A look at U.S. government publications on terrorism, 1985–1992

As the Communist influence in the world subsides, the threat of low‐intensity conflict increasingly becomes a major concern to those involved in maintaining world security and peace. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union have been accompanied by shifts in alignments, the emergence of old conflicts and new tensions, and an increase in Third World agitation. These events all serve to create these low‐intensity conflicts, which may take the form of guerrilla warfare, coups d'etat, ethnic violence, terrorism, resistance movements, or insurgency. Terrorism by itself is the objective of many forms of violence prevalent in today's world, including drug‐related incidents and incidents involving street gangs, hate groups, violent activists, and separatist organizations, as well as state‐sponsored actions in places such as Central and South America, the Middle East, and Libya. Conflict within areas may create situations that have far‐reaching consequences.