Dear Sir:
Representative [Jim] Courter makes a number of extremely valuable suggestions [in his article, {"Protecting Our Citizens: When to Use Force against Terrorism," Policy Review, Spring 1986) about responding to terrorism. I should like to add two more.
First, the U.S. government must at times impose military censorship to protect the confidentiality of troop movements and other tactics. This would prevent a repetition of what happened in June 1985, at the time of the T.WA. hijacking, when the American press reported the departure of the Delta Force for the Middle East. This news was broadcast internationally; the terrorists heard it and decided to flee Algeria (where the government might have allowed U.S. forces to operate) for Beirut (where deploying U.S. forces would be much more difficult).
Second, it is incumbent on American political leaders to explain that the purpose of using force against terrorists is to punish the perpetrators and establish a principle – not to win the safety of the hostages. Of course. one does everything possible to save the hostages' lives, bur success lies in establishing a record of devastating response which dissuades terrorists from targeting Americans. Conversely, the loss of innocent life does not render the operation a failure. Words are important: the effort should be presented not as a rescue mission but as a counter-terror strike.
Daniel Pipes
Professor of Strategy
Naval War College
Newport, RI
