Assignment: complete a short profile on subject below. The profile should include a summary of the terrorist incident (or incidents), whether he was arrested and tried etc., and why you believe the person committed the terrorist act. Your profile is: Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski Definition of Lone Wolf Terrorism
U.S. terrorism specialist and researcher Jeffrey D. Simon stated in his book Lone Wolf Terrorism: Understanding the Growing Threat that in the definitions of “terrorism” and “lone wolf terrorism” both have gray areas.
According to Simon’s personal experience through research and observation, although behaviors such as throwing gas bombs, shootings, and arson occur during protests, demonstrations, or mass uprisings, these incidents are not viewed as terrorist attacks and should not be equated with terrorism.
According to Simon, lone wolf terrorism should be defined as an individual acting alone—or with minimal support from one or two other people—to further a political, social, religious, financial, or other related goal, or, when not having such an objective, nevertheless has the same effect or potential effect upon government, society, business, or the military in terms of creating fear, disrupting daily life, or causing government, society, business, or the military to react with heightened security or other responses.
Differentiating Elements of Lone Wolf Terrorism
The attacks of lone wolf terrorists are violent crimes that should come with consequences such as arrest and conviction. However, the conduct of a single criminal can fall into three main categories: (1) general single person crimes, (2) lone wolf crimes, or (3) lone wolf terrorism. While different, the results of the latter two categories are very similar and have severe impacts on social order. However, three distinctive differences between the three types of crimes can be used to determine whether an act is a general single person crime, a lone wolf crime, or a lone wolf terrorist attack.
Ideology: The motives for general single person crimes and lone wolf crimes are seldom connected to religious, separatism, or nationalism ideologies, while the actions of lone wolf terrorists often are driven, at least in part, by ideology.
Political Purposes: Most single person and lone wolf crimes, except for political assassinations, rarely involve political purposes, while the attacks of lone wolf terrorists are often connected to clear political goals. Lone wolf terrorists are usually dissatisfied with certain governmental policies and attract the attention of the government through extreme terrorist attacks in an attempt to force the government to change policies.
Offender-Victim Acquaintance: In most single person crimes, the offender is acquainted with the victim. Therefore, police and prosecutors are usually able to find evidence that leads to solving the crime by tracing the people, incidents, objects, and records related to the suspect. However, the offenders and victims of lone wolf crimes and lone wolf terrorist attacks are usually unacquainted and have no connection whatsoever.