A

Glossary

A COMPENDIUM OF ACRONYMS AND TERMS FOUND IN THIS BOOK

A

17 November Organization:

Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17 November).

AAIA:

Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA).

ABB:

Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB).

ADF:

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Agent provocateur:

An operative or agent who infiltrates a group or organization with the purpose of inciting its members to self-destructive acts.

AIAI:

Al-Ittihad al-Islami (AIAI).

AIIB:

Anti-Imperialist International Brigade (AIIB).

Air marshal:

United States air marshals are the first police force of the federal government created solely to protect against air terrorism.

Aleph:

Aum Supreme Truth (Aum) Aum Shinrikyo, Aleph.

ALIR:

Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR).

Al-Qaeda:

Responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States, Al-Qaeda (also known as Al-Qaida) was established by Osama bin Ladin (also spelled Usama Bin Ladin or Osama bin Laden) in the late 1980s to bring together Arabs who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. Al-Qaeda helped finance, recruit, transport, and train Sunni Islamic extremists for the Afghan resistance. Al-Qaeda's current goal is to establish a pan-Islamic Caliphate throughout the world and has declared the United States to be an enemy to be attacked by terrorist actions.

ANSIR:

FBI Awareness of National Security Issues and Response Program.

Anthrax:

Anthrax refers to a disease that is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The bacterium can enter the body via a wound in the skin (cutaneous anthrax), via contaminated food or liquid (gastrointestinal anthrax), or can be inhaled (inhalation anthrax). Potentially fatal, anthrax has been developed for use as a biological weapon.

APF:

Alliance of Palestinian Forces (APF).

Aryan:

As used by white supremacist groups, the term Aryan refers to whites of Northern European descent who are supposedly a superior "master race."

ASG:

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Assassination:

A sudden, usually unexpected act of murder committed for impersonal reasons, typically with a political or military leader as its target.

Asset:

Agents, sympathizers, or supporters that intelligence agencies can exploit to complete mission objectives.

ATF:

In accordance with the Homeland Security Act of 2002, on January 24, 2003, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF or BATF) was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice. There it became the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, but retained the initials ATF.

AUC:

United Self-Defense Forces/Group of Colombia (AUC).

Aum Shinrikyo, Aleph:

Aum Supreme Truth (Aum) Aum Shinrikyo, Aleph.

B

Bacillus anthracis:

The bacterium that causes anthrax.

Ballistic fingerprint:

A ballistic fingerprint is the unique pattern of markings left by a specific firearm on ammunition as it is discharged.

Barrel (of oil):

The traditional unit of measure by which crude oil is bought and sold on the world market. One barrel of oil is equivalent to 159 liters (42 U.S. gallons).

BCIS:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Biocontainment laboratories:

A biocontainment laboratory is a laboratory that has been designed to lessen or completely prevent the escape of microorganisms.

Biodetectors:

Biodetectors are analytical devices that combine the precision and selectivity of biological systems with the processing power of microelectronics.

Biological warfare:

As defined by The United Nations, the use of any living organism (e.g. bacterium, virus) or an infective component (e.g., toxin), to cause disease or death in humans, animals, or plants. In contrast to bioterrorism, biological warfare is defined as the "state-sanctioned" use of biological weapons on an opposing military force or civilian population. Biological weapons include pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and biological toxins.

Biological weaponization:

Putting a pathogen in a form or suspension to make it an effective military weapon.

Biometrics:

An automated technique measuring physical characteristics (such as fingerprints, hand geometry, iris, retina, or facial features) of an individual for the purpose of identification or authentication of that individual.

Bioterrorism:

Bioterrorism is the use of a biological weapon against a civilian or military population by a government, organization, or individual. As with any form of terrorism, its purposes include the undermining of morale, creating chaos, or achieving political goals. Biological weapons use microorganisms and toxins to produce disease and death in humans, livestock, and crops.

Black September:

aka/see: Abu Nidal organization (ANO).

Blackmail:

The threat to expose an individual's illegal or immoral acts if the individual does not comply with specific demands.

Bomb-grade nuclear materials:

Uranium or plutonium that has been refined to the point that it can be used as fuel for a nuclear weapon.

