Transcript Terrorism: An Introduction

Terrorism: An Introduction
“An action of violence is labeled
‘terrorist’ when its psychological effects
are out of proportion to its purely
physical result”-Raymond Aron
Terrorism is as old as human
civilization
• Clodius Pulcher, the Roman patrician used
murderous gangs to intimidate opponents
• Sicarri of Judea provoked war with the
Romans using terrorism
• 12th century assassins killed and terrorized
their Muslim rivals
Since the 1790s terrorism has been
used by:
• Italian secret societies to establish a liberal
democratic state
• Russian revolutionaries to introduce socialism
• European anarchists keen to abolish the state
• American workers against industrialists
• German fascists to seize power
• Zionist and Arabs to win states in Palestine
• Right-wing American militiamen
• Al-Qaeda/Islamic fundamentalists
What is terrorism?
• Every significant government entity (State
Dept, DOD, Treasury, FBI, DEA) has its own
unique definition
•
The U.S. State Dept
• No one definition of terrorism has gained universal
acceptance. For the purposes of this report, however, we have
chosen the definition of terrorism contained in Title 22 of the
United States Code, Section 2656f(d). That statute contains
the following definitions:
• The term "terrorism" means premeditated, politically
motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant/*/
targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually
intended to influence an audience.
• The term "international terrorism" means terrorism involving
citizens or the territory of more than one country.
• The term "terrorist group" means any group practicing, or
that has significant subgroups that practice, international
terrorism.
What it is not
• Terrorism is not an ideology, a system of
thought, or a political program.
• It is not comparable to liberalism,
conservatism, capitalism, socialism or any
other “ism”
• Terrorists must always be something else:
communists, nationalists, fascists (among
many possibilities)
Two core assertions
• 1. Individuals or groups choose to commit
terrorist acts as part of a process of conscious
decision-making within particular political and
cultural contexts.
• 2. Terrorism is communicative act intended
to influence the behavior of one or more
audiences.
We will explore terrorism in three
different ways:
• 1. A set of tactics (terrorist toolbox)
• 2. As an act of symbolic and provocative
violence/violent theater (ex. targets are not
selected for military value but to produce
extreme fear)
• 3. Cultural construct (The most abstract. How
the term has evolved over the centuries. Only
when we take context into account do we
understand distinction between terrorism,
wartime collateral damage or “legitimate”
guerrilla movements.)
The Terrorist Toolbox
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Behaviors, tactics, and methods
Use of fear
Interaction with the media
Use of new technologies
Violent Theater
• Terrorism relies on symbolism and
provocation
• Targets are chosen for extreme reaction NOT
military value
• Hope that feats lure enemy into selfdestructive behavior
• Terrorism used to provoke revolution
• Attract international attention
Cultural Construct
• Terrorist label is conscious effort by
governments, dominant populations, or
influential organizations to frame debates,
find scapegoats, and vilify enemies
• Terrorism is a word used to deem another’s
goals or methods illegitimate
• A contest of legitimacy
Counter-terrorism must be treated as
a critical component of the history of
terrorism
• States engaging in counter-terrorism not only
try to destroy terrorists, but often terrorize
the populations that harbor terrorists
• Poorly executed counter-terrorism enables
terrorism: terrorists capitalize on a
population’s anger, fear, or humiliation.