International Journal on Criminology Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2020 | Page 76

The Shining Path: An Important Resource for Terrorism Studies
For international terrorism, we use two sources: Mickolus et al. (1989a;
1989b), which provided the material for the ITERATE database (International
Terrorism: Attributes of Terrorist Events) for the period 1980–87; and the RAND
database (Gardela and Hoffman 1988) for 1987, which will serve as a trial year.
• Mickolus et al. contains 38 actions attributed to the SP between 1980 and
1987 (including 6 in 1987). Because they were “international,” the main
function of these incidents was to gain publicity. They consisted of attacks
(typically using bombs or dynamite) against foreign embassies and businesses,
with little or no loss of life. In the profile that emerges, the SP is
grouped with other “anti-imperialist” organizations like the MRTA. This
offers nothing to specify what is distinctive about the SP, as only a very small
portion of its activity is noted.
• RAND also reports 6 actions for 1987, of which only 3 are shared with Mickolus
et al. This fact offers a small-scale illustration of the persistent problems
of selectivity, completeness, and homogeneity in the databases used as the
empirical basis for much terrorism research.
For terrorism in general, we consult Cline (1982), which offers a chronology
for 1981, including about 20 incidents in Peru from September onward. This
source is particularly revealing of the uncertainty about attributing incidents from
the very beginning of the insurgency to the SP. These nonetheless reveal the beginnings
of its rise to power.
The most comprehensive, easily accessible general database is certainly the
GTD (Global Terrorism Database), which is produced by the START (Study of
Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism) consortium and hosted at the University
of Maryland. It has close ties to the US government. 11 An advanced query (on June
23, 2018) using the most restrictive criteria (excluding all ambiguous cases and
failed attacks) offers the following results:
• Between 1980 and 2016, 3,920 incidents were listed across all categories.
The overwhelming majority of these occurred between 1980 and 1994.
• For 1987, our test year, there are 464 acts identified as terrorist. Among
these, 55% were bomb/dynamite attacks (N=258), 21% were armed attacks
(typically guerrilla attacks targeting the police and/or army), and 15% were
assassinations (of civilians, civil servants, elected representatives, police officers,
soldiers, and so on). There are only a few entries in the other categories
(hostage-takings, attacks on infrastructure), which may be surprising,
given the importance of sabotage, particularly of electrical infrastructure,
to the SP’s activity.
11 This is easily accessible, and at no cost, at www.start.umd.edu.
67