Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare Course Syllabus

MOSCOW STATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MGIMO UNIVERSITY School of Government and International Affairs B.A. in Government and International Affairs World Politics Department «Approved» Director, School of Government and International Affairs Mikhail Troitskiy 2017 Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare Course Syllabus Syllabus developed by Sergey Veselovskiy, 2017 Sergey Veselovskiy, 2017 MGIMO University, 2017

The course Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare is designed in accordance with the MGIMO Educational Standard for Bachelor s Program in International Affairs (program track Government and International Affairs ). Author: Associate Professor Sergey Veselovskiy, Ph.D. Director, MGIMO Library Marina Reshetnikova The program is approved by the Department of World Politics on Head of Department Prof. Marina Lebedeva 2

PART 1. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING METHODS 1.1 General Information Full course title: Terrorism and Asymmetric Warfare Type of Course: Compulsory Level of Course: Bachelor of Arts Year of Study: 4 th Number of ECTS credits allocated: 2,0 Name of lecturer and office hours: Associate Professor Sergey Veselovskiy, Ph.D. Department of World Politics Office hours: Tuesday 15.30-19.30 by appointment E-mail: veselovskiy.mgimo@gmail.com 1.2 Course aims and Learning outcomes: The events of the last two decades led to renewed interest in the changing face of warfare, and especially in the unique and challenging characteristics of asymmetric warfare defined as conflict between two adversaries with significant differences in relative military resources and capabilities. Under these conditions belligerents seek to offset disadvantages in brute strength by focusing on their opponent s weaknesses or constraints. In the field of international relations this research, however, is still in its early stages. Even its core concepts are often contested and ill defined: limited wars, low-intensity conflicts, asymmetric warfare, insurgency, small wars, etc. Furthermore, asymmetric warfare, which often involves non-state actors, offers an additional challenge for existing theories of international security which tend to be state-centric. One of the most prominent asymmetric tactic used by non-state actors in recent years has been terrorism, which has evolved dramatically in the course of the last quarter of the century and is now a lead feature of contemporary international relations. Hardly a state in the international system has not been affected by it in some way. This course will address the questions of definition of terrorism, history of the concept, perspectives on causes, structure and organization of terrorist groups, relationship to the debate on the changing face of warfare, and the consequences of terrorism. The course s main aim is to enhance student s critical ability to understand and analyze the issue of asymmetrical conflicts in general and terrorism un particular, as well as their implication for foreign policy. Course objectives are the following: define various forms of asymmetric warfare in terms of both strategy and tactics; 3

explain how tactics of asymmetric warfare seek to capitalize on various factors that makes them successful; define terrorism and explain what constitutes a terrorist act; examine the historical foundations of terrorism domestically and globally; discuss the targets, tactics, and strategies typically used by individuals and groups engaging in terrorist acts; familiarize with different modern terrorist groups and their motivation for committing terrorist acts; access, use, synthesize, and derive meaningful conclusions from the data on terrorism and political violence. Learning outcomes. Students will acquire the following intellectual skills: - familiarize with key academic literature on problems of contemporary international terrorism and asymmetric warfare; - know key data and most up to date information on contemporary international terrorism and asymmetric warfare; - learn to understand the main development trends of modern terrorism; Students will also acquire the following practical (professional) skill: - learn to formulate their own proposals for the use of the appropriate measures in the fight against terrorism. 1.3. Course requirements: Students will be required to attend at least 90% of classes (7 out of 8) and be prepared for in-class discussion of the week s topic. Conscientious reading of the assigned materials is also mandatory. Students will also be required to: A. Take an in-class mid-term exam based on lectures, class discussions and readings of the first four topics (see 2.4 for details). B. Write a Final paper (12-15 pages, Times New Roman 14 pt., 1,15 interval) on a particular contemporary terrorism related issue (see 2.4 for details). 1.4. Grading plan: The final grade is calculated taking into account midterm test s results, activities at discussion classes and final paper. 4

PART 2. COURSE CONTENTS 2.1. Types of Work Types of Work Academic Hours Total workload 72 Total for lectures and seminars 16 Lectures 6 Seminars 10 Homework, preparation of final written paper 28 Preparation for lectures, seminars and tests 28 Midterm evaluation Midterm test Final evaluation Final paper 2.2. Course outline Course Outline 1. Course Introduction. The rise of asymmetric warfare 2. Asymmetric strategies in modern conflict 3. Defining Terrorism. Is the use of terrorism ever justified? 4. Causes and roots of terrorism 5. Terrorism beyond borders 6. The new Islamist terrorism. The rise and fall of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda 7. The rise of the Islamic State 8. Does Terrorism End? Future of Terrorism. Academic Hours Lectures Seminars Homework Academic Hours per Topic 5

Evolving Technologies & Trends Overall 6 10 56 72 2.3. COURSE CONTENTS Topic 1. Course Introduction. The rise of asymmetric warfare. What is asymmetrical action? Asymmetric conflicts at the end of the XX beginning of the XXI century and their main features. Difference between asymmetrical, unconventional, hybrid and nonlinear. Main research trends in asymmetrical conflict studies. Required readings: 1. Arreguin-Toft, Ivan M. How the Weak Win Wars // International Security Vol.26. Iss.1. 2001. 2. Mack, Andrew. Why Big Nations Lose Small Wars: The Politics of Asymmetric Conflict // World Politics. Vol.27. Iss.2. 1975. 3. Frunzetti, Teodor. Asymmetric, Unconventional and Hybrid Actions in the 21 st Century Warfare // Strategic Impact. Iss.1. 2013. Additional reading: 4. Breen, Michael and Geltzer, Joshua. Asymmetric Strategies as Strategies of the Strong // Parameters: US Army War College. Vol.41 Iss.1 March 2011. Topic 2. Asymmetric strategies in modern conflict. Contemporary asymmetric international conflicts involving state and non-state actors: states against representatives of transnational Islamist terrorism, insurgent and separatist movements, pirates, etc. The future of asymmetric conflicts and their impact on the formation of a new system of international and national security. Required readings: 1. Adler, Emanuel. Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don t: Performative Power and the Strategy of Conventional and Nuclear Defusing // Security Studies. Vol.19. Iss.2. 2010. 2. Nalbandov, Robert. Battle of Two Logics: Appropriateness and Consequentiality in Russian Interventions in Georgia // Caucasian Review of International Affairs Vol.3. Iss.1. 2009. 3. Razvan Munteanu. Hybrid Warfare the New Form of Conflict at the 6

Beginning of the Century // Strategic Impact Iss.3. 2015. Topic 3. Defining Terrorism. Is the use of terrorism ever justified? Persistent difficulties and dilemmas in defining terrorism. Distinctions as a path to working out a definition of terrorism. Definitions of terrorism within the UN. The most commonly used definitions of terrorism and their relation to diverse violent political behaviors. Changing meaning of terrorism: from regime de le terreur in France to Islamist terrorism. Terrorism as means to an end. Can it s use ever be justified? Required readings: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017 Chapter 1. 2. Schmid, Alex Peter. Terrorism: The Definitional Problem // Case Western Journal of International Law. Vol.36. Iss.2. 2004. 3. Walzer, Michael. Terrorism and Just War // Philisophia. Vol.34. Iss.1. 2006. Additional reading: 1. Jaggar, Alison M. What Is Terrorism, Why Is It Morally Wrong, and Could It Ever Be Morally Permissible? // Journal of Social Philosophy Vol.36. Iss.2. 2005. Topic 4. Causes and roots of terrorism. Major theories regarding psychological, economic, societal, and political factors that lead individuals to join terror groups and use terror violence to achieve political goals. The rationale behind terrorist activity. Exploring the possible link between poverty, level of education and terrorism. Required readings: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017 Chapter 4. 2. Krueger, Alan; Malec ková, Jitka. Education, Poverty, and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection? // Journal of Economic Perspectives 2003. Vol.17. Iss.4. 3. Victoroff, Jeff. The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches // Journal of Conflict Resolution. 2005. Vol.49. Iss.1. Additional readings: 7

1. Kimhi, Shaul; Even, Shemuel. Who Are the Palestinian Suicide Bombers? // Terrorism and Political Violence. 2004. Vol.16. Iss.4. 2. Post, Jerrold; Sprinzak, Ehud; Denny, Laurita. The Terrorists in Their Own Words: Interviews with 35 Incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists // Terrorism and Political Violence 2003. Vol.15. Iss.1. Topic 5. Terrorism beyond borders. The internationalization of terrorism in the 1970-ies: Palestine Liberation Organization and the rise of Ethnonationalist terrorism (the Armenian Army for the Secret Liberation of Armenia, Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide, South Moluccans, Kurdish Workers Party). Revolutionary Left-Wing Terrorism (Red Army Faction, Brigate Rosse) and their connection to Palestine Liberation Army. How globalization shaped modern terrorism with global reach and without borders. Required readings: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017. Chapter 2 and 3. 2. Carter, David B. A Blessing or a Curse? State Support for Terrorist Groups // International Organization. Vol.66. Iss.1. 2012. 3. Laqueur, Walter. Postmodern Terrorism: New Rules for an Old Game // Foreign Affairs. Vol.75. Iss.5 1996. Additional reading: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. The Myth of Grass-Roots Terrorism: Why Osama Bin Laden Still Matters // Foreign Affairs. Vol.87. Iss.3. 2008. 6. The new Islamist terrorism. The rise and fall of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. The role of Al-Qaeda as an Islamist s foreign fighters base during the war in Afghanistan in the 1980-ies. The evolution of Al-Qaeda in the 1990-ies: from Sudan to Afghanistan. Main Osama bin Laden fatwas and his views of a just world. The linkage of terrorism to Islam. Jihad: definitions, descriptions and discussions, theory and practice. September 11 terrorist attacks. US military operation in Afghanistan. The retreat of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters to Pakistan territory. The evolution of Al-Qaeda and the eventual death of Osama bin Laden. What Al-Qaeda did wrong and why its modus operandi eventually failed. 8

