ABSTRACT
The incidence, as well as the political significance, of civil violence has increased greatly in recent years. In the Western industrial world violence has become a favorite weapon of fanatics and ideologues determined to wrench political change from governments concerned with maintaining established institutions. In the developing world it has become an instrument of mass protest as well as a means of deposing ruling elites unable to cope with mounting social and economic problems. On the international scene it has become a tool of terror and extortion for groups seeking third-country asylum, new political leverage, or a global platform for grievances.
