1. Terrorism

2. Learning Objectives To explain the main types of terrorism
To explain the difference between ‘old’ and ‘new’ terrorism
To evaluate the significance of Islamist terrorism

3. Starter
How many terrorist organisations can you name, with their main area of operations?

4. Insurrectionary Terrorism
Aimed at the revolutionary overthrow of a state
E.g. anarchist and revolutionary communist terrorism

5. Loner or Issue Terrorism
Aimed at promoting a single cause
E.g. bombing of abortion clinics in USA, Sarin nerve gas attack in Tokyo

6. Nationalist Terrorism
Aims to overthrow colonial rule or occupation
Often has goal of gaining independence for an ethnic, religious or national group
FLN in Algeria, Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, Hamas and Hezbollah in Israel

7. Global or ‘new’ Terrorism
Aimed at inflicting damage and humiliation on a global power, or at transforming global civilizational relations
E.g. Al-Qaeda and other forms of Islamist terrorism

8. Global or ‘new’ Terrorism
Has terrorism moved from secular to religious?
By 1995 almost half the 56 terrorist groups believed to be in operation could be classified as religious
Terrorism became ‘sacred duty’ and altered the moral context in which violence was used
Violence became increasingly symbolic – a sign of ‘total war’

9. Global or ‘new’ Terrorism
Constraints on use of violence fell away
More likely to embrace indiscriminate and lethal violence
WMD and suicide attacks
Organisation became looser
Al-Qaeda as an ‘idea rather than organisation’
Terrorist cells
There has been some criticism of these distinctions between old and ‘new’ terrorism

10. Nature of Islamist Terrorism
Islamist, or ‘Jihadist’ terrorism
From 1970s onwards
Growing number of Muslim states experienced crises in government (seen to have apostate rulers)
US influence in Middle East expanded – came to be seen as the ‘far enemy’
Growth in politically engaged forms of religious fundamentalism

11. Nature of Islamist Terrorism
Domestic jihad was paramount in 1970s and 80s. Hostility to USA was a backdrop
In 1990s this changed – jihad went global
Strategies realigned to ‘far enemy’ and a global struggle
Al-Qaeda emerged: transnational goals
To purify and regenerate Muslim society
Overthrowing apostate leaders
Expelling Western (particularly US) influence
Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, USA, Spain, UK
Appears to have massively increased its potential targets

12. Critiques Islamist movement is not a single, cohesive entity
Temptation is to link events that have no connections
Vast majority of attacks take place in a small number of countries with political instability
Idea of Islamist terrorism = global terrorism may result from how others have seen it. (i.e. the ‘War on Terror’ has created the idea that there is such a thing as global terrorism)

13. Tactics and methods

14. Significance of global terrorism
Real and great threat
Exaggerated fears
September 11th showed the scale of the threat (3,000 people were killed)
Terrorism is not militarily effective
It is impossible to protect against – tactics and methods mean that the threat can never be eradicated
The risk has been exaggerated and the ‘politics of fear’ are being used – the ‘war on terror’ is another sign of the politics of the hostile ‘other’
Groups have acquired WMD and use indiscriminate methods (MAD does not apply)
There is limited support for religious militancy – where terrorism has succeeded in the past there has been popular support

15. Plenary
Can you talk for 60 seconds about the difference between ‘old’ and ‘new’ terrorism?

16. Homework
Construct a diagram/mind map using pages 296 to 301 of the red book on ‘Countering Terrorism’
Focus on benefits vs. costs of different counter-terrorism strategies