International Terrorism

History of Terrorism

Terrorism has been used since the days of the Roman Empire – Jews response to the destruction of Jerusalem and their

expulsion from Judea in the 1st century CE

The word terror comes from the Latin word “terrere ” meaning “to frighten” The term terrorism was first used during the FRENCH REVOLUTION– During the “Reign of Terror” in 1793-94 by the

Jacobins; they called themselves “terrorists”

Defining Terrorism

The US State Department’s definition– . …activities that involve violent or life-threatening acts

that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and appear to be intended to:

• intimidate or coerce a civilian population• influence the policy of a government by intimidation or

coercion• affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction,

assassination, or kidnapping

There is no agreed upon definition by UN member states

Reasons for Terror:

Revolution/Subversion – replace with a friendly regime

National liberation/separation – gain independence

Anti-imperialism – get rid of colonial power or any state that may

have political or economic influences in the region

Repressing political opponents – Use intimidation to get rid of opposition or

dissidents; regime terrorism

Reasons for Terror cont.

Radical Reform or Revolution– Remove or change policies of hated domestic

political authority

Ethnic Rights– Protect/establish rights of specific ethnic groups

often over-looked/oppressed by a government

Territorial expansion– Imperialism

Ways to Reduce Terrorism

Avoid wars – avoid making enemies

Free colonies/end imperialism – political or economic

Don’t oppress your own people

Avoid creating hated governments and destroying popular governments

Avoid using extreme measures to solve problems – excessive use of force will cause more terror

US Counterterrorism Policy

Make no concessions to terrorists and strike no deals (This changed under the Bush Admin)

Bring terrorists to justice for their crimes

Isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor terrorism to force them to change their behavior

Bolster the counterterrorism capabilities of those countries that work with the U.S. and require assistance (what the US is focusing on)

States that sponsor terror(according to the US Dept. of State)

Iran (since 1984)Sudan (since 1993)Syria (since 1979)Cuba (since 1982)

North Korea – taken of list in ‘08Libya – taken of list in ‘06Iraq – taken of list in ‘03

Main weapon against terrorists?

INTELLIGENCE– Isolation (political & economic) of states that

sponsor them– If they are not sponsored by a state, then

freezing assets of those who are connected

Identify the following:

FBI

CIA

NSA

Sanctions

What are sanctions?Why are sanctions not effective tool in the fight against terrorism? Sanctions can only be applied to states not to terrorist organizationsSanctions that are put on states – very rarely have the desired outcome – weaken

the terror sponsoring government – often result in worse conditions for the civilians

Why is there so little terrorism in the US?

Open political system (courts) reduces injusticesIntelligence agencies (FBI, NSA, CIA) are very activeDifficult for identified terrorist to enter or leave our countryTargets (nuke facilities, gov’t buildings, dams) are well protected – target hardeningLack of sanctuary given by friendly ethnic or religious groupsPublic opinion strongly opposes use of terrorism as a political instrument

International terror declining …

Growing world democratization

Stronger, interdependent international economic system

End of Cold War – countries no longer have Soviet or US aid/funding to carry out terror

Increased collaboration of world governments (IGOs)

Terror in the 21st Century

Radical Islamic actors - wahhabist, jihadistsTarget western interests – government offices/embassies, icons of capitalism, militariesRecruit in the poorest areas of the Muslim world – madrasahs Use of internet to spread their ideas – starting to recruit in western countries– American Jihadists– American al Qaeda

Infamous Islamic JihadistsRamzi Youseff – Responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing; extradited from Pakistan and convicted in NYC in 1997Ayman al Zawahiri – al Qaeda’s “brains”; second in command under bin Laden; Egyptian born – founder of al-JihadKhalid Sheik Mohammed – mastermind of 9/11; being held in Guantanamo BayZacarias Moussaoui – 9/11 plot’s 20th hijacker; imprisoned in 2002Richard Reid – Shoe Bomber – imprisoned in 2002 after he attempted to set off an explosive embedded in his shoe Abu Musab al Zarqawi – former head of al-Qaeda in Iraq; led the counterinsurgency in Iraq; killed by US forces in 2006Anwar al Awalaki – radical US-born sheik living in Yemen – “bin Laden of the Internet”Umar Farouk Abdilmutallab – Underwear Bomber -Nigerian born, al Qaeda trained, attempted to blow up a US airplane on Dec 25, 2009Faisal Shahzad – Times Square Bomber – arrested in 2010 for his attempted car bomb plot in one of the most populated place in the US

How terrorism is carried out…

Conventional

Bombs– Vehicles/transportation

– Suicide

– Buildings/markets/schools

Armed Combat– Shootings/assassinations

– Stabbings

Kidnappings– torture

Unconventional

Biological– smallpox

Chemical– anthrax

Nuclear– Missiles; tractor trailers

Cyber– ID theft

– Shut down power grids

Terrorism & the Nuclear Threat

US Gov’t identifies Al –Qaeda as the biggest terrorist threat to the modern worldBiggest fear is that they will acquire nuclear weapons either from a rogue state or on the black market

How can the world prevent this from happening? – See reading “Countering the Proliferation of Weapons

of Mass Destruction” and summary questions.