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Counterterrorism: The Use of Special Forces (From Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century, P 169-184, 1997, Cindy C. Combs -- See NCJ-170150)

NCJ Number
170159
Author(s)
C C Combs
Date Published
1997
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The use of special forces to combat terrorism has both assets and liabilities.
Abstract
Since 1972 the creation of strike forces -- military or police units specially trained, equipped, and organized to combat terrorism -- has become a common practice. This chapter profiles strike forces that have been created by a few nations, their methods of operations, and their patterns of success and failure. These are Israel's Sarayat Matkal, Britain's 22nd SAS (Special Air Service Regiment), Germany's GSG9, and the United States' Delta Force. A review of the operations of these units shows that too little commitment can result in an insufficiently trained and equipped force, as the U.S. forces were in the Operation Eagle's Claw disaster in an attempt to free the American hostages in Iran. Too zealous a desire to use such forces can also result in the loss of innocent lives, as Israel has discovered; and determination, unsupported by sufficient training or equipment, is also a recipe for disaster, as happened when 60 hostages died during a rescue attempt by Egyptian troops in an airplane hijacking. It is not enough just to have such a force. Nations must train and equip them with adequate information and weaponry to meet an increasingly sophisticated terrorist threat. Nations also need to instill, as Germany has sought to do, in its strike forces a respect for the law and its restraints on strike force activities. So equipped and so trained, such forces can operate to reduce, not necessarily the number, but the success of terrorist attacks worldwide. 6 suggested readings and 9 notes