Understanding Terrorism: Definitions and Ideologies

• Defining terrorism is difficult due to the mutability of definitions, political and normative aspects, and reporting bias.

GTD's Definition of Terrorism

• The threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.
• Includes incidents that are intentional, involve violence, and are carried out by non-state actors.

Four Main Ideologies of Terrorism

• New left
• Far right
• Religious nationalist
• Ethnic/Nationalist

Religious Terrorism

• Religious terrorists are more likely to engage in mass casualty events due to:
  • Apocalyptic or absolutist beliefs
  • Divine justification over political rationality
  • Group dynamics and radicalization
  • Sacred texts and interpretations
  • Lack of restraint from traditional morality
• Significant religious terrorist organizations:
  • Al-Qaeda: Founded by Osama bin Laden; responsible for the 9/11 attacks and numerous bombings worldwide
  • ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria): Known for mass executions, territorial control in Iraq and Syria (2014-2019), and global terrorist attacks

Ethnic/Nationalist Terrorism

• Involves the idea that a group must be separate from the rest to protect or save itself
• Aims to achieve political autonomy, independence, or supremacy for a particular ethnic or national group
• Primarily concerned with identity, self-determination, or perceived historical grievances, unlike religious terrorism

Significant Nationalist Groups

-Irish Republican Army (IRA) (Northern Ireland): Sought independence from the UK and reunification with Ireland; responsible for bombings and assassinations during the Troubles (1960s–1998) -Tamil Tigers (LTTE) (Sri Lanka): Fought for an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka; used suicide bombings and assassinations, including the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 -Basque separatists (ETA) in Spain

Left-Wing/Right-Wing Terrorism

• Left-wing: Violence characterized by disdain for capitalism, imperialism, and colonialism, and by revolutionary procommunist/socialist beliefs, or support for a decentralized, non-hierarchical sociopolitical system
• Right-wing: Violence in support of the belief that a personal and/or national way of life is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent

Significant left-wing groups

• West German leftist group 1968-1998 The Red Army Faction/Shining Path: With most core members were university students carried out many bombings and armed assaults against police, U.S. military personnel, and journalists. They also assassinated several significant political & business figures and often cooperated with Palestinian groups & conducted hijackings
  • Animal/Earth Liberation Front

The Waves of Terrorism

-First Wave: The Anarchist Wave (1880s–1920s) -Second Wave: The Anti-Colonial Wave (1920s–1960s) -Third Wave: The New Left Wave (1960s–1980s) -Fourth Wave: The Religious Wave (1979–Present)

Psychological Findings Relevant to Terrorism

• Ingroup-Outgroup Bias: Extremists dehumanize outsiders, justifying violence
• Role of Ideology & Justification of Violence, group identity, status, and belonging

Rational Choice Theory

• Individuals weigh the costs and benefits before engaging in terrorism.
• They see terrorism as the most effective way to achieve their goals.
• Example: Increased metal detectors lead to less terrorism.

Seven Puzzles of Terrorism

-Coercive ineffectiveness -Terrorism is not a last resort -Terrorists reflexively reject compromise -Terrorist orgs have vague political platforms -Terrorist orgs usually carry out anonymous attacks -Terrorist orgs attack each other more than a mutual enemy -Resist disbanding when they fail or if they are successful

Natural Systems Model

-People join for social reasons rather than political ones.

Classical Perceived Relationship Between Democracy and Terrorism

• Democracies are less likely to produce terrorism and more capable of addressing it peacefully

Problems with the Relationship Between Democracy and Terrorism

-Democracies can be more vulnerable to terrorism. -Civil liberties can be a double-edged sword. -Democracies are more likely to be targets of terrorism. -Legal constraints on security measures

Theorized Relationship Between Economics and Terrorism

-Poverty leads to terrorism -Unemployment and Terrorism -Poverty alone does not cause terrorism -Economic inequality, political grievances, and weak governance can create conditions where terrorism thrives -Well-educated and middle-class individuals often become terrorists

Social Cleavage Theory

-Explains how divisions within society shape political behavior, conflicts, and terrorism. -Divisions are based on factors like ethnicity, religion, class, or ideology. -Examples: -Exclusion from Political Power: Groups excluded from political representation are more likely to radicalize -Ethnic and Religious Grievances: When ethnicity or religion is tied to economic inequality, it can lead to violent extremism -State Repression and Identity Conflict: If governments repress certain groups based on social cleavages, it often fuels terrorism (e.g., the Palestinian-Israeli conflict)

International vs. Domestic Terrorism

-International: The nationality or foreign ties of its perpetrators, its location, the nature of its institutional or human victims, or the mechanics of its resolution, its ramifications transcend national boundaries

• Domestic: The nationality of its perpetrators and location of the act are the same

Relative Deprivation

• Feeling poor compared to others may fuel resentment and radicalization more than absolute poverty.
• Example: Many foreign fighters for ISIS came from wealthy Gulf states or Europe, where they felt socially or politically marginalized despite economic stability.

Importance of a Good Definition of Terrorism

• Without a consensus and universal definition:
  • Cannot extradite people
  • Cannot develop international law
  • Cannot have universal condemnation for attacks
  • End up spending more money
  • Cannot advance knowledge
  • Cannot provide guidance
  • Too much time spent fighting over trivial things instead of conducting research