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Lecture 1: Introduction

Lecture 1: Introduction. Intro to Terrorism. Defining Terrorism. Definitions Many Ambiguous Are terrorists “freedom fighters”? Matter of perception? What is the relationship between insurgency and terrorism? Are all insurgents terrorists? Are all terrorists insurgents?

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Lecture 1: Introduction

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  1. Lecture 1: Introduction • Intro to Terrorism

  2. Defining Terrorism • Definitions • Many • Ambiguous • Are terrorists “freedom fighters”? • Matter of perception? • What is the relationship between insurgency and terrorism? Are all insurgents terrorists? Are all terrorists insurgents? • AW/UW, 4GW and terrorism

  3. Defining Terrorism • Certain aspects are fundamental • Political act • Desire for political change • Terrorism is typically non-state in character • (Note the separate but related topic of state terrorism, for whom political change is usually not desired) • States can terrorize, but they are not terrorists. • Terrorists do not abide by norms • They target innocents • They seek psychological trauma

  4. 10 Characteristics of terrorism 1. The demonstrative use of violence against human beings; 2. The threat of (further) violence; 3. The deliberate production of terror/fear/dread/anxiety in a target group; 4. The frequent targeting of civilians, non-combatants, and innocents; 5. The purpose of intimidation, coercion, and/or propaganda; 6. The fact that it is a method, tactic, or strategy of conflict waging; 7. The importance of communicating the act(s) of violence to a larger audience; 8. The illegal, criminal, and immoral nature of the act(s) of violence; 9. The predominantly political character of the act; 10. Its use as a tool of psychological warfare. A. P. Schmid (2005). ‘Terrorism as Psychological Warfare,’ Democracy and Security, Vol.1, No.2, p. 140.

  5. Terrorism: Key Terms • Vision • Power • Ideology • Duty • Self-sacrifice • Strategy • Tactics • Will to kill • Skill to kill • Indoctrination • Radicalization • Rationalization • Moral Disengagement • Facilitators/Causes • Enabling Environment • Learning Organization • Counter vs. Anti • Hard/Soft Power

  6. Defining Terrorism Primary Types • Left-wing • Right Wing • Ethno-nationalist (separatist) • Religious

  7. Left-Wing Terrorism • Driven by liberal or idealist political concepts • Prefer revolutionary anti-authoritarian anti-materialist agendas • Typically target elites who symbolize authority • Examples • Red Brigades (Italy) • Red Army Faction (Baader Meinhof Gang) (Germany) • MRTA (Tupac Amaru movement) (Peru) • Sendero Luminoso (Peru) • Weather Underground (United States)

  8. Right-Wing Terrorism • Often target race and ethnicity • Examples Aryan Republican Army USA Aryan Nations USA The Boeremag South Africa The Aryan Republican Army Skinheads Neo-Nazi Skinheads American Nazi Party USA National Alliance USA National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP) USA Christian identity USA Creativity movement USA Combat 18 England Ku Klux Klan Neo Confederates NeoNazism Silent Brotherhood White Aryan Resistance (WAR) USA World Church of the Creator

  9. Ethno-Nationalists • Usually have clear territorial objectives • Liberation/separation • Popular support usually along ethnic/racial lines. • Examples • ETA (Basque Separatists) • Irish Republican Army • Lashkar-e Taiba (& other Kashmir groups) • Moro Islamic Liberation Front • Tamil Tigers (LTTE)

  10. Religious Terrorists Largest category of groups today • Examples Hizballah LEHI, Stern Gang and Zvi Irgun (Jewish extremists) Al Qaida Jemaah Islamiya Aum Shinrikyo Egyptian Islamic Jihad AQ in the Islamic Maghreb Algerian GIA and GSPC Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Hizb ut-Tahrir Al Qaeda in Iraq Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Christian Identity The Sword, Covenant & Arm of the Lord

  11. Resources • NCTC database: http://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/index.html • START: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/ • Carlos Marighella (1969). Mini-Manual of the Urban Guerrilla, online at: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marighella-carlos/1969/06/minimanual-urban-guerrilla/index.htm • Al Qaeda "Training Manual": http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/manualpart1_1.pdf

  12. Conclusion • Defining terrorism: not as easy as some might assume • Different organizations within the U.S. government have different definitions of terrorism • Lack of international consensus on definition • There is no real ‘profile’ of a terrorist. • Potentially anyone can be radicalized, indoctrinated, taught why and how to murder others in pursuit of some broader vision • Vision matters; articulated in ideology

  13. Questions?

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