Targeting Strategies in Single-Issue Bomb Attacks

Despite the wealth of research that has been conducted on global terrorism over recent years, few empirical studies have addressed ‘single-issue’ terrorism, and little is known about the targeting strategies employed by these groups. This article examines the targeting in 247 bomb attacks carried out by violent animal rights and anti-abortion extremists worldwide between 1978 and 2008. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) the empirical data are used to construct a model of targeting behaviour that shows four modes of attack; two of which are primarily designed to cause economic damage or fear, and two of which are potentially lethal to the target occupants. The model is then used to compare the tactics of extremists associated with the two different causes and the implications for prevention are discussed.