Botulinum toxin:

Botulinum toxin is among the most poisonous substances known. The toxin, which can be ingested or inhaled, disrupts transmission of nerve impulses to muscles. It is naturally produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Certain strains of C. baratii and C. butyricum can also be capable of producing the toxin. Botulinum toxin can be used as a biological weapon.

Brainwashing:

An attempt to tear down an individual's former beliefs and replace them with new ones through an intense psychological and sometimes physical process.

C

CDC:

CDC is an acronym for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Head-quartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the CDC is one of the foremost public health institutions in the United States and in the world. The CDC serves United States national security by monitoring the incidence of infectious disease in the U.S. (and around the world), and through the development and implementation of disease control procedures.

CDIS:

Counter Drug Intelligence System.

Cell:

Most fundamental or basic unit of a network (e.g. terrorist network).

CFF:

Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF).

Chemical warfare:

Chemical warfare involves the aggressive use of bulk chemicals that cause death or grave injury. These chemicals are different from the lethal chemical compounds that are part of infectious bacteria or viruses.

Chlorine gas:

Lung irritant generally mixed with phosgene when used as a chemical weapon.

CIA:

United States Central Intelligence Agency.

CIRA:

Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA).

CNC:

Crime and Narcotics Center [CNC], United States.

Cold War:

The Cold War was an ideological, political, economic, and military conflict primarily between the United States, United Kingdom and Western allies against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) and Soviet dominated Eastern bloc nations that began in the aftermath of World War II and ended in 1989. From the outset, the Cold War was inextricably linked with the development of the atomic bomb and its use as military deterrent.

Counterintelligence:

In the context of national security, the process of protecting national assets and secrets from covert threats, especially enemy spying.

D

DEA:

Drug Enforcement Administration.

DHKP:

Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).

Dirty Bomb:

A conventional bomb packed with usually low-level radioactive debris. It cannot cause a massive nuclear chain reaction and explosion, but the conventional explosives in the bomb can spread the waste over a wide area, contaminating it.

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic Acid. The molecular composition of genetic material that is, in part, made up of nitrogenous bases that form a genetic code.

DNA fingerprinting:

DNA fingerprinting is the term applied to a range of techniques that are used to show similarities and dissimilarities between the DNA present in different individuals.

DNA profile:

Evaluation of an individual's DNA to establish a unique pattern of markers that can be used for identification purposes.

E

E-bomb:

An e-bomb, or electronic bomb, is a non-explosive artillery shell or missile that sends out an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) of enormous power, capable of permanently disabling mechanical and electronic systems.

ELA:

Revolutionary People's Struggle (ELA).

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP):

A short burst of high-intensity electromagnetic energy (such as radio waves). An EMP can induce electrical currents in metal objects and damage or destroy electrical or electronic equipment, including computers, radios, and electrical grids.

ELN:

National Liberation Army (ELN)-Colombia.

ETA:

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA).

EU:

European Union.

EURATOM:

European Atomic Energy Community.

Executive order:

A guideline issued by the President of the United States, directed toward a particular issue, and possessing the status of a de facto law. Unlike presidential directives, executive orders are unclassified.

F

FARC:

Revolution ary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Fatwa:

A legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamic scholar.

FBI:

United States Federal B ureau of Investigation.

FBIS:

CIA, Foreign Broadcast Information Service.

Fingerprints:

Fingerprints are the patterns on the inside and the tips of fingers. The ridges of skin, also known as friction ridges, together with the valleys between them form unique patterns on the fingers. Fingerprint analysis is a biometric technique comparing scanned image of prints with a database of fingerprints.

FOIA:

Freedom of Information Act. Sometimes known as the Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts, a term referring to 1967 (FOIA) and 1974 (Privacy Act) statutes and their amendments, which greatly restrict government agencies' authority to collect information on individuals, and to withhold that information.

Forensic science:

Forensic science is a multidisciplinary subject used for examining crime scenes and gathering evidence to be used in prosecution of offenders in a court of law. Forensic science techniques are also used to examine compliance with international agreements regarding weapons of mass destruction.

G

GAO:

United States General Accounting Office.

GIA:

Armed Islamic Group (GIA).

Globalization:

The integration of economies and markets worldwide.

GRAPO:

First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO).

GSPC:

Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC).

GSS:

Israeli General Security Service.

