Governmental Responses & Counter Measures Week 11

Anti-Terrorism vs. Counterterrorism Anti-terrorism = the range of defensive measures put in place to prevent the occurrence of terrorism Counterterrorism = offensive in nature and designed to respond to a terrorist act

Government Type What is the influence of government type on responses to terrorism? Authoritarian vs. Democratic state responses

Domestic Responses 1. Repression 2. Increased Security 3. Intelligence Gathering 4. Special Counterterrorism Units 5. Compromise/Concessions

1. Repression Authoritarian states = very effective intelligence agencies and similar Some democratic governments have supported repression in the face of terrorism (Sri Lanka, India, Colombia) Other times, have looked the other way (e.g. Spain, Colombia, UK)

2. Increased Security Critical infrastructure/High value targets (parliament building, major transit points, nuclear power plants, etc.) But too many targets? + Attackers switch to soft targets (hotels, night clubs, shopping centres, etc.)

3. Intelligence Gathering Human Intelligence (Humint) Signals Intelligence (Sigint) Open Source Intelligence (Osint) Downgrading of Western intelligence capabilities post-Cold War, esp. language/translation capacities

4. Special Counterterrorism Units Many established worldwide post-Munich: First spectacular success = Israelis in Entebbe in 1976 (2 passengers and one commando killed) Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG9) Special Air Service (SAS) Delta Force (1977) Mivtzan Elohim (Wrath of God):

5. Compromises/Concessions Many countries have stated policy of no negotiations with terrorists, but most will talk if opportunity arises Many examples of swaps of prisoners for hostages Swiss, UN, Algerians involved in release of Iran hostages Media diplomacy = TWA hijacking (1985)

Multilateral/International/Global Responses 1. Legislation 2. Retaliation (on State Supporters) 3. Retaliation (on Terror Groups) 4. Pre-Emptive Action

1. Legislation Financing (e.g. new UN & EU measures) Internet (e.g. OSCE Convention on Cybercrime), but very hard to police… USA Patriot Act ( Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism), voted upon 6 weeks post-9/11, most legislators had not read it… Problem = overreaction vs. under-reaction

2. Retaliation (on State Supporters) Attacks - US against Libya in US attacks on Afghanistan post-9/11 Sanctions - most effective in Libyan case where UN sanctions were applied to press for handing over of perpetrators of attack on Pan Am flight 103)

3. Retaliation (on Terror Groups) Assassinations - Israel on Hamas leaders (Yassin, al- Rantissi) - US Predator drone in Yemen in 2002

4. Pre-emptive Action The right to strike in advance of hostile action to prevent its occurrence and to avoid suffering injury. Major problem = all countries insisting on same right…

International Issues Designation of detainees as ‘enemy combatants’ Mistreatment and torture of detainees Rendition of detainees to third countries for above

CONCLUSION Use of the descriptor ‘war’ in conjunction with the term ‘terrorism’ (i.e the so-called ‘War on Terrorism’) suggests that terrorism can be ‘defeated’ However, “a central lesson of counterterrorism is that terrorism cannot be ‘defeated’- only reduced, attenuated, and to some degree controlled” (in Pillar’s Terrorism and US Foreign Policy 2001, 218)