Terrorism: Terrorism – Medicolegal Aspects Anil Aggrawal, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India r 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract Terrorism has risen in prominence over the last few decades, especially after the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks. It is an important topic of medicolegal concern. Besides traditional terrorist explosions, now new modes of terrorism have appeared such as narco- and underwater terrorism. This chapter aims to describe the major terrorist challenges that the forensic expert faces today and also outlines the major points of forensic investigations. Introduction Terrorism is a term which has complex definitions, mainly because its meaning changes according to the person defining it. What is a terrorist act for one may be a patriotic and honorable act for another. Yet a work- able definition is that given by the US Department of State: “Terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine state agents, usually intended to influence an audience.” It is in this context that terrorism is discussed. Terrorist Bombings Bombing is undoubtedly the most common method employed by terrorists. Typically the bomb is left in- doors in a public place or placed in a vehicle (‘blind date’ bombings). From 1969 to 1983 there were at least 220 incidents of terrorist bombings worldwide, which killed 463 persons and injured an additional 2894. Since then, incidents of bombings and resulting deaths have in- creased exponentially. In the United States, there was an increase of 400% in bombing attempts from 1984 (803 bombing incidents) to 1993 (3163 bombings). A number of devices have been used by terrorists. These include improvised explosive devices (IED), napalm bombs, Molotov cocktails, and a number of other such devices. Napalm bombs and Molotov cocktails are basically in- cendiary bombs, which primarily cause burns rather than explosive effects. Napalm generates a temperature of about 1000 1C, and consists of a combination of oil and gasoline in a jelly form. Phosphorus and magnesium are sometimes added to the mixture, which can raise the effective temperature by about 2000 1C. The Molotov cocktail has been a favorite of guerrillas and terrorists. It consists of a bottle full of gasoline and a rag which serves as a wick. The wick is lit and the bottle is thrown at the target. Various chemicals and acids may be added to this cocktail to increase its destructive potential (Aggrawal, 2014). Letter bombs are explosive devices sent by mail in parcels. They consist of a detonating fuse, an explosive, electronics for initiation, and the energy source. They cause injuries – sometimes fatal – to the unsuspecting person who opens such parcels. Narcoterrorism Narcoterrorism refers to terrorist-type attacks against a nation’s antinarcotics police. The idea is to influence the policies of a government or society through violence and intimidation, and to hinder the enforcement of antidrug laws by the systematic threat or use of such violence. Pablo Escobar (1949–1993), a wealthy Colombian drug lord, used narcoterrorism to suppress antinarcotic ac- tivities of the Colombian government. He dealt with drug enforcement authorities first by bribing them, and if that did not work, by killing them. His policy was often referred to as plata o plomo (silver or lead; i.e., accept money (silver) or face bullets (lead)). This resulted in the deaths of hundreds of individuals, including civilians, policemen, and state officials. In 1982, he was elected a deputy representative to the House of Repre- sentatives of Colombia’s Congress, as part of the Co- lombian Liberal Party. He bribed countless government officials, judges, and other politicians. Escobar was allegedly responsible for the murder of Colombian presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán, one of three assassinated candidates who were all competing in the same election, as well as the bombing of Avianca flight 203 and the DAS building bombing in Bogotá in 1989. He is said to have backed the 1985 storming of the Colombian Supreme Court by left-wing guerrillas from the 19th of April Movement, also known as M-19, which resulted in the murder of half the judges on the court. At the time of the siege, the Supreme Court was studying the constitutionality of Colombia’s extradition treaty with the United States. All papers and files on Los Extraditables were burned. At issue was a group of cocaine smugglers who were under threat of being extradited to the United States by the Colombian Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volume 4 doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-800034-2.00373-6 553