Guerilla warfare:

In the modern era, guerilla warfare refers to armed resistance by paramilitary or irregular groups toward an occupying force. Guerilla warfare also describes a set of tactics employed by smaller forces against larger, better equipped, and better supplied forces.

H

Habeas Corpus:

U.S. Constitutional right to avoid unlawful detention or imprisonment. Taken from the Latin phrase "You have the body."

Hacktivism:

The use of computer hacking in the service of political activism.

HAMAS:

Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS).

High-altitude electromagnetic pulse:

Any nuclear explosion 25 miles (40 km) or higher above the ground produces a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), a short-lived, over-lapping series of intense radio waves that blanket a large swath of ground. These radio waves can induce electrical currents in metallic objects and so cause damage to electrical and electronic equipment, including electrical power grids, telephone networks, radios, and computers.

HUJI:

Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami (HUJI).

HUJI-B:

Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B).

HUM:

Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) (Movement of Holy Warriors).

I

IAA:

Islamic Army of Aden (IAA).

IAEA:

International Atomic Energy Agency.

IBIS:

The Interag ency Border Inspection System (IBIS) is a database of names and other identifying information used to deter and append suspects—including suspected terrorists—as they attempt to pass through international border crossing checkpoints.

Identity theft:

An identity thief typically may obtain access to a victim's social security number, driver's license information, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, etc. with the intent to opens accounts in the victim's name and make purchases or perform other transactions.

IG:

Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group, IG).

Illegal immigrant:

Someone who has entered into a country illegally.

IMF:

International Monetary Fund.

IMU:

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).

Infectious diseases:

Infectious diseases are those diseases that are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, many of which are spread from person to person. An intermittent host, or vector, aids the spread of some infectious diseases.

INL:

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), United States Bureau for.

INS:

As of March 1, 2003, the newly created United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) absorbed the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). All INS border patrol agents and investigators—along with agents from the U.S. Customs Service and Transportation Security Administration—were placed under the direction of the DHS Directorate of Border and Transportation Security (BTS). Responsibility for U.S. border security and the enforcement of immigration laws was transferred to BTS. Former INS immigration service functions are scheduled to be placed under the direction of the DHS Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Under the DHS reorganization plan, the INS formally ceases to exist on the d ate t he last of its functions are transferred.

Intelligence:

In the context of national security, information about the enemy or potential enemies. Also the act of gathering such information, through spying and other means.

Intelligence Community (IC):

The group of U.S. government agencies that are collectively responsible for intelligence activities, including the CIA, NSA, FBI, military intelligence branches, and other federal government agencies.

INTERPOL:

International Criminal Police Organization.

Intifada:

Literally, "shaking off," a term applied to the Palestinian uprising against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

IRA:

Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Isotope:

A form of a chemical element distinguished by the number of neutrons in its nucleus. E.g., ²³³U and ²³⁵U are two isotopes of uranium; both have 92 protons, but ²³³U has 141 neutrons and ²³⁵U has 143 neutrons.

IT:

Information technology, a term that encompasses computers and related materials, machines, and processes.

IW (Indications and warnings):

Intelligence that relates to time-sensitive information involving potential threats.

J

JEM:

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed).

JI:

Jemaah Islamiya (JI).

Jihad:

In Islam: A holy struggle or war.

JUI-F:

Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam Fazlur Rehman faction (JUI-F).

L

LRA:

Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

LT:

Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous).

LTTE:

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

LVF:

Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF).

M

MKO:

Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).

Money laundering:

Disguising the origins of money by transferring it through other organizations. Money laundering usually involves taking money gained through criminal activity and passing it through the hands of one or more legitimate businesses so it will then appear to have been generated legally.

MRTA:

Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA).

N

NACIC:

National Counter Intelligence Center.

NALU:

National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU).

Narcoterrorism:

Terrorism undertaken by groups directly or indirectly involved in producing, transporting, or distributing illegal drugs.

NCR:

National Council of Resistance (NCR).

Network:

A group of individuals or cells (subgroups) engaged in specific operations (e.g., espionage or terrorist operations).

NLA:

The National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA).

NPA:

New People's Army (NPA).

NSA:

The United States National Security Agency. The NSA is the leading cryptologic organization in the United States intelligence community, responsible for code-making, code-breaking, and monitoring communications systems.

NTA:

Anti-Imperialist Territorial Nuclei (NTA).

