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ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

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Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future

MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
March 14, 2003

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."
- Indira Gandhi

Short Subjects

LINKS

Mental Health Moment Online

CISM/CISD Annotated Links

Gulf War Syndrome

WILDLAND FIRE INFORMATION

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

NIMH Meeting Announcements

Rocky Mountain Region

Disaster Mental Health Institute -

SPRING WORKSHOP SERIES

March 22 - Religious Aspects of

Domestic Violence

- Pat Bradley, MA, NACC, LAT

April 23, 24, 25 -

Crisis Counseling, Trauma, and Response:

A Multi-level Approach

- Marguerite McCormack, MA, LPC

May 3 - Suicide Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction:
Tactics For The Trenches

- Jon Richard, PsyD

NIMH Meeting Announcements

The Australasian Critical Incident

Stress Association Conference

The Right Response in the

21st Century

Location: Carlton Crest Hotel

Melbourne Australia

Friday October 3, 2003 thru

Sunday October 5, 2003

For further information

please contact the conference organisers:

ammp@optushome.com.au

Conference Website:

http://www.acisa.org.au/
conference2003/

Summer Intensive Program

Graduate Certificate in

Disaster Mental Health

Disaster Mental Health Institute
(University of South Dakota)

Location: Union Building

University of South Dakota Campus
Vermillion, SD

Contact: Disaster Mental Health Institute

University of South Dakota

SDU 114 414 East Clark St

Vermillion, SD 57069-2390

Phone: 605-677-6575 or 800-522-9684

Fax: 605-677-6604

http://www.usd.edu/dmhi/

Third Biennial International Conference

on Intercultural Research (IAIR)

May 16 - 19, 2003

Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Contact: 2003 IAIR International Conference

C/o College of Education

NTNU, PO Box 7-763

Taipei, Taiwan 106

Tel: +(886)2-2321-3142

Fax +(886)2-2394-9243

Email: t14004@cc.ntnu.edu.tw

VIII European Conference

on Traumatic Stress(ECOTS)

May 22 - 25, 2003

Location: Berlin, GERMANY

Contact: Scientific Secretariat

VIII ECOTS Berlin 2003

c/o Catholic University of

Applied Social Sciences

Koepenicker Allee 39-57

D-10318 Berlin

Tel: +49-30-50 10 10 54

Fax: +49-30-50 10 10 88

E-mail: trauma-conference@kfb-berlin.de

Annual Conference Society for

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

April 12 - 14, 2003

Location: Orlando, Florida

USA

Contact: lhakel@siop.bgsu.edu

4th International Symposium on Bilingualism

April 30 - May 3, 2003

Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA

Contact:

4th International Symposium on Bilingualism

Arizona State University

PO Box 870211

Tempe, AZ 85287-0211, USA

Email: isb4@asu.edu

RESEARCHERS DEVELOPING 'SENTINEL PLANTS' TO WARN OF BIOTERRORISM

U.S. soldiers walk down a trail in a war zone. One of them pulls out
a hand-held electronic device and points it at a native plant. The
readings on the device indicate the plant was exposed to nerve gas
sometime in the last 48 hours, allowing the soldiers to don
protective gear before they suffer a lethal dose. Although such a
device does not exist, it's not as far-fetched as it may sound. Under
a three-year, $3.5 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency, Penn State scientists are laying the groundwork for
genetically engineering plants that can detect and signal the
presence of many harmful chemical or biological agents. "Plants make
good sentinels because they can't run away," says Jack Schultz, a
chemical ecologist and professor of entomology in the College of
Agricultural Sciences. "Because they are rooted in their environment,
plants must respond dynamically to environmental changes. And many of
these responses can be observed or measured, such as changes in
color, shape or growth habit, or the emitting of volatiles into the
air." For more on this story, go to
http://aginfo.psu.edu/News/march03/sentinel.html

PREVENTIVE WARS ARE RARE IN AMERICAN HISTORY

The Bush administration's claim that it is fighting a preventive war
with Iraq now to forestall a more dangerous war later is a virtually
unprecedented foreign policy move in American history and even among
other nations over the past 200 years, according to a Penn State
expert. D. Scott Bennett, associate professor of political science,
says that the United States has virtually no history of preventive
wars, not to mention preemptive strikes. Preventive wars have been
just as rare for most countries in the 19th and 20th centuries, notes
Bennett, co-author of the forthcoming book "The Behavioral Origins of
War: Cumulation and Limits to Knowledge in Understanding
International Conflict" (University of Michigan Press). His co-author
is Allan C. Stam, associate professor at Dartmouth College. The
researchers analyzed the reasons for 85 wars and 2,000 lower-level
crises that occurred from 1816 to 1992, and found no single
predominant cause for the conflicts. For the full story by Paul
Blaum, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/2003/preventivewars.html

