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GHSH 810 Lecture 10

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Altantuya Dashnyam
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23 views

GHSH 810 Lecture 10

Uploaded by

Altantuya Dashnyam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL

TERRORISM
Contents

 A brief history of terrorism


 Terrorism in the 19th century
 The League of Nations and terrorism

 The United Nations and terrorism


Definition of Terrorism
In 2006 it was estimated that there were over 109 different definitions
of terrorism. American political philosopher Michael Walzer in 2002
wrote: "Terrorism is the deliberate killing of innocent people, at
random, to spread fear through a whole population and force the hand
of its political leaders". Bruce Hoffman, an American scholar, has noted
that it is not only individual agencies within the same governmental
apparatus that cannot agree on a single definition of terrorism.
Experts and other long-established scholars in the field are
equally incapable of reaching a consensus. The international
community has been slow to formulate a universally agreed,
legally binding definition of this crime. These difficulties arise
from the fact that the term "terrorism" is politically and
emotionally charged.
A brief history of terrorism

The challenges of countering terrorism are not new, and indeed have a
long history. The English word ‘terrorism’ comes from the regime de la
terreur that prevailed in France The term “terrorism” was initially coined
to describe the Reign of Terror, the period of the French Revolution
from 5 September 1793 to 27 July 1794, during which the
Revolutionary Government directed violence and harsh measures
against citizens suspected of being enemies of the Revolution.
The history of modern terrorism began with the French revolution and
has evolved ever since. The most common causes or roots of
terrorism include civilizations or culture clashes, globalization, religion,
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
More personal or individual-based reasons for terrorism are frustration,
deprivation, negative identity, narcissistic rage, and/or moral
disengagement.
Historical background

 Religious Roots: 11th to 16th Century .


 Nationalists and Anarchists: 17th to 19th Century.
 Terrorism and the State: 19th Century
 Terrorism Since World War II
 Contemporary Terrorism/Since 9.11
Terrorism in the 19th century

Modern terrorism can be traced back to nineteenth century


revolutionary radicalism, and, in particular, the emergence of
“anarchist”, “collectivist anarchist” and “anarcho-communist” groups.
For example, from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, groups led or
influenced by the Frenchman Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, author of What
is Property? (1840), the German Karl Marx, and the Russian Mikhail
Bakunin, were promoting one or another anti-establishment model.
Technological developments in the mid and late nineteenth century
also played a pivotal role in the rise of terrorism. The ready availability
of dynamite allowed terrorists to perpetrate and disseminate their
deadly acts more widely as propaganda by the deed. The development
of mass communication technologies allowed news, learning, ideas
and events to be rapidly communicated across long distances,
opening up an era of mass communication and of migration that was
crucial to inspiring groups elsewhere.
The League of Nations and terrorism

The 1919 Versailles Peace Treaty between Germany and the Allied
Powers that concluded World War I precipitated the next phase in the
development of modern terrorism. The Covenant of the League of
Nations (the League Covenant) redistributed former German and
Turkish colonies and other dependencies through the League mandate
system, which was designed to ensure a “mild form of international
accountability for [their] administration” .
The United Nations and terrorism

In November 2004, a Secretary-General of the United Nations report


described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious
bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of
intimidating a population or compelling a government or an
international organization to do or abstain from doing any act".
United Nations Designated Terrorist Groups and
Targeted Sanctions

There are two primary non-State groups, namely the Taliban and Al-
Qaida, which have been designated “terrorist” organizations by the
Security Council.
Contemporary Terrorism

Five Types of Terrorism


State-Sponsored terrorism, which consists of terrorist acts on
a state or government by a state or government.
Dissent terrorism, which are terrorist groups which have
rebelled against their government.
Terrorists and the Left and Right, which are groups rooted in
political ideology.
Religious terrorism, which are terrorist groups which are
extremely religiously motivated and
Criminal Terrorism, which are terrorists acts used to aid in
crime and criminal profit.
Terrorist incidents, 1970–2015. A total of 157,520 incidents
are plotted. Orange: 1970–1999, Red: 2000–2015
Top 10 Countries (2000–2014)
Worldwide non-state terrorist incidents 1970–2017
Quiz

1. When was the first time the word “terrorism”


was used?
a. French Revolution 1794
b. Convention for the Prevention and Punishment
of Terrorism 1937
c. Convention on Offices and Certain Other Acts
Committed on Board Aircraft 1963
d. Iranian Revolution 1979
2. Which of the following is a form of terrorism?
a. Trafficking
b. b. Organized crime
c. c. Extremism

d. d. Hostage taking
3. How many terrorist attacks worldwide were
recorded during 2016?*
a. 6,771
b. 9,351
c. 11,072
d. 13,463
*Terrorism statistics are available from websites such as
www.statista.com, which was the source of the statistics drawn upon here
4. What was the value of insurance property losses
attributable to the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks?*
a. US$13 billion
b. US$19 billion
c. US$25 billion
d. US$32 billion
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

• Critically compare past and present forms of


terrorism in order to identify and evaluate
areas of similarity and difference between them.
• Do any real distinctions exist between “old” and
“new” forms of terrorism? Discuss, with
examples.
• “There is no real difference between the criminal
acts or motivations of Al Qaida and ISIL.”
Discuss with examples.

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