Nuclear weapons:

Nuclear weapons are devices that utilize the processes of nuclear fission and/or fusion to release nuclear energy in the form of a very powerful explosion.

O

OPEC:

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, a cartel (group) of oil-producing nations that controls much of the world's petroleum production.

OV:

Orange Volunteers (OV).

P

PAGAD:

People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD).

PATRIOT Act:

The Patriot Act, or Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (Public Law 107-56), was signed into law on October 26, 2001, in the wake of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The law grants law enforcement and intelligence agencies more power to detain and question suspects for longer periods of time, and increases their ability to conduct surveillance operations.

PFLP:

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

PFLP-GC:

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC).

PIJ:

Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

PIRA:

Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).

PLO:

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

PKK:

Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

PLF:

Palestine Liberation Front (PLF).

PMOI:

People's Mujahidin of Iran (PMOI).

POG:

Hizballah (Party of God).

Profiling:

The process of developing descriptions of the traits and characteristics of unknown offenders in specific criminal cases. Also, targeting someone for particular attention because they bear a resemblance ("fit the profile"), real or imagined, of a criminal or terrorist. For example, giving special scrutiny to people who appear to be of Middle Eastern background.

Propaganda:

Propaganda is a form of communication that attempts to influence the behavior of people by affecting their perceptions, attitudes and opinions.

R

Ricin:

Ricin is a highly toxic protein that is derived from the bean of the castor plant (Ricinus communis). The toxin causes cell death by inactivating ribosomes, which are responsible for protein synthesis. Ricin can be produced in a liquid, crystal or powdered forms and it can be inhaled, ingested, or injected. It causes fever, cough, weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration and death. There is no cure for Ricin poisoning.

Ring:

A group or network.

RIRA:

Real IRA (RIRA).

RJO:

Revolutionary Justice Organization.

RN:

Revolutionary Nuclei.

RN group (Greece):

Revolutionary Nuclei.

Rogue state:

A nation that harbors terrorists and/or poses a serious security threat to its neighbors.

RPA:

Revolutionary Proletarian Army (RPA).

RUF:

Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

S

Sarin gas:

Sarin gas (O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate), also called GB, is a dangerous and toxic chemical. It belongs to a class of chemical weapons known as nerve agents, all of which are organophosphates. The G nerve agents, including tabun, sarin and soman, are all extremely toxic, but not very persistent in the environment. Pure sarin is a colorless and odorless gas, is extremely volatile, and can spread quickly through the air.

Sendero Luminoso:

Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, or SL).

Shin Bet:

The Israeli intelligence agency.

Shin Beth:

Israeli counterintelligence service.

Shining Path:

Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, or SL).

SL:

Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, or SL).

Supreme truth:

Aum Supreme Truth (Aum) Aum Shinrikyo, Aleph.

T-W

Terrorism:

Terrorism is the systematic belief in the political, religious, or ideological efficacy of producing fear by attacking—or threatening to attack—unsuspecting or defenseless populations, usually civilians, and usually by surprise.

TIFG:

Tunisian Islamic Fighting Group.

UDA/UVF:

Ulster Defense Association/Ulster Freedom Fighters (UDA/UVF).

Vigilante:

A private citizen who is acting to detect and/or punish violations of the law. These violations may be real or only perceived, and the tactics used by vigilantes may include violence, intimidation, and other tactics that are themselves illegal.

Virus:

Viruses are essentially nonliving repositories of nucleic acid that require the presence of a living prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell for the replication of the nucleic acid. There are a number of different viruses that challenge the human immune system and that may produce disease in humans. In common, a virus is a small, infectious agent that consists of a core of genetic material (either deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] or ribonucleic acid [RNA]) surrounded by a shell of protein.

VOA:

Voice of America.

Weapons of mass destruction:

Weapons of mass destruction are weapons that cause a high loss of life within a short time span. Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction.

Weapons-grade material:

Weapon-grade (or "bomb-grade") uranium or plutonium is any alloy or oxide compound that contains enough of certain isotopes of these elements to serve as the active ingredient in a nuclear weapon.

White supremacy:

The concept that people of European, especially northern European, descent are inherently superior to other peoples.

WHO:

World Health Organization.

WMD:

Weapons of mass destruction.

World Islamic Front for Jihad:

A group absorbed by Al-Qaeda (also known as Al-Qaida).