IN 1968, STUDENT REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS BECAME POPULAR--REVOLUTIONARY FILM FESTIVALS IN PARIS AND ALL-NIGHT BATTLES IN BELFAST WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS--BUT THOSE INVOLVED WERE ALMOST INVARIABLY YOUNG AND WERE NOT TERRORISTS. THEY USED INTELLECTUAL CONCEPTS DERIVED FROM JEAN-PAUL SARTRE AND HERBERT MARCUSE TO JUSTIFY THE EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION OF DISRUPTING ORDERED SOCIETY. IN BOTH PARIS AND BELFAST AT THAT TIME, THE HEART OF THE PROTEST WAS A POLITICAL EXPERIMENT IN WHICH STUDENTS IMPOSED THEIR JUDGMENT UPON THE ADULTS WHO HAD FAILED TO DEAL ADEQUATELY WITH URGENT SOCIAL PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT TERRORISTS THEMSELVES, THEY WERE THE PRECURSORS OF TERRORISM, A CATALYST WHICH WAS TO INFLUENCE PROFOUNDLY NOT ONLY ULSTER BUT ALSO THE ANGRY BRIGADE IN BRITAIN IN 1969-71 AND THE BAADER-MEINHOF GROUP IN GERMANY. FEW REPORTERS AT THE TIME QUESTIONED GIVING IMMENSE PRESS COVERAGE TO THEM AND THEIR ANARCHISTIC REVOLUTION. AS THE STUDENTS' REVOLUTION FADED TOWARDS THE END OF 1968, THE SITUATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND WAS READY TO EXPLODE, CAUSED BY SUCH INGREDIENTS AS AN UNJUST AND ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT; CONFUSION ABOUT WHO WAS IN CHARGE; AN UNINFORMED VISITING PRESS CORPS; A PARTISAN DOMESTIC PRESS; AND ABOVE ALL, A TRADITION OF ARMED REVOLUTION IN WHICH TWO OPPOSED COMMUNITIES ACCEPTED MURDER AND INTIMIDATION AS HISTORICALLY NECESSARY. IN THE 10 YEARS SINCE 1968, THE TECHNIQUES OF TERRORISM AND COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY WARFARE HAVE BECOME MORE REFINED. WAR BY PROXY AND BY PROPAGANDA HAVE BECOME COMMONPLACE AS HAS THE SURRENDER OF GOVERNMENTS TO TERRORIST INTIMIDATION. ABOVE ALL, THE PROCESS HAS EVOLVED INTO ONE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE IN WHICH TERRORISM OPERATES ON TERRITORY NOT CONCERNED WITH THE CONFLICT, A DEVELOPMENT CALLED 'NONTERRITORIAL TERRORISM.' THE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES REPORTED HERE--THE BALCOMBE STREET IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY SIEGE IN LONDON, 1975, THE DUTCH MOLUCCAN SIEGE OF 1977, AND THE MOGADISHU HIJACK LATER THE SAME YEAR ALL RECEIVED EXTENSIVE NEWS COVERAGE, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE TERRORISTS' OBJECTIVES. (PRG)