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Terrorism 101: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious”

Terrorism 101: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious”. A firm grasp of the “obvious?”. Is that useful?. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know that ain’t so.”. -- Will Rogers?. Terrorism: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious”. Is Terrorism “War?” Definitions Terrorism

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Terrorism 101: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious”

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  1. Terrorism 101: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious”

  2. A firm grasp of the “obvious?” Is that useful?

  3. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know that ain’t so.” -- Will Rogers?

  4. Terrorism: “A Firm Grasp of the Obvious” • Is Terrorism “War?” • Definitions • Terrorism • War • Politics • Conflict • Patterns Since 1945 • Warning -- Problems? • The Need for Open Discussion Black September Attack at the Munich Olympics

  5. The Debate(s) • Is terrorism “war”? • Does this matter? • Yes – “war” and simple “crime” vary a great deal in important ways: • Motivations • Objectives • Targets • Scale of effort • Effective responses and defenses

  6. Is Terrorism “War?” • Definitions = important? • We’ll look at: • Terrorism? • War? • Politics? • Conflict?

  7. Defining Terrorism? • Hotly debated definition. • Emotional aspects. • A relative term? (One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.) • Used as a “pejorative.” • Actually fairly simple?

  8. Some definitions are clearly nationalistic to the extent that terrorism is defined as something which can only be done by others against “us.”(Serves a legal purpose – but is hardly objective or accurate.)

  9. They limit the concept to subnational “players.”

  10. Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f(d): Definitions as used in this section: • (1) the term ''international terrorism'' means terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than 1 country; • (2) the term ''terrorism'' means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents; and • (3) the term ''terrorist group'' means any group practicing, or which has significant subgroups which practice, international terrorism.

  11. Therefore… Nation States can not be terrorists?!?!

  12. Irony here is multifaceted: • “Terrorism” historically has been used by individuals, political groups, and nations since the beginning of “politics by other means.”

  13. Term First Appeared? C. 1793 • Precise and specific use of the term “terrorism” originated in the French Revolution to describe actions taken bythenationalgovernment against its own citizens – “Robespierre and the Enlightened Technology of Dr. Guillotine” – “The Terror.”

  14. “Terrorism” Continued to be Used • Term reappears in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe state and non-state actions (e.g. aerial bombardment).

  15. In short, there is a long tradition of using the term terrorism to describe actions by nations and subnational groups. Changing definitions strikes many as hypocritical and may undermine our credibility – a valuable commodity in fighting terrorism.

  16. Luckily, the confusion is easily dispelled. • 1. Remember, it is a simple word with a simple definition. • 2. Respect the historical continuity. • 3. Keep the functional utility of the term. • 4. Use MY definition (no gratuity necessary):

  17. My “Working Definition” in the 1980s: Terrorism is the intentional use of terror to achieve political purposes.

  18. Some have addressed the “subjectivity” issue:

  19. For example, the slightly modified version used by the Irish author Conor Cruise O’Brien: “Terrorism is the use of terror to achieve political objectives you do not agree with.”

  20. A “more better” post 9-11 definition? Terrorism – the calculated employment of violence, or the threat of violence by individuals, subnational groups, and state actors to attain political, social, and economic objectives in violation of law, intended to create an overwhelming fear in a target group larger than the victims attacked or threatened. (Yonah Alexander and Michael S. Sweetman, Usama bin Laden’s al-Qaida: Profile of a Terrorist Network Ardsley, NY: Transnational Publishers, 2001.)

  21. Using the Alexander and Sweetman definition terrorism could be both “war” and “crime.”(After all, we do have the concept of WAR CRIMES – it does not have to be an either/or proposition)

  22. So…what is war? The “western” definitions have tended to focus on the concept as a political process. The US military has a particular favorite:

  23. “War is…politics by other means.” Carl von Clