A major question which both scholars of terrorism and those charged with its control seek to answer is whether contemporary terrorism is fundamentally different in any ways from its historical forebears. The answers to this question will be vital in both assessing the threat posed by terrorism and in tailoring a response to it. A consensus is emerging that there are indeed significant differences both in the philosophy and tactics of terror and in the social and political environment in which it operates. These differences will be examined here. The consequences of these changes for threat assessment and responses to terrorism will be addressed in later chapters.

Terrorism and technological change

Many of the differences that may be observed are directly or indirectly a consequence of technological change. The most obvious relevant developments have been in the fields of transport, communications (particularly as applied to news gathering and distribution), and weaponry.

The advent of the jet airliner and the fact that it is readily accessible to large numbers of people has brought with it mobility and a significant increase in the range of possible targets within the reach of any particular group or individual. The emergence of transnational terrorism involving terrorists of different nationalities planning, training for, and executing acts of political terrorism has been greatly facilitated by air travel.