Terrorism: An Introduction

“An action of violence is labeled ‘terrorist’ when its psychological effects

are out of proportion to its purely physical result”-Raymond Aron

Terrorism is as old as human civilization

• Clodius Pulcher, the Roman patrician used murderous gangs to intimidate opponents

• Sicarri of Judea provoked war with the Romans using terrorism

• 12th century assassins killed and terrorized their Muslim rivals

Since the 1790s terrorism has been used by:

• Italian secret societies to establish a liberal democratic state

• Russian revolutionaries to introduce socialism• European anarchists keen to abolish the state • American workers against industrialists • German fascists to seize power • Zionist and Arabs to win states in Palestine • Right-wing American militiamen • Al-Qaeda/Islamic fundamentalists

What is terrorism?

• Every significant government entity (State Dept, DOD, Treasury, FBI, DEA) has its own unique definition

•

The U.S. State Dept• No one definition of terrorism has gained universal

acceptance. For the purposes of this report, however, we have chosen the definition of terrorism contained in Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656f(d). That statute contains the following definitions:

• The term "terrorism" means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant/*/ targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.

• The term "international terrorism" means terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country.

• The term "terrorist group" means any group practicing, or that has significant subgroups that practice, international terrorism.

What it is not

• Terrorism is not an ideology, a system of thought, or a political program.

• It is not comparable to liberalism, conservatism, capitalism, socialism or any other “ism”

• Terrorists must always be something else: communists, nationalists, fascists (among many possibilities)

Two core assertions

• 1. Individuals or groups choose to commit terrorist acts as part of a process of conscious decision-making within particular political and cultural contexts.

• 2. Terrorism is communicative act intended to influence the behavior of one or more audiences.

We will explore terrorism in three different ways:

• 1. A set of tactics (terrorist toolbox)• 2. As an act of symbolic and provocative

violence/violent theater (ex. targets are not selected for military value but to produce extreme fear)

• 3. Cultural construct (The most abstract. How the term has evolved over the centuries. Only when we take context into account do we understand distinction between terrorism, wartime collateral damage or “legitimate” guerrilla movements.)

The Terrorist Toolbox

• Behaviors, tactics, and methods• Use of fear• Interaction with the media• Use of new technologies

Violent Theater

• Terrorism relies on symbolism and provocation• Targets are chosen for extreme reaction NOT

military value• Hope that feats lure enemy into self-

destructive behavior• Terrorism used to provoke revolution• Attract international attention

Cultural Construct

• Terrorist label is conscious effort by governments, dominant populations, or influential organizations to frame debates, find scapegoats, and vilify enemies

• Terrorism is a word used to deem another’s goals or methods illegitimate

• A contest of legitimacy

Counter-terrorism must be treated as a critical component of the history of

terrorism

• States engaging in counter-terrorism not only try to destroy terrorists, but often terrorize the populations that harbor terrorists

• Poorly executed counter-terrorism enables terrorism: terrorists capitalize on a population’s anger, fear, or humiliation.