Required readings: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017. Chapter 4. 2. Pape, Robert. Introduction: What is New about Research on Terrorism? // Security Studies. 2009. Vol.18. Iss.4. 3. Cronin, Audrey K. How al-qaida ends: The decline and demise of terrorist groups // International Security. 2006. Vol.31. Iss.1. 7. The rise of the Islamic State. The US invasion in Iraq and its costly mistakes. The fall of the Saddam Hussein regime and the atomization of Iraq. Formation and evolution of the Iraqi insurgency. The civil war in Syria as a catalyst for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Is its claim to statehood justified? The current situation in Syria and Iraq. The possibility of the Islamic State to further propagate in different regions of the world. Required readings: 1. McCants, William. The ISIS Apocalypse: the History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. St. Martin s Press, 2015, Chapter 1 and 6. 2. Berger, J.M. The Islamic State vs. al Qaeda // Foreign Policy. 2014. September 2. 3. Kuznetsov, Vassily. The Islamic State: Alternative Statehood? // Russia in Global Affairs. 2015. 4. 8. Does Terrorism End? Future of Terrorism. Evolving Technologies & Trends. Do terrorist campaigns come to an end and if so how? What future trends of terrorism can be discerned? What can be done to mitigate the lasting impact of terrorism? Required reading: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017, Chapter 9 and 10. 2. Rekawek, Kacper Edward. How Terrorism Does Not End: The Case of the Official Irish Republican Army // Critical Studies on Terrorism December. 2008. 3. Walt, Stephen M. ISIS as Revolutionary State New Twist on an Old Story // Foreign Affairs. November/December. 2015. 9

2.4. PRESENTATION TOPICS / QUESTIONS FOR TESTS Mid-term Test On the fifth week of the course there will be an in-class written test on the first four topics. The test will have two versions with an equally distributed types of questions. It will contain 10 theoretical and practical questions on reading material, lectures and class discussions. Fully correct answers to a question will be awarded 10 points. For partially correct answers, the number of points may vary from 1 to 9. Incorrect answers will receive 0 points. The overall result of the midterm test consists of the total score for all the 10 questions summed up. The test will include: A. Open questions (Example: Define the notion of «international conflict»); B. Question on the knowledge of a specific historical date or figure (Example: Who was the pioneer in researching asymmetrical conflicts within the international relations? Which terrorist group is responsible for the highest number of terrorist attacks in 2016?). Final Paper The final course assignment is an individual research paper 12-15 pages long (14 point font, double-spaced) with proper citations and a bibliography. The paper should put forth cogently an argument and examine analytically an issue, rather than summarize the literature. The research paper may discuss any particular aspect of the course themes. The topic of the research paper should be thematic. If the student opts for a case-study, the paper must nonetheless cast the analysis against thematic questions and comparatively in relation to other instances. Students are invited to select a topic and submit an outline no later than by the fourth class. Paper outline: 1) A cover sheet with course details and title of your paper (not included in page count); 2) Abstract of no more than 200 words (about 1 page) summarizing the main argument; 3) Main text (divided in sections if necessary); 4) Conclusions (no more than 300 words; about 1.5 pages); 5) References to the literature and sources used (not included in page count); 6) Appendixes (if needed; not included in the page count but no more than 5 pages). 10

