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Class Definition for Terrorism
Terrorism is the intentional use or threat of force by a nonstate actor to evoke fear in a population to affect a political outcome
Domestic
when the violence starts and ends in a sovereign country
International
when a victim or a perpetrator from another country is involved or when it aims to alter the behavior of a foreign country
Homegrown
not a part of an organization but rather inspired by
Wave 1
Anarchist wave
-golden age of assassination
-bullets and bombs
-international communication made it possible for Russians to disseminate the doctrine of revolution
-Russian anarchist willing to train other groups
-propaganda of the deed
Wave 2
Anti-colonial wave
-Treaty of Versailles
-diaspora: dispersion of people from their homeland
-guerilla tactics and police targets
-terrorist groups are freedom fighters
-many national liberation groups succeed (not IRA and ETA)
Wave 3
New left wave
-Vietnam war
-state-sponsored war
-high targets: multimedia productions
-airplane highjacking, kidnappings, assassinations
-PLO training camps in Lebanon
Wave 4
Religious Wave
-Iranian revolution
-religious motivation
-suicide bombing
-cell phones and internet
-ISIS recruiting
Strategies of terrorism
Intimidation
Spoiling
outbidding
provocation
war of attrition
Strategic approach
popular accounts frame terrorists as hate filled irrational extremists who take peoples lives
goals:
regime changes
territory
policy change
social control
status quo
rational choice theory (strategic approach)
framework where rational actors make choices to maximize their expected utility
Strategic approach critiques
preferences rarely stay stable overtime
terrorism is relatively ineffective
terrorism is sometimes a first resort
terrorists are often unwilling to compromise
terrorism isn’t straight forward
Organizational approach
the fundamental goal of any organization is survival not strategic success. rooted in sociology
Organizational approach assumptions
goal is survival
tasks related to continuance are more important than tasks related to strategic success
terrorism can become self sustaining regardless of political success or failure
organizations are not unitary actors
organizations tend to splinter and disagree
Organizational approach critiques
mixed or limited empirical support
predicts too much terrorism
intermediate outcomes
acto of terror appears to be a random result of unpredictable actions
Social Identity Theory
an own sense of identity is highly dependent on group membership
Psychological Approach
why do individuals resort to such acts of violence even though they don’t seem to work to achieve a political goal?
Individual approach
Narcissistic rage theory
paranoia theory
novelty seeking
humiliation revenge
norms entrepreneurs
Group approach
look to forces internal to the group: indoctrination/peer pressure
Joining a group: love or friendship
once a member: become more devoted to each other and isolated
collective identity consumes individual
Structural approach
focuses on the root cause of terrorism, which is found in underlying societal problems
conditions shape the incentives and opportunities
Structural approach assumptions
views terror as the deliberate choice of a unitary, rational actor
environment
enabling and permissive actors
direct motivations
Structural approach motivations
globalization and the clash of civilizations
grievances based
regime type
foreign policy
Structural approach critiques
most structural factors are static
structural analysis are too deterministic
does everything cause terrorism??
Ideological approach
rooted in constructivism, focuses on the belief systems that motivate or incite violence
Secular ideologies
populism
extremism
anarchism
facism
neo-facism
Religious ideology
claim/faith based doctrine (Iranian revolution)
Salafi Jihadism
Shi’ite extremism
fundamentalist christian extremism
Ideological approach assumptions
ideologies can motivate groups, individuals, communities
violence is symbolic
ideology motivates and justifies violence
ideological approach critiques
correlation is not causation
ideology is unobservable
most terrorists are ideologically illiterate
Critical approach
rooted in political science, focuses on politics behind scholarship and policy related to terrorism
views terrorism as a contested and pejorative concept, used by entrenched authorities to delegitimize claims of people living under oppression
Why is the definition of terrorism so important?
terrorism requires a different response, its more serious
hate crime vs terrorism
terrorism is not a problem to be managed, but rather destroyed
acts of violence are hinged on public reactions
PLO and Internalization of terrorism
1964, liberating Palestine and establishing a Palestinian state using armed forces
successes bringing attention to the plight of Palestinians through the internalization of its struggle with Israel has served as a model for similarly aggrieved groups.
sensational attacks get attention (Munich Massacre 1972)
Al Qaeda Leadership
Osama Bin Laden (A wealthy construction family and joined Mujahedeen to fight the Soviets)
Leadership is very secretive and exclusive, to join you must swear loyalty to Bin Laden, agree to certain religious principles and swear obedience
norms entrepreneurs- did crazy attacks to seem different and recruit more people
Al Qaeda goals
Wanted to establish a Muslim caliphate with Sharia Law, end Western influence, wanted to take over majority Muslim states and enforce a more religious government
Hamas
Palestinian Sunni Islamic fundamentalist group
Won election in 2006 and become government authority of Gaza strip
splinter of the Muslim brotherhood after first intifada
Anti-Israel
First intifada
Signing of the Oslo Accords, giving West Bank Palestinian self-rule
IDF car collided with Palestinian refugees killing them, created boycotts and protests
Hamas adopts suicide bombings
Second intifada
Israeli PM visits a holy Islamic shrine, large riots and protests across the Gaza strip occur
suicide bombings and military-style attacks, Qassam rockets
Hamas social provisions
85% of the budget went to social provisions
Gaza is economically poor and a weak state so Hamas provides services to people in order to gain support
Dawah: social service wing
Why do states sponsor terrorism?
power maximization and cost effectiveness: proxy warfare
helps leaders gain domestic support by signaling and challenging a rival state
sponsor of terror as a function of enforcing culture and belief systems
personality of a particular leader might cause them to pursue certain concepts
Why should we study terrorism if it isn’t that dangerous?
the public is afraid and solving ignorance can help sustain populations
terrorists can become governments, leading to large scale wars
terrorism is disruptive and can provoke overreactions by other states
Note 
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