Crj3400 Terrorism Understanding The Threat4 5

TerrorismUnderstanding the Threat

Course Text:

Martin, Gus (2006). Understanding Terrorism.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Chapter #4• State terrorism

– Committed by governments & quasi-governments – externally & internally

– Most organized & far-reaching – Official support for int’l & domestic policies– Characterized by official support for

• Violence• Repression• Intimidation

Characteristics of State Terrorism• Violence is directed against perceived

enemies because of a threat to its interests or security;

• The violence may be committed by either official or unofficial state agents.

• Those who carry out the violence are often unofficial state agents.

Known Sponsors• In the international policy domain, the

united states has a list of nations known to be sponsors of international terrorism. The list includes Iran, Iraq, Syria; Libya, Cuba, north Korea, and Sudan.

Cuba• Castro labeled the

response to 9-11 “worse than the original attacks”

• After being ostracized – signed off on all international countering attempts

• Continues to denounce global effort

• Castro views terror as a legitimate revolutionary tactic

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

Fidel Castro

Iran

• Most active state sponsor• Support a variety of groups• Support increased for Palestinians• Appears to have reduced support• Pledged to close borders

– Afghanistan – block Taliban– Pakistan – block al-Qaida

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

PresidentMohammad Khatami

Iraq .

Al-Yawer.

• The only Arab-Muslim country that did not condemn the attacks of 9-11.

• Provided bases to several terrorist groups.• The U.S.-Led coalition transferred sovereignty to

an interim Iraqi government June 28, 2004, and a new government led by prime minister Iyad Allawi and president ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer was sworn in.

• Preparations are also to be made for democratic elections, to be held no later than Jan. 31, 2005.

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

Libya

• Called 9-11 attacks “horrific” and “gruesome” • Apparently curtailed support of terrorism• Past terrorist ties still hinders Qadhafi’s efforts

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

North Korea• Response disappointing• Did not respond to requests regarding

implementation of UN resolutions• Did not report on efforts to find and

block terrorists’ financial assets• Safe haven for Japanese Communist

League and Red Army Faction• May have sold small arms to terrorist

groupsOverview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

President Kim Jong-il

Sudan• Condemned 9-11 attacks• UN recognized positive steps

by removed sanctions• Remains designated state

sponsor • Safe haven for logistics

operations and support for many terrorist groups– Al Qaida– Egyptian and Palestinian

Islamic Jihad– HAMAS

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

Hasan al-Turabi

Syria• Not implicated directly since 1986• Safe haven and logistics support for

– PFLP-GC– Palestinian Islamic Jihad– HAMAS

• Primary transit point for Hizballah

Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism (AE 05/06)Patterns of Global Terrorism-2001 (May 2002

Bashar Al Assad

State Sponsorship: The Patronage Model"State patronage for terrorism refers to

active participation in, and encouragement of, terrorist behavior.“

Foreign Policy Domain

Domestic Policy Domain

State Sponsorship (Patronage) - Foreign Policy• In the foreign policy domain, the terrorist

group is a proxy for the government.

• When state sponsorship of terrorist acts is discovered, the caught state usually claims one of these:– They accept the terrorism as a necessary tactic;– They deny that what occurred should be labeled as

terrorism;– They deny that an incident occurred in the first

place; Or.– They issue a blanket condemnation of all such

violence as being unfortunate.

State Sponsorship (Patronage) - Domestic Policy• The state overtly sponsors terrorism within its borders

against a real or perceived domestic enemy. The personnel involved are agents of the state.

• The state will make one or more of the following claims. The terrorism was "necessary" to:– suppress a clear and present domestic threat to national

security;– maintain law and order during times of national crisis;– protect fundamental cultural values that are threatened by

subversives;– restore stability to government institutions that have been

shaken, usurped, or damaged by a domestic enemy.

State Sponsorship: The Assistance ModelTacit participation and encouragement of

terrorist behavior.• Government support of terrorism is not

openly stated but is quietly understood.• The state uses agents who are

sympathetic to their cause, but who are not actual state agents.

• State may arm, train, or provide safe havens - done indirectly.

Foreign policy domain.Domestic policy domain.

State Sponsorship (Assistance) - Foreign Policy

• The government backs a terrorist organization that is serving as their proxy and will operate outside the boundary limits of the nation.

