IAFS 1000
Terrorism
Dinner
• See evite
Paper Presentations
• Dec 3-7
• 8 min. talk, 6 min. Q&A
• Clearly and concisely summarize:
– Argument
– Evidence (analysis of sources)
– Problems
• Pass/fail
Today’s Outline
• Ancient roots
• Definitions
• Key characteristics
Historical Roots of Terrorism
• 1st c. Jewish Zealots
• 7th c. Indian Thugs
• 11th c. Middle Eastern Assassins
• 18th c. Revolutionary France
Defining Terrorism:
State Department
Terrorism is "premeditated, politically
motivated violence perpetrated against
noncombatant targets by subnational groups
or clandestine agents, usually intended to
influence an audience."
Defining Terrorism:
Department of Defense
Terrorism is “the unlawful use of violence or
threat of violence to instill fear and coerce
governments or societies. Terrorism is often
motivated by religious, political, or other
ideological beliefs and committed in the
pursuit of goals that are usually political.”
Defining Terrorism:
Department of Defense (pre2010)
Terrorism is “the calculated use of violence
or the threat of violence to inculcate fear;
intended to coerce or to intimidate
government or societies in the pursuit of
goals that are generally political, religious,
or ideological.”
Defining Terrorism:
Walter Laqueur
(terrorism scholar)
“Terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use
of force to achieve a political objective
when innocent people are targeted.”
Defining Terrorism:
CJM Drake
(terrorism scholar)
“Terrorism is defined here as the recurrent
use of threatened use of politically
motivated and clandestinely organized
violence, by a group whose aim is to
influence a psychological target in order to
make it behave in a way which the group
desires.”
Defining Terrorism:
FBI
“The unlawful use of force or violence
against persons or property to intimidate or
coerce a government, the civilian
population, or any segment thereof, in
furtherance of political or social
objectives.”
Defining Terrorism:
Former Deputy Chief,
CIA Counterterrorist Center
“It is premeditated—planned in advance, rather
than an impulsive act of rage. It is political—not
criminal, like the violence that groups such as the
mafia use to get money, but designed to change
the existing political order. It is aimed at
civilians—not at military targets or combat-ready
troops. It is carried out by subnational groups—
not by the army of a country.”
Defining Terrorism:
Govt of India Prevention of
Terrorism Act, 2002-2004
Violence with “intent to threaten the unity,
integrity, security or sovereignty of India or to
strike terror in the people or any section of the
people”
Defining Terrorism:
Govt of India Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act, 2008
Terrorism = acts “likely to threaten the unity,
integrity, security or sovereignty of India or with
intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the
people … by any means of whatever nature to
cause or likely to cause” death or injury to persons,
damage to property, or “the disruption of any
supplies or services essential to the life of the
community in or in any foreign country.”
Defining Terrorism:
Arab Convention for the
Suppression of Terrorism, 1998
“Any act or threat of violence, whatever its motives
or purposes, that occurs in the advancement of an
individual or collective criminal agenda and seeking
to sow panic among people, causing fear by
harming them, or placing their lives, liberty or
security in danger, or seeking to cause damage to
the environment or to public or private installations
or property or to occupying or seizing them, or
seeking to jeopardize a national resources.”
Elements of Terrorism
• Not impulsive
• Political
• Non-state
Elements of Terrorism (cont)
• Targets civilians
• Aimed at an audience
• Weapon of the weak
Questions to Consider
• What do difficulties in defining terrorism
mean for our ability to counter terrorism?
• If terrorism has been with us for centuries,
can we defeat it now?
Questions to Consider
• How does understanding the nature of
terrorism help us deal with it?
• Is “The War of Terror” an appropriate term
to describe counter-terrorist efforts? Why
or why not?
Questions to Consider
• What is an appropriate and effective
reaction to terrorism?
• Strengths and weaknesses of various
definitions?