PSYOPS: Psychological Operations

An interesting look at the psychological aspects of warfare from Medscape Psychiatry eJournal Medscape General Medicine 5(1) 2003 for full article, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/449268

DHS Announces Fire Grant Application Process

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced that the application process opened for fire departments to apply for the approximately $750 million in money available through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. These monies help rural, urban and suburban fire departments better train, prepare and equip themselves. For further information, go to: http://www.fema.gov/nwz03/nwz03_062.shtm

Annan appeals again for Security Council unity in dealing with Iraq

13 March � United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan made yet another appeal today for united Security Council action in ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction as the 15-member body continued to wrestle over whether to give UN inspectors more time or to declare Baghdad in default by next Monday. For the full story, go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=6438&Cr=iraq&Cr1=inspect

UNESCO, Russia to cooperate on education in Chechnya

13 March � The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Russian Federation are set to enter into an agreement to help restore the education system in Chechnya. For further information, go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=6447&Cr=chechnya&Cr1=

Florida Storm's 10th Anniversary Recalls Nearly $110M In Disaster Aid

Ten years ago this week, the "No Name Storm," with its hurricane-force winds and a tidal surge as high as 12 feet in some places, hit the Florida's central Gulf Coast on March 13, 1993. The storm caused the death of 26 people statewide, damaged or destroyed approximately 18,000 homes and caused more than $500 million in property damage. For further information, go to: http://www.fema.gov/regions/iv/2003/r4_29.shtm

Recognizing and Treating Depression in Young Children

Recent debate about the use of medication in very young children has sparked even more discussion about our ability to correctly diagnose psychiatric disorders in this age group. Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter 19(3) 2003 For the full article, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/449715?mpid=10761

Holding Our Breath

Healthcare workers, inured to substandard and imprudent behavior from politicians, should strive to be America's moral compass now more than ever, according to William H. Foege, MD, MPH. Medscape General Medicine 5(1) 2003 For the full article, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/450180?mpid=10761

SERBIA - SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER ASSASINATED [ shot in stomach and in back]
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,80871,00.html

IRAN - Iranians Assert Right To Nuclear Weapons
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7694-2003Mar10.html

AUSTRALIA - Cairns - dengue fever outbreak
http://abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/s804340.htm

CONGO - Ebola Toll Reaches 115 Cases, 98 Deaths in Cuvette-Ouest Region
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/mar11w25.htm

NEW ZEALAND - Country on alert after terror threats - Water threatened, Cinemas threatened

"The letter gives noon on March 28 as a time for a "demonstration of capability", with threats to poison tap water with cyanide, gas a cinema and use explosives "
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2321038a11,00.html

PAKISTAN - Report of bin Laden Capture Is Denied
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030312_572.html

RUSSIA - Major terrorist attack averted in Chechnya
http://www.interfax.ru/one_news_en.html?lang=EN&tz=0&tz_format=MSK&id_news=5623959

TERRORISM: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 1960-

Since the 1960s, we have witnessed terrorism used as a tool for change by a variety of
groups for a variety of reasons. The number of terrorist groups has increased tenfold since 1968.
The means, missions, and motives of these groups have changed over time. This has forced the
counterterrorism community to adapt as well. Missions have included both the
targeted audience and the targeted victim or facility. Motives have been expanded beyond the
traditional definition to include three categories: political, religious, and economic.
The threat is growing. The overlap between categories of terrorism persists, and is likely to
continue into the foreseeable future unless strong measures are taken to stop the trends.

During the 1970s, methods of terrorism could be classified as
"events of duration." These included hijacking and hostage-taking: long, drawn-out media events
that included discussions between the terrorists and the governing body to whom they were making
demands. One of the first international incidents that gained the attention of the global
audience was when a Black September group took Israeli athletes hostage during the 1972 Olympics.

The international counterterrorism community has learned how to deal more effectively with events
of duration. However, they continue to be used by some groups. Resources in the 1970s were
largely supplied by Palestinian and special interest groups, as well as by states interested in
spreading Marxist philosophy. Weapons typically included small bombs and firearms. Terrorists
often recruited from frustrated and militant college students or activists looking for a cause
to support. Targets in the 1970s were mostly individuals with ties to the desired audience.
The Munich tragedy was representative of this approach. Terrorist motives were mostly
political. The majority of cases fell into one of two categories: nationalist-separatist, or
social-revolutionary (Schmid; Jongman, et al.,1988).

