World Issues [Unit 2]: Terrorism & Security

TERMS

Global security

Global security

The multifaceted concept of protection that depends on states, alliances, health initiatives, trade blocs, and IGOs

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (formed after WWII of mostly Western Countries)

SEATO

South East Asian Treaty Organization (formed during the Cold War to form alliances against communist governments)

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

A Chinese treaty alliance that formed with Russia to counterbalance NATO

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement--created in 1993 to eliminate tariff barriers between the US and Mexico/Canada

The UN (United Nations)

A 193 member IGO

The General Assembly (of the UN)

Passes resolutions to pressure other members to change policies that are harmful to global security

The Security Council (of the UN)

The 5 permanent members of the UN (China, US, UK, France, Russia) who each independently have veto power--any military decision the UN makes must be arrived at unanimously or no UN forces can be used (critics argue this leaves no recourse for these powerful countries to be have their unjust military actions rebuked)

US state department definition of terrorism

"premeditated, politically motivated, violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets, but sub-national groups or clandestine agents."

Robert Pape

Political Science professor and author of “Dying to Win” where he argues that terrorism be defined as “The killing of innocents for a political cause.”

Phillippe Sands

Political Science professor and author of “Lawless World” where he argues that terrorism be defined as “An act which is intended to instill fear in a population of civilians.”

al-Qaeda

means "the foundation" a radical Sunni terror organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden and active in Iraq/Iran/Saudi Arabia

Hezbollah

means "the party of God" a radical Shiite terror organization largely located in Lebanon on a mission to destroy Israel

Shabaab

meaning "the Youth" a Somalia-based militant Islamist group aligned with Al-Qaeda.

Boko Haram

Haram is from the Arabic "forbidden"; boko meaning "fake", (which is used to refer to secular Western education). Boko Haram has also been translated as "Western influence is a sin/sacrilege" They are a terror organization active in Somalia

ISIS

"The Islamic State in Syria"--active in Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, & Afghanistan

AI

Artificial Intelligence

UAV

Unmanned aerial vehicles

"in the loop"

weapons that a human makes the decision to "engage"

"on the loop"

weapon systems that can be vetoed (overridden) from attacking targets

"out of the loop"

weapon systems that act autonomously without human involvement.

Pathological Theory

The idea that terrorist join these organizations because there is something flawed/dysfunctioning in their thinking/psychology (comparisons to serial killers abound)

Sociological Theory

The idea that terrorist are made by certain conditions--often oppressive environments that push them into motives for political revenge.

Nihilism Theory

The idea that terrorists (nor anyone else) do not really know why they join terror groups.

Snowflake Theory

Terrorists are "soft" young impressionable individuals who are groomed by terror organizations because they are naive and impressionable

SQT

Significant Quest Theory: argues that humans join groups that provide them with a.) personal significance b.) a unifying political or religious ideology c.) a community of support

laïcité

(“Lah-EE-See-Teh) the French legal principle that promotes secularism in theory but, to many critics, seems to be more focused on limiting Muslims’ ability to observe Islam

Takfir

(TocK-fear)the act of declaring a Muslim an apostate & using this status to commit violence against that person

NATO’s “Article 5”

that any attack on a NATO member in Europe or North America “shall be considered an attack against them all.”