HSEP 301: Terrorism Lecture #1

1. Terrorism

According to Boaz Ganor, “it is the intentional use of, or threat to use violence against civilians or against civilians or against civilian targets, in order to attain political (this includes ideological or religious) aims."

1. Paul Wilkinson describes terrorism as a special form of political of political violence with five characteristics. What are they?

It is that its:

1. It is premeditated and aims to create a climate of extreme fear/terror.

2. It is directed at a wider audience/target than the immediate victims of the violence.

3. It inherently involves attacks on random and symbolic targets, including civilians.

4. The acts of violence committed are seen by the soceity in which in which they occur as extra-normal, in the literal sense that they breach social norms, thus causing a sense of outrage.

5. Terrorism is generally used to try to influence political behavior in some way.

• To provoke an over-reaction.

• To serve as a catalyst for more general conflict/ to publicize a political/religious cause.

• To inspire followers to emulate violent attacks.

• To give vent to deep hatred and the thirst for revenge.

• To help undermine the gov’ts and institutions designated as enemies by the terrorists.

• Ex.) To force opponents into conceding some or all of the perpetrators demands.

1. Extremists hold beliefs that exceed limits of what average people hold to be true. They are very-

-very intolerant to those who hold beliefs that are different.

• Different, often fantastic, worldview compared to nonextremists.

• Basic belief that unjust forces are arrayed against true believers.

• Clear sense of mission, purpose, and righteousness.

1. Extremism can manifest itself in many ways (verbal, artistic, etc…), but only those who choose violent expression are labeled as what?

As terrorists.

1. What are the common characteristics of extremists?

These characteristics include:

• Intolerance (those who don’t share beliefs are unworthy, unclean, etc..)

• Moral Absolutes: Very clear distinction between good and evil

• Broad Conclusions: a world view that simplifies conclusions about the value of particular people

• Often have their own language which can uphold elaborate conspiracies

1. What is the Negative Connotation of Terrorism?

It is that one point that everyone agrees upon is that “terrorism” is a pejorative term with intrinsically negative connotations. For instance, there is political and social degradation when one is labeled as a terrorist.

1. Why is Terrorism so difficult to define?

It is difficult to define because:

• Early practitioners proudly proclaimed themselves “terrorists” (i.e., Anarchists, Narodnaya Volya, etc…)

• Terrorist organizations today select names for themselves that consciously eschew the wordterrorism, opting instead for…

  • Freedom and liberation: National Liberation Front, Freedom for the Basque Homeland, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Palestine Liberation Organization

  • Armies or other military organizational structures: Nat’l Military Organization, Popular Liberation Army, Irish Republican Army

  • Actual self-defense movements: Afrikaner Resistance Movement, Jewish Defense Organization, Organization for the Defence of Free People

  • Righteous vengeance: Palestinian Revenge Organization, Organization for the Oppressed on Earth, Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide, Earth Liberation Front

1. What is the difference between Terrorism and Guerilla Warfare?

Terrorism is “a violent struggle intentionally using, or threatening to use, violence against civilians, in order to attain political aims.” Terrorists targets civilians.

Guerrilla Warfare is “a violent struggle using (or threatening to use) violence against military targets, security forces, and the political leadership, in order to attain political aims.” Guerilla warfare targets the state.

• The terrorist and the guerrilla fighter may have the exact same aims, but they choose different means to accomplish them.

• Boaz (2002) argues for characterizing terrorism as a mode of operation directed against civilian targets – NOT “innocents”

1. According to Hoffman, Third World Nations often make

   two arguments. What are these two arguments?

The two arguments are:

1. All bona fide liberation movements are invariably decried as “terrorists” by the regimes against which their struggles for freedom are directed.

2. It is not the violence itself that is germane, but its underlying causes—that is the misery, frustration, grievance and despair”—that produce violent act.

1. The use of the concept “innocent” in defining terrorism makes the definition meaningless and turns it into a tool in the political game (Boaz 2002) because who is “innocent” is-

-is a subjective concept, influenced by the definer’s viewpoint (i.e.) some Palestinian terrorist organizations view all Israelis as targets for aggression but believe Palestinian civilians are innocents.

• Ex.) Osama Bin Laden’s directive that all Americans are legitimate targets.

• Boaz’s (2002) assertion that, in contrast to the terrorist, no freedom fighter has ever deliberately attacked innocents.

1. Conflict in Terrorism is where Player 1 has a significant advantage over Player 2 (David vs. Goliath) whereas Asymmetric Warfare is what?

It is when Player 2 attempts to either weaken the advantage or use it against Player 1.

• Involves strategies and tactics outside the bounds of conventional warfare

• Fighting tanks with “suicide bombers”, hiding in temples and mosques, fear, publicity, etc…

1. What did the Terror and Tyranny article (“Blurring the Line” by Seumas Milne) discuss?

• “History will absolve me” (Fidel Castro, 1953)

  • Resistance to Nazis

  • Resistance to European Colonial Rule

• Nelson Mandela

  • The ANC’s Spear of the Nation in 1961

  • Imprisoned in 1962 for 27 years, charged with terrorism and conspiracy

  • Nobel Peace Prize in 1993

  • South Africa's first Black President, 10 May 1994

• Emphasis on “targeting civilians” can be problematic for western gov’t7s

  • After all, terrorism’s Origin was the French Revolution: Terror was administered by the State

1. How is defining terrorism is not merely a theoretical issue but an operative concern?

It is an operative concern by the fact that:

• for Legislation and punishment, having definitions are essential for terrorism laws and sentencing.Without an agreed upon definition, these laws have no value.

• for International cooperation, having a definition is needed to enhance international cooperation against terrorism.

• No agreed definition complicates accountability.

• Defensive states gain sympathy; offensive states face criticism in terrorism context.

• Attitudes toward the population supporting terrorism:

  • Public Relations: An agreed upon definition will enable the initiation of an int’l campaign designed undermine the legitimacy of terrorist organization

• The Attitude of Terrorist Organizations Toward the Definition

• No rules exist for non-conventional warfare; punishments are the same.

  • For example, blowing up a school bus has same punishment as blowing up a military installation

    • The Utilitarian consideration

    • The moral consideration