestic peace and security in another country would disappear. The definition of the problem presupposes the answer. The solution to the problem would be a foreign policy issue. Diplomatic pressure, economic threats, or even military force might be used to encourage the foreign government to do the right thing. If one of these methods fails, then another can be tried if the international situation is conducive to some other action. In addition, counterintelligence agencies can be used to deal with the foreign operations in a particular country and to deal with their local collaborators. Ultimately, if foreign sponsorship is the cause of domestic terrorism, it can be defeated abroad. If foreign sponsorship is not responsible for domestic terrorism, however, then efforts directed against foreign nations will be much less successful. Foreign support of terrorist organizations can be direct, but much more often it is indirect.