The government will make one or more of:• Deny a linkage exists between the state and the

terrorist group;• Admit some linkage exists but the incident in question

was outside the parameters of the relationship; • Admit or deny a linkage, but insist the cause is just and

the proxy group consists of freedom fighters;• Blame the group's adversary for creating conditions

requiring political violence.

State Sponsorship (Assistance) - Domestic PolicyGovernment indirectly gives support to violent groups

who will work against perceived internal enemies, or enemies within the borders of the nation.

If the government gets accused of such conduct, they:• Blame an adversary group for the breakdown and

request the people of the state to help restore order;• Argue that the proxy violence is evidence of popular

patriotic sentiment to suppress the perceived threat;• Call for all parties to cease violence but put the blame

on the adversarial group;• Assure everyone that the government is doing all it

can to restore law and order, but that it cannot do so immediately.

State Terrorism As Foreign Policy

• Direct application of violence outside the borders of the state.

• Terrorism is utilized when the use of conventional military force is infeasible.

• State sponsored terrorism is an acceptable risk for many state governments. A range of policy options include: – Ideological support; – Financial support; – Military support; – Organizational support; – Initiating terrorist attacks; – Direct involvement in terrorist attacks.

State Terrorism As Domestic Policy

• Direct support of terrorism within the borders of the state.

• The force is committed by agents of the state or by unofficial paramilitary units or death squads.

• To demonstrate the supreme power of the government & intimidate or eliminate opposition.

Legitimizing State Authority

• Examples of state domestic authority– Democracy

• Authority from the people to the leaders– Authoritarianism

• Authority comes from the state– Totalitarianism

• Total government regulation– Crazy states

• Irrational, at whim of dominant group

Domestic State Terrorism• Vigilante

– Columbia – social cleansing• Overt official

– China – Tiananmen Square• Covert official

– South Africa – elimination of ANC

Domestic State Genocide• Rwanda – Tutsis• Cambodia – Buddhists• Bosnia – Muslims

• United States – Native Americans

• Germany – Jews• Iraq – Kurds

Chapter #5• Dissident Terrorism

– Nonstate movements/groups against governments and others

– Three categories of Action/Terrorism• Revolutionary – striving for complete change• Subrevolutionary – striving for partial change• Establishment – fighting against opposition

– Dissident Terrorist Model – Broad Categories• Nihilist• Nationalist• Criminal

Dissident Terrorist Models• Revolutionary Dissidents

– To destroy existing order through armed conflict & create new society

– e.g. Castro & Guevara• Nihilist Dissidents

– Dislike current social order, but have no alternative

– e.g. Red Brigade, Weather Underground Organization, Abu Nidal, possibly al Qaeda

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1865/April/booth-killing-lincoln.jpg

THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN AT FORD'S THEATRE ON APRIL 14, 1865

Dissident Terrorist Models• Nationalist Dissidents

– Mobilization of a particular demographic group against another group or government

• e.g. Provisional Irish Republican Army, ETA

• Criminal Dissidents– Transnational Organized Crime– Goal - protect illegal enterprise

• Medellin & Cali Cartels in Columbia

Terrorist Cells

• The Cell– Horizontal, indistinct command structure– Hub/Node configuration with autonomy– Often dormant for many years

– More on Blackboard & Video (and next)

Richard Reid• Tried to blow up an airliner.• Believed to be part of al-Qaeda network.• The flight was diverted to Boston.• Had no known source of income.• Between July and December 2001 traveled.

From Belgium to Israel, Egypt, turkey and Pakistan.• Charges:

– Attempted use of WMD.– Attempted murder.– Attempted homicide.– Placing an explosive device on an aircraft.– Interfering with a flight crew.– Attempted destruction of an aircraft.– Using a destructive device.– Attempted wrecking of a mass transportation vehicle.

• Convicted.

Anti-state Dissident Terrorism

• Directed against specific governments or interests– Anti-war movement 1970s (US)– Racial Supremacists & Patriot Movement (US)– Provisional IRA (UK)– Red Army Faction 1960s-1980s (GE)– Neo-Nazis 1990s – present (GE)– ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna, “Basque Fatherland and

Liberty” in the Basque language) 1960s – present – SP

– PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization)

Communal Terrorism• Group versus Group.• May be characterized by extreme

repression and violence, and occurs in varying degrees of intensity in different cultures.– Ethno-Nationalist.– Religious.– Ideological.

END

TerrorismUnderstanding the Threat

Class #16

Final Examination