ABSTRACT
Programs to counterterrorism run the gamut from detection and prevention of violent dissident activities by police, security agencies, and military forces to more involved efforts to eliminate support within society for the dissident groups. The 1972 Munich Olympics hostage situation provides another example of a failed rescue attempt. West Germany at that time lacked a trained counterterrorism force, and the effort to rescue the hostages resulted in the deaths of all the Israeli athletes and the Palestinians. An important issue in overall counterterrorism strategies concerns the allocation of limited resources. Terrorism is far too complex for one solution to be effective in dealing with all the possible threats. Prevention via intelligence gathering and infiltration of dissident groups is another possible solution in the battle against terrorism. State terrorism is an extreme form of repression for dealing with violent dissidents, although not all state terrorism is designed as a counterterrorist strategy.