Sample Examination questions 1. The defining characteristics of an asymmetric strategy in a conflict. 2. Asymmetrical strategies: the cases for unconventional, hybrid and nonlinear conflicts. 3. Analysis of a contemporary asymmetric conflict. 4. Future of asymmetric conflicts and their impact on warfare. 5. The main problems of defining terrorism. The progress so far. 6. The evolution of meaning of terrorism through the ages. 7. Can terrorism ever be justified. 8. Possible causes of terrorism. 9. The rationale behind terrorism. 10. Internationalization of terrorism in the 1970-ies. The case of the People Liberation Army. 11. Main terrorist movements in the second half of the XX century. 12. The genesis of Al-Qaeda from the 1980-ies to today. 13. The link between Islam and terrorism. The misused concept of jihad. 14. Context of the formation of the Islamic State 15. Current status and future of the Islamic State. 16. How terrorism campaigns eventually end. 17. The future of terrorism in the XXI century: a war without end? 2.5. TYPES OF EXCTACURRICULUM WORK 1. Reading the assigned material; 2. Studying for the midterm test; 3. Preparing the Final paper. 2.6. TEST TIMING The 5 th week of the Fall Semester (Middle of March). 2.7. READING LIST Required reading: Books: 1. Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. Third Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017. 2. McCants, William. The ISIS Apocalypse: the History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. St. Martin s Press, 2015. Articles: 11

1. Adler, Emanuel. Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don t: Performative Power and the Strategy of Conventional and Nuclear Defusing // Security Studies. Vol.19. Iss.2. 2010. 2. Arreguin-Toft, Ivan M. How the Weak Win Wars // International Security Vol.26. Iss.1. 2001. 3. Berger, J.M. The Islamic State vs. al Qaeda // Foreign Policy. 2014. September 2. 4. Carter, David B. A Blessing or a Curse? State Support for Terrorist Groups // International Organization. Vol.66. Iss.1. 2012. 5. Cronin, Audrey K. How al-qaida ends: The decline and demise of terrorist groups // International Security. 2006. Vol.31. Iss.1. 6. Frunzetti, Teodor. Asymmetric, Unconventional and Hybrid Actions in the 21 st Century Warfare // Strategic Impact. Iss.1. 2013. 7. Krueger, Alan; Malec ková, Jitka. Education, Poverty, and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection? // Journal of Economic Perspectives 2003. Vol.17. Iss.4. 8. Kuznetsov, Vassily. The Islamic State: Alternative Statehood? // Russia in Global Affairs. 2015. 4. 9. Laqueur, Walter. Postmodern Terrorism: New Rules for an Old Game // Foreign Affairs. Vol.75. Iss.5 1996. 10. Mack, Andrew. Why Big Nations Lose Small Wars: The Politics of Asymmetric Conflict // World Politics. Vol.27. Iss.2. 1975. 11. Nalbandov, Robert. Battle of Two Logics: Appropriateness and Consequentiality in Russian Interventions in Georgia //Caucasian Review of International Affairs Vol.3. Iss.1. 2009. 12. Pape, Robert. Introduction: What is New about Research on Terrorism? // Security Studies. 2009. Vol.18. Iss.4. 13. Razvan Munteanu. Hybrid Warfare the New Form of Conflict at the Beginning of the Century // Strategic Impact Iss.3. 2015. 14. Rekawek, Kacper Edward. How Terrorism Does Not End: The Case of the Official Irish Republican Army // Critical Studies on Terrorism December. 2008. 15. Schmid, Alex Peter. Terrorism: The Definitional Problem // Case Wetsren Journal of International Law. Vol.36. Iss.2. 2004. 16. Victoroff, Jeff. The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches // Journal of Conflict Resolution. 2005. Vol.49. Iss.1. 17. Walt, Stephen M. ISIS as Revolutionary State New Twist on an Old Story // Foreign Affairs. November/December. 2015. 12

18. Walzer, Michael. Terrorism and Just War // Philisophia. Vol.34. Iss.1. 2006. Additional readings: 1. Breen, Michael and Geltzer, Joshua. Asymmetric Strategies as Strategies of the Strong // Parameters: US Army War College. Vol.41 Iss.1 March 2011. 2. Hoffman, Bruce. The Myth of Grass-Roots Terrorism: Why Osama Bin Laden Still Matters // Foreign Affairs. Vol.87. Iss.3. 2008. 3. Jaggar, Alison M. What Is Terrorism, Why Is It Morally Wrong, and Could It Ever Be Morally Permissible? // Journal of Social Philosophy Vol.36. Iss.2. 2005. 4. Kimhi, Shaul; Even, Shemuel. Who Are the Palestinian Suicide Bombers? // Terrorism and Political Violence. 2004. Vol.16. Iss.4. 5. Post, Jerrold; Sprinzak, Ehud; Denny, Laurita. The Terrorists in Their Own Words: Interviews with 35 Incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists // Terrorism and Political Violence 2003. Vol.15. Iss.1. Russia in Global Affairs: a Russian journal dealing with the Foreign affairs and international relations of Russia and other countries. Analytics, stories and reviews of global events. Issues of diplomatic affairs and international legislature. International conflicts and clashes. http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/ 13