In the 1980s, methods changed to "conclusive events." These
included bombings and other types of killing. These happened too quickly to allow a response by
counterterrorist forces (Menarchik, 1993). Attacks were, generally, less discriminating than in the 1970s.
Size and lethality of explosives used in the 1980s increased as Serorex became a favorite
material of suicide bombers. This popular plastic explosive was easy to conceal, yet deadly.

The most active region of terrorism shifted from Western Europe to Latin America in
the 1980s. Terrorist missions targeted Western political symbols. They were
motivated partly by the emerging Islamic revolution in Iran and partly by the persistent Marxist
forces in Latin America. Mutually beneficiary relationships developed between the leftist
guerrillas of Latin America and the drug cartels. Other relationships developed between the
Palestinian movement and the Islamic movement. The West was blamed for all of society's ills
in the Middle East. This helped prime the disenfranchised in society to produce a steady flow
of willing suicide bombers for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas (Simon, 1994).

Religious and economic objectives began to compete with the political
motivations of terrorism. Funding was proveded to Islamic fundamentalists and other groups
willing to fight the "evil" West. Narcoterrorism became prominent, reflecting a growing
partnership between syndicated crime and political terrorists (Simon, 1994). Growth of illegal drug
trafficking worldwide led to increased corruption at the highest levels of governments and to
the punishment of those who tried to fight it. Colombia has lost four presidential
candidates since 1989. Additionally, they have lost more than sixty judges, more than seventy
journalists, and more than 1,000 police officers, all killed by the traffickers (Coleman, 1994).

In 1982 the United States began dealing with extortion-related product tampering. The first
involved cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. In 1978 a threat was received in Phoenix, Arizona that
its water supply would be contaminated if extortion payments were not made (Simon, 1989).

In 1984 a major threat was made by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) to the Mars company.
The claim was that candy bars were spiked with rat poison in protest against medical
experimentation with animals. No poison was found. However, the scare cost Mars $4.5 million (Stem, 1993).
In 1986 tea from Sri Lanka was reported to be poisoned with potassium cyanide by a guerrilla
group.

Terrorists used chemical attacks on several occasions, primarily for large-scale
economic blackmail. For example, in 1989 fruit from Chile on its way to Japan and the United
States was reported to have been poisoned. Officials in Philadelphia only found two cyanide-laced
grapes. However, the scare cost the Chilean fruit industry US$333 million (Kupperman and Kamen, 1989).

The 1990s began with hopes for a new era of peace. The Berlin Wall came down in 1989. This
was followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia is no longer able to fund terrorism
as it did during the Cold War. However, there have been at least seven other states that
continue to snub the United Nations by sponsoring terrorism (Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea,
Sudan, and Syria) (U.S. Department of State, 1995). Sponsoring states continue to use terrorism as a safe strategic weapon
that reduces the chance of direct reprisal or punishment.

Peace processes during the 1990s have made real progress. However, this has not been without
increased opposition from terrorists. As a direct result of the peace process in the Middle East,
Palestinian and Israeli terrorist activities have intensified with the hopes of disrupting and
derailing the Israel-PLO peace accord.

Perhaps the most disturbing development of the 1990s has been a growing partnership
between organized crime and terrorism. Connections between the Cali cartel and terrorist groups
such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Army of National Liberation
(ELN) in Colombia and Sendero Luminoso in Peru have resulted in a deadly combination which
threatens the stability of Colombia's economy.

Other connections exist between the Chinese Triads, the Russian mafias, and the Italian mafias
and a variety of insurgent and terrorist groups worldwide. The Triads work with criminal groups
in Russia to swap heroin for Soviet weapons (Cole, 1994). The Cali cartel works with the Russian criminal
groups to distribute cocaine in Europe (Coli, 1994). An agreement was made between the Sicilian and
Russian mafias in Prague at the end of 1992. This included arrangements for a global drug network,
marketing of nuclear components, and creation of a lethal squad of killers from ex-KGB agents.
Many of the terrorist groups have become loosely connected organizations of drug traffickers,
criminals, and religious fundamentalists (Sterling, 1994; Coll, Steve and Hoffman, 1993). The group responsible for the World Trade Center
bombing in 1993 was representative of the changing terrorist group characteristics (Emerson, 1993).

