CH 2: Defining Terrorism

Dirty War

a term given to a campaign of state-sponsored terror waged in Argentina during the 1970s. Tens of thousands of people were tortured, made to “disappear”, or killed

dissident terrorism

“bottom-up” terrorism perpetrated by individuals, groups, or movements in opposition to an existing political or social order

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice”

an uncompromising belief in the absolute righteousness of a cause. A moralistic concept that clearly defines good and evil. The statement was made by Senator Barry Goldwater during the 1964 presidential election in the United States

freedom fighters

one who fights on behalf of an oppressed group; contextual term

guerrilla

a term first used during Spanish resistance against French occupation troops during the Napoleonic Wars. Refers to irregular hit-and-run tactics

hate crimes

crimes motivated by hatred against protected groups of people. They are prosecuted as aggravated assault offenses rather than as acts of terrorism

international terrorism

terrorism that is directed against targets symbolizing international interests. These attacks can occur against domestic targets that have international symbolism or against targets in the international arena

“It became necessary to destroy the town to save it”

an extremist goal to destroy an existing order without developing a clear vision for the aftermath. A moral concept used to justify terrorist behavior. The statement was allegedly made by an American officer during the war in Vietnam

“Kill one man, terrorize a thousand”

a paraphrasing of a quotation by the Chinese military philosopher Wu Ch’i. Variously ascribed to the Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu and Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong

New Terrorism

a typology of terrorism characterized by a loose cell-based organizational structure, asymmetric tactics, the threatened use of weapons of mass destruction, potentially high casualty rates, and usually a religious or mystical motivation

“One man willing to throw away his life is enough to terrorize a thousand”

the symbolic power of a precise application of force by an individual who is willing to sacrifice themselves can terrorize many other people. A moral concept that illustrates how a weak adversary can influence a strong adversary. The statement was made by the Chinese military philosopher Wu Ch’i.

“One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter”

the importance of perspective in the use of violence to achieve political goals. Championed groups view violent rebels as freedom fighters, whereas their adversaries consider them to be terrorists

participants in a terrorist environment

people who participate in, or are affected by, terrorist incidents and who are likely to have very different interpretations of the incident. These include the roles of terrorist, supporter, victim, target, onlooker. and analyst

Political Violence Matrix

this framework for classifying and conceptualizing political violence is predicated on two factors: force and intended target

propaganda by the deed

the notion that revolutionaries must violently act on their beliefs to promote the ideals of the revolution. Originally promoted by the anarchists

terrorist

one who practices terrorism. Often a highly contextual term