Purdue POL234 Midterm 1

Politics of Terrorism Purdue University

Class Definition for Terrorism

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