During the 1990s there developed an increased boldness in target and weapon selection. The target
list of international terrorists expanded to include highly visible Western symbols on U.S. soil.
Operating within U.S. borders, terrorists raised the level of fear. As a result, their operations
had an impact on U.S. foreign policy. Most notable examples of this included the World Trade
Center (WTC) bombing. in which 1,000 people were injured and eight killed; and the shooting of
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employees in front of the CIA headquarters while they waited
for a traffic light to change. These two events took place within months of each other in 1993.
Had the WTC investigation not been so successful, a number of additional bold acts of terrorism
would likely have occurred. A number of the co-conspirators were linked to another group that
planned to bomb the United Nations building and the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels in New York City.
The mastermind of the WTC bombing, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, had plans to destroy eleven U.S.
commercial airliners in one day in 1995 (Wallace, 1995).

The Tokyo subway gas attack in March 1995 is another example of bold weapon and target selection.
In that attack the nerve gas sarin killed twelve and injured 5,500 people (Hughes, 1995).

Terrorists in the
1970s had primarily political motivations. The 1980s witnessed a rise in religious
motivations with some rise in economic motivations. The 1990s was characterized by a rise
in economic motivations that equaled or surpassed the political and religious motivations. The
influence of growing organized crime was one reason for this shifting focus.
Another reason may be that economics has become the "soft underbelly" of the Western world as a
result of the growing interdependence of national economies and reliance on secure electronic
banking.

Not all of the economically motivated terrorism has been high-tech or drug-related. Terrorists
in Latin America have increasingly turned to kidnapping for ransom. In Colombia someone is
kidnapped every six hours. In Rio de Janeiro someone is kidnapped every four days. Brian Jenkins
counted a total of 6,000 kidnappings in Latin America in 1994. There were 4,000 in Colombia,
800 in Mexico, 800 in Brazil, 200 in Ecuador, 200 in Venezuela, 100 in Guatemala, and 100 in Peru.
It has been estimated that $400 million was been paid in ransom over a three year period in
Colombia alone (Brooke, 1995). The result has been a reluctance on the part of international corporations
to establish offices in this region of the world, which has harmed the economy of the host nation.

********************************************************************************
REFERENCES

1. Schmid, Alex P.; Jongman, Albert J. et al. (1988). Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, and Literature. Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing Company.

2. Menarchik, D. (12 October 1993). (Col. comments during interview of the Deputy for Terrorism Policy, ASD(SO/LIC) CT.

3. Technology Against Terrorism: The Federal Effort, p. 25.

4. Simon, Jeffrey D. (1994). The Terrorist Trap Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.

6. Coleman, John J. (21 April 1994). Statement of the Assistant Administrator for Operations of the Drug Enforcement Administration Before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Operations of the Committee on Foreign Relations In Recent Developments in Transnational Crime Affecting U.S. Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy; Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters With Panama, Treaty Doc. 102-15; and 1994 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, S. Hrg 103-606, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

7. Kupperman, Robert and Kamen, Jeff (1989). Final Warning: Averting Disaster in the New Age of Terrorism, New York: Doubleday.

8. Stem, Jessica Eve (Summer 1993). Will Terrorists Turn to Poison? Orbis, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 395-396.

9. Simon, Jeffrey (December 1989). Terrorists and the Potential Use of Biological Weapons: A Discussion of Possibilities. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.

10. U.S. Department of State (April 1995). Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1994. Washington, DC: Department of State, Office of the Secretary of State, Coordinator for Counterterrorism.

11. Cole, Richard (17 July 1994). Asian Gangs Could Be the Future of U.S. Organized Crime, Experts Warn Law Enforcement. Los Angeles Times, p. B4.

12. Coli, Steve (2 April 1994). Russian Crime Syndicates Moving West. Washington Post, p. A1.

13. Sterling, Claire (1994). Thieves World: The Threat of the New Global Network of Organized Crime. New York: Simon & Schuster.

14. Coll, Steve and Hoffman, David (2 August 1993). Radical Movements Thrive on Loose Structure, Strict Ideology. Washington Post, p. 1.

15. Emerson, Steven (13 June 1993). The Accidental Terrorist: Coping with the New, Freelance Breed of Anti-West Fanatic. Washington Post, p. C5.

16. U.S. Department of State (April 1994). Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1993 Washington, DC: Department of State, Office of the Secretary of State, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, p. 1.

17. Wallace, Charles P. (30 May 1995). Weaving a Wide Web of Terror. Los Angeles Times, p. 1.

18. Hughes, David (15 May 1995). Pentagon Study Calls for Terrorism Review. Aviation Week and Space Technology, p. 33.

19. Brooke, James (7 April 1995). Kidnappings Soar in Latin America, Threatening Region's Stability. New York Times, p. 8.

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT March 14, 2003

TERRORISM: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 1960-

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace