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Written by: Paul Minor

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

 Why Techno Jihad?

Well, quite simply because there seems to be a lack of material dealing with terrorism and counter-terrorism for Cyberpunk 2020. The issue of terrorism is a popular one in cyberpunk fiction (Masamune Shirow comes to mind), and it has played an important part in many of the games I have run. The source material here should be enough to play a campaign centered around terrorism/counter-terrorism, or to simply incorporate a little of it into your game. If you do need additional information, I urge you to get a copy of the Terror/CounterTerror Sourcebook for Millennium’s End. It has a lot of useful information and is compatible with any game system. Note: I will assume that you are using Ocelot's Alternate Character Generation System, or my own Cold Fuzion system. If you do use the old system you should still be able to figure it out.

Explanation of Abbreviations

All weapons and equipment herein will have a reference source. If it does not, then it is contained in The Weapons and Equipment of Counter Terrorism. The abbreviations for different books are as follows.

CB 1,2 or3 = Corpbook 1,2 or 3

Chr 1,2 or 3 = Chromebook 1,2 or 3

UK = Rough Guide to the UK

MM = Maximum Metal

Ocean = Morniman's Oceanpunk Gear and Equipment Article

NeoTribes = Neo-Tribes

HoB = Home of the Brave

Euro = Eurosource Plus

PacRim = Pacific Rim Sourcebook

TERROR

Terrorism is defined as the use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce, usually for political purposes. The reasons for terrorism are many, but traditionally, oppressed individuals have used violence against civilians and military personnel, in order to intimidate and coerce a government. In 2020 the rules have slightly changed. With corporations often wielding as much or more power than governments, it is not surprising that a lot of violence is directed towards corporate interests. Additionally there are now many mercenary terrorist groups who don't have any sort of political objective at all (other than to make money) and hire themselves out to the highest bidder. The net has also brought significant changes to terrorism. In 2020 most terrorist organizations employ netrunners of some kind, and there are even some groups who practice "net-terrorism" exclusively.

On a side note, I just want to say that although I am not going to go into all the different ideologies or social reasons for terrorism, terrorists are not simply crazy people waiting to be mowed down by Chuck Norris and his "action jeans" wearing Delta Force. The terrorist is simply a normal person who has been pushed to the limit and is lashing back in a desperate manner. Using a group of terrorist player characters offers a good opportunity for expanding role playing beyond the trite "lets do a corporate extractions for a different corporation each week" campaign. Players will be able to form ideologies and involve their characters in political concerns. And of course, there is lots of room for intrigue and action as well.
 
 

Targets of Terror

The following is a listing of some of the more common targets of terrorism

Civilian
This group includes targets such as students, intellectuals, athletes and tourists. These targets are selected for different reasons but all for the same purpose: using violence to create fear among the people, and force a response from authorities.

Media
Media targets are important because media attention is a major factor in getting ones message across. Terrorists will usually either destroy some sort of broadcast facility to shut down government propaganda, take over a facility and broadcast their own message or simply send video clips to TV stations and threaten violence if the station does not agree to air it.

Military
Military targets include kidnapping or assassination of military officers or personnel, sabotage of military equipment and assets and sometimes infiltration of military base to steal weapons or to orchestrate an internal attack.

Government
This category includes ambassadors, diplomats and government ministers as well as embassies, government offices, consulates and legislative buildings. These targets are usually attacked through direct assault or through bombings.

Corporate
Corporations are becoming the bane of many terrorist organizations and are therefore receiving a variety of attacks. High ranking corporate officials are often assassinated, corporate offices are bombed and company assets are often attacked or sabotaged. Oil companies such as Sov-Oil and Petrochem have a particularly hard time with their offshore oil platforms as these are often attacked for a variety of different reasons.
 
 

Types of Terror

The following is a listing of common types of terrorism. It should be noted that some groups do not just subscribe to one brand of terror, but use a combination of the following.

Traditional Terror
Traditional terror is the most popular terrorist method. Most groups in 2020 have engaged in some sort of traditional terror at one point or another. These attacks use violence or threats of violence to create fear among the public. Most of these attacks target human targets, and can be very precise or very indiscriminate. Bombings are a common tactic and can be carried out at anytime and place. Kidnappings, assassinations and hijackings also fall into this category.

Consumer Intimidation
Consumer intimidation is a popular form of terrorism with eco-terrorists as it is designed to deter a consumer from supporting a specific product or corporation. Terrorists poison food, drugs and other products in an attempt to spoil a company's reputation. Another popular practice is corporate sabotage. Terrorists will shutdown oil drilling platforms or attack factories. Occasionally consumer intimidators will attack the consumers themselves in order to scare them into submission. Groups that practice this brand of terror include violent factions of PETA and Greenpeace.

Net Terrorism
The fastest growing terrorist methodology in 2020 is that of "net terrorism." Most terrorist groups hire netrunners for the usual reasons: as a source of revenue, a source of information or to gain entry into restricted areas, but the newest trend is a form of terrorism that is completely contained in the net. These groups hack into datafortresses and release advanced viruses in an attempt to destroy information. Other methods include releasing lethal viruses into BBSs or altering data to produce disastrous results. An example of the latter would be rerouting subway trains via computer so that they collide. One of the most successful groups practicing net terrorism is the Norwegian based group LeGIoN oF dOOm, who boasts over 1,000 members worldwide.

Mercenary Terror
One of the newest trends in terrorism is mercenary terror. Although organizations such as the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) and the Japanese Red Army (JRA) have practiced mercenary terror, they are not mercenary terrorist groups in the newest sense of the word. The defining factor is that a true mercenary terrorist group has no ideology, but simply performs terrorist actions for governments, corporations or whoever the highest bidder is. These groups have no qualms about working for anybody and will even work on both sides of an issue if possible. Examples include the Shoko Kitahara Group who is based in Osaka, Japan.

Check out the Appendix of Active Terrorist Organizations for detailed listings of terrorist groups.

COUNTER-TERROR

The difference between an anti-terrorist agency and a counter-terrorist agency is that an anti-terrorist agency is generally involved in information gathering, while a counter-terrorist agency is usually the tactical force that busts down the door. Terrorism has become commonplace in everyday life, so likewise CT teams have become commonplace in most governments and large corporations. These teams are highly trained in counter-insurgency and hostage rescue, and work very closely with intelligence agencies such as the CIA and Interpol. When creating a CT character, notice that each of the counter-terrorist teams below has a sort of specialty or focus. Both the SAS and Delta are extremely proficient tactical units, while the GIGN brings a sort of jack-of-all-trades mentality to CT work. The GSG-9 has a James Bond superspy reputation and does a lot of investigative work, while Japan's Sec 9 utilizes heavy weapons and APCA. The Navy's SEAL team 6 and the UK's SBS deal with maritime terrorism. These generalizations should help you to pick skills to fit your character. It should be noted that in most of these groups the average age is around 25, slightly higher than the military average. CT groups generally recruit the best of the best from the armed services, so keep that in mind when allocating skills and skill points.

Counter-Terrorist Agencies 

UNITED STATES

Navy Special Warfare Development Group (NAVSPECWARDEVGRU)
aka: Navy SEAL Team Six

Overview

In the mid 1990s the US Navy SEAL teams were reassigned. The members of the highly trained counter-terrorist group, SEAL team 6 were reassigned to a new entity known as the Navy Special Warfare Development Group (NAVSPECWARDEVGRU or just DEVGRU). DEVGRU is composed of highly specialized members of the SEAL Platoon utilizing close quarter combat tactics, skills and equipment. Boarding ships at sea (VBSS-Visit, Board, Search and Seizure), Gas & Oil Platform takedowns (GOPLAT), aircraft hijackings and your basic room & building clearance operations in response to terrorist threats are all capabilities of this team. This assault force is composed of the Assault Force Commander, Team Leader, Breacher, Snipers and shooters. The Commander is in overall tactical command of the force when in the field. The Team Leader is in charge of controlling his element while on the ground. The snipers operate either from a hide site or from a helicopter covering the movement of the element. The breacher carries the improvised breaching charges and other gear to get into the hard to get at places. The shooters shoot (surprise, surprise). These men are all highly trained in all aspects of CT work but their specialty is dealing with maritime terrorism. DEVGRU is considered the foremost authority on waterborne ops in the entire world.

 Weapons & Equipment

The Navy SEAL's vehicle pool is comprised of many different types of watercraft The most notable is the Swimmer Delivery Vehicle which is used to surgically insert a team and their equipment right under the enemy's nose. The SEALs also use a variety of aircraft including AV-4s, Ospreys, and a variety of helicopters. As for the SCUBA gear DEVGRU uses the GaltCo AB-4 Osmotic Rebreather (ocean) and has specially armored wetsuits and drysuits (SP 10) A variety of electronic equipment has been rebuilt to marine specifications, for SEAL team use. SEALs carry the Colt AR-23 Multi-Environment Assault Weapon, The H&K OHWS Mk 30, H&K MP-2013SD, "Sea Viper II" 20mm torp-gun and the Barret M-90 Sniper Rifle.

 

Overview

Delta Force, or Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (SFOD-D), was formed by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1977 to combat the rising threat of terrorism. Delta was modeled closely after the SAS, and uses similar tactics and weapons. The unit, although very proficient, has been plagued by a bad reputation from the get go. This has been compounded by recent events. In January of 2020 five members of Delta shot and killed four Armenian diplomats, who were not affiliated with any terrorist group. With an impending congressional hearing, the team's leader, Charles O'Connor, fled the country with three members of his team. His whereabouts are unknown. This has been the final nail in a coffin many have been trying to bury for years. It seems that Delta Force may finally be disbanded. For the moment the organization has been placed on hold status, and is not to perform any actions until the hearings are over.

Weapons & Equipment

With the "hold" in effect, Delta doesn't really have access to any vehicles or special equipment. Weapons common to Delta are: H&K MP-2013SD, Militech Mk IV, Militech Bulldog, H&K "OHWS" Mk30 and the Colt Enforcement 10.

 

UNITED KINGDOM

Special Air Service (SAS)

Overview

One of the best known Special Forces organizations in the world, the SAS is a small, elite section of the British Combined Forces. It is highly trained in counter-terrorist tactics (it invented most of them), hostage rescue and undercover intelligence gathering. It has a reputation (which is not entirely accurate) for being the best CT team in the business. The privatization of the BCF has changed things quite a bit for the SAS. Now that the BCF is "rented out", so to speak, the SAS has had to expand its personnel. There are now two very distinct wings of the SAS: The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Wing (CRW), which carries out CT duties for the UK and is not "rented out", and the Special Warfare Wing (SWW), which is more akin to the U.S. Green Berets. Although the SAS CRW is not rented out, they do work with allot of other counter-terrorist groups in terms of training, or in some cases just to lend a helping hand.

Weapons & Equipment

The SAS CRW has access to basically any equipment, weapons and vehicles it may need for an assignment. One thing that all SAS troops (and all BCF troops for that matter) have is skinweave. This is a standard procedure implemented by the BCF. Like most of their European brethren, SAS personnel usually have minimal cyberware (eyes, speedware etc.) and rely mostly on their training. On assaults, it isn't uncommon to catch an SAS agent in BACL Reactive Body Armor (UK pg. 37). Common weapons seen with SAS troops are: 12mm Spitfire pistol, H&K MP-2020, H&K MP-2013SD and the Glock 30.

Overview

The SBS is the lesser-known special-ops counterpart to the SAS. Some people consider the SBS to the better and more highly trained organization. The SBS specializes in amphibious warfare and waterborne CT ops. The SBS handles everything from high tide to twelve miles inland, while the SAS handles everything else. The SBS is about a fifth the size of the SAS, around 90-100 men and selects its members exclusively from the Royal Marines. The selection process is different from that of the SAS in that a lot of the emphasis is placed on swimming and diving. Like the SAS, the SBS has been split into several groups. It's primary CT force is known as the Marine Counter Terrorism wing (MCT). One of their main missions is the security of offshore oil and gas production rigs. The SBS actively trains with other organizations such as the Navy SEALs, GIGN and the SAS.

 

Weapons & Equipment

Most of the SBS equipment is similar to the SAS equipment in nature, with the exception of the SCUBA gear and watercraft. The SBS utilizes the widely popular GaltCo AB-4 Osmotic Rebreather (ocean) and has a variety of electronic equipment (including cyberdecks) built to marine specifications. The SBS uses an array of watercraft including small hovercraft (use GEB Duster, MM pg. 34), high speed patrol boats and even kayaks. The weapons of the SBS are the same as the SAS with the exception of the Armscor "Sea Viper II" 20mm Torp Gun.

GSG-9

Overview

It has been said that every member of the German GSG-9 is his own James Bond. This is because members of this elite unit are without a doubt, the most extensively trained and equipped counter-terrorists on the planet. Each man is well versed in investigation skills, as well as in tactical assault skills. GSG-9 agents are famous for their state of the art electronic gadgetry, hence the James Bond reputation. GSG-9 is organized into three separate groups; GSG-9/1, GSG-9/2, and GSG-9/3. GSG/1 is the "regular" counter-terrorist assault group. GSG-9/2 is tasked against maritime terrorism and GSG-9/3 is the airborne unit. The first two groups have about 100 men each and the third has about 50.

Weapons & Equipment

GSG-9 has a wide variety of vehicles to enable completion of their missions. Unmarked Mercedes, mini-buses, and BGS arsenal trucks fill out the motor pool. GSG-9/2 has an array of boats at their disposal including small hovercraft

(use GEB Duster, MM pg. 34), Panzers and Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs). Agents always have the latest in electronics, including the new IEC Advanced Air Filtration Unit. State of the art electronic surveillance devices, ECM, and ECCM are also deployed. GSG-9 members have a wide variety of choice when it comes to personal weapons. Some common small arms are: H&K MP-2013SD, H&K MPK-2020, Sternmeyer SMG-21, Sternmeyer Stakeout 10 Shotgun, Sternmeyer CG-13B. Pistols in use include: Sternmeyer P-35, Glock 30 and of course their trademark .357 magnum revolver.

Overview

France's GIGN is one of the world's busiest and best Counter-Terrorist units. Since their inception in the 1970s GIGN has operated in hundreds of countries across the globe. Because the GIGN operates all over the world, operators need to be able to function in a myriad of environments. They train in alpine and winter environments in addition to the urban. They are proficient in parachute insertions as well as SCUBA operations. Each of the eighty-nine members goes through: a fast-driving course, mountain training, intense shooting course (each member shoots 300 cartridges per day), and close-combat: a derivative of the Israeli "Krav-Maga." GIGN works closely with many other counter-terrorist organizations all over the world. The French government will even loan out this jack-of-all-trades CT team to friendly countries and corporations.

Weapons & Equipment

Since GIGN operates in a wide variety of environments, they require a lot of special gear. In winter environments agents wear either the specially insulated GIGN Alpine Suit or, when it's not too cold, they wear microthin thermal body suits under their BDUs. GIGN members also have the latest advanced HAHO/HALO parachuting gear, as well as SCUBA gear similar to that of Navy SEAL Team Six. The vehicle pool is well stocked, containing anything from unmarked crowder cars to high tech SDVs. Weapons carried by agents include: FN P-96S, H&K MP-2020, FN Browning "3-Spot"and Beretta M-24. Since every agent doubles as a sniper they are always issued a FR-F6 sniper rifle or a Barrett M-90 sniper rifle for heavy sniping.

 

Public Security Section 9

Overview

Section 9 is one of the nine public security sections directly under the Japanese Ministry of the Interior. These sections are responsible for national security, and for the most part serve as an intelligence agency similar to Interpol. Section 9 is an exception as it is largely a paramilitary force, which was created to deal with the growing problem of terrorism in Japan. This small team of 100 members is responsible for counter-insurgency operations as well as hostage rescue. Section 9 trains heavily in the use of high-tech weaponry and APCA. It should also be noted that Sec 9 is the only CT agency that has full borgs (modified Gemini conversions) among its membership. Japan does not lend out this team to anyone. It is rumored that this team has been used for non-terrorist related covert ops against several EEC governments.

Weapons & Equipment

Since much of the training is geared towards APCA use, Sec 9 has quite a few different APCA units available for use in various environments. All of these APCA are manufactured by Shinjuku Heavy Industries' special projects division, and are specially tailored for covert operations. Small arms include: Arasaka WMA "Minami 10" (silenced), Towa Type 20 Advanced Infantry Combat Weapon, and the Towa type 14 Police Pistol.

Petrochem Emergency Response Team

Overview

Petrochem ERT (PET-ERT) has the distinction of being the best corporate CT team in the business. This is probably due to the fact that they get so much practice. This 300 man team is solely responsible for safeguarding Petrochem's numerous offshore drilling platforms and Submerged Drilling Project Rigs (SDPRs) from terrorist threats. Unbeknownst to most people, these rigs are frequently taken over, threatened and sabotaged by a variety of terrorist groups. PET-ERT undergoes a variety of training that is specially tailored to the abnormal nature of these conditions. The team is trained extensively in maritime counter-terrorism tactics and arctic tactics since most of the rigs lies in ocean and arctic environments. PET-ERT is also trained in the use of special tactics regarding the sensitive nature of oil platforms. It is said that a five man team can clear an entire rig that has been taken over in under ten minutes. It should be noted that this team is not affiliated with the "Water Leopards" and is considered part of the naval forces.

Weapons & Equipment

PET-ERT was a variety of aircraft and watercraft at their disposal. The team utilizes AV-4s extensively as well as the Bell-Boeing V-22B Osprey (MM p. 43). As for watercraft the tam usually opts for hover vehicles including the GEB Duster (MM p. 34) and the GMI Hovertruck (MM p. 34). As for SCUBA gear, PET-ERT utilizes the GaltCo AB-4 Osmotic Rebreather (ocean). The most common small arms used in the group are the Colt Enforcement 10, Colt AR-23, MustangArms ARS-5C silenced and MustangArms Raider Riot Shotgun.

SPECIAL THANKS

Special thanks goes out to Tom Hunter and www.specialoperations.com. Without his wonderfully informative website, this article would have never been possible.

Comments: pminor@pacificnet.net