1/13/ What is Terrorism? The Globalization of Terrorism. What is Terrorism? Geography of Terrorism. Global Patterns of Terrorism

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1 What is Terrorism? The Globalization of Terrorism Global Issues 621 Chapter 23 Page 364 1/13/2009 Terrorism 2 Unfortunately, the term terrorism is one that has become a part of our everyday vocabulary but how do we define the term terrorism? What is Terrorism? LET S FIND OUT: In groups of three or four students, complete The Problem of Defining Terrorism on pages 365 and 366. Terrorism 1/13/ /13/ Geography of Terrorism The causes of terrorism can often have geographic origins patterns can be mapped Nations harbor terrorists Nations sponsor terrorism Geopolitics Globalization Economic disparity Religious differences Cultural differences 1/13/2009 Terrorism 5 Global Patterns of Terrorism Modern terrorism began in 1968 when an Israeli plane was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists. But terrorism has changed in today s world: 1. Terrorists understand the role mass media plays (Internet, media releases) 2. Little care is given to avoid death and injury to ordinary people. No warnings issued Maximum death is the goal 1/13/2009 Terrorism 6 1

2 1/13/2009 Terrorism 7 1/13/2009 Terrorism 8 Is Terrorism Common? Increasing or Decreasing? Hundreds occur each year, but receive little attention: They cause little death and/or little damage We have become desensitized to the violence? There are many terrorist groups still active in the world Some are presently inactive like the IRA Others are active and wreaking havoc worldwide See Figure 23-3 on page 368 Al-Qaeda (65 Nations) Hamas (Israel) Hezbollah (Lebanon) Depends on how it is measured. Do you count only international terrorism? Do you ignore incidents involving attackers and victims within one country? Problems arise with how politicians and the media choose to use these statistics to either exaggerate or underplay the incidents of terrorism. 1/13/2009 Terrorism 9 1/13/2009 Terrorism 10 Objectives of Terrorism Terrorism isn t, in itself, a goal; it is a method used to achieve a goal. As aspect of asymmetrical warfare (fought between opponents who are not militarily equal; the weaker party resorts to terrorist acts) There are four basic objectives of terrorism: 1/13/ /13/2009 Terrorism 12 2

3 Objectives of Terrorism 1. Group wants to achieve a specific goal Overthrow a government Forcing a foreign army to leave a country Obtain money Release of prisoners 2. To cause widespread fear and anxiety, hoping to break down the normal social order of the target population. 3. To provoke the target government to overreact and introduce excessively harsh counterterrorism measures, which may cause the population to oppose the government (sound familiar?) 4. Governments may use terrorist methods to force obedience from the general population (state terrorism) 1/13/2009 Terrorism 13 1/13/2009 Terrorism 14 Terrorist acts carried out by governments: Political opponents are murdered Torture used to intimidate and to gather information Opponents disappear State terrorism has declined with governments showing more respect for human rights Myanmar USA (Iraq, Afghanistan) State Terrorism State-Sponsored Terrorism Sometimes, a nation doesn t commit terrorism, but provides a safe haven for terrorist groups (Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan?) USA has been accused of supporting terrorist regimes in Chile and Argentina. 1/13/2009 Terrorism 15 1/13/2009 Terrorism 16 Rational Motivation Rational Motivation: Terrorism becomes the last resort after other methods of achieving goals were not effective. Psychological Motivation True believers in the cause Opponents are evil Absolute beliefs and disagreements lead to smaller factions Cultural Motivation Fear of culture and religion coming under threat Terrorism becomes the defense of one s culture or faith, which is one s DUTY 1/13/2009 Terrorism 17 1/13/2009 Terrorism 18 3

4 Freedom Fighter or Terrorist? Depends on which side you support. The US once considered Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress to be terrorists. As the politics of a country change, so does the label of terrorist or freedom fighter. Osama Bin Laden, when fighting the Soviets, was worthy of moral and financial support. Not so much anymore, yet he has changed very little. Consider: Fights for his faith against powerful foreign enemies, using whatever methods he has at his disposal. 1/13/2009 Terrorism 19 1/13/2009 Terrorism 20 Changing Nature of Terrorism Not just guns & bombs anymore. Chemical Terrorism Nerve gases Anthrax spores Bioterrorism Nuclear Threats Acquisition of an atomic bomb (Pakistan, India, North Korea) Build a nuclear weapon Build a hybrid (dirty) bomb with nuclear wastes Blowing up a nuclear power plant 1/13/2009 Terrorism 21 1/13/2009 Terrorism 22 War on Terror It is difficult to declare war on a methodology not an enemy. Wars end in: Negotiation Surrender Destruction of one side In the current war: No country to negotiate with Catching/killing all terrorists is impossible. Evidence suggests that the current war is creating more terrorists than stopping them. Counterterrorism Networks of spies Electronic surveillance Invasions of privacy? 1/13/2009 Terrorism 23 1/13/2009 Terrorism 24 4

5 Arrests may be possible for domestic terrorists Negotiated settlements Assassinations There are legal and moral complications in this for governments. Invasion of a country to disable the terrorist group and the government which supports it. Al-Qaeda & the Taliban in Afghanistan Has led us to a lengthy asymmetrical war Meanwhile, the allies try to help rebuild the country GWB s axis of evil North Korea Iraq (invaded in 2003) Iran Little evidence to support the US invasion Who funds terrorism? Expatriates Governments? Sympathizers Financial globalization makes it easy to move money; technological globalization makes it easier to track it 1/13/2009 Terrorism 25 1/13/2009 Terrorism 26 Better protect likely targets: Increased airport security Protecting nuclear plants City water systems Major sports facilities Problems Can everything be protected? Will the public stand for it? Some anti-terrorist laws violate civil liberties Being held without charges Wire taps To eliminate terrorism, we have to eliminate its causes: Economically Socially Geopolitically Environmentally Religiously culturally 1/13/2009 Terrorism 27 1/13/2009 Terrorism 28 Images 1/13/2009 Terrorism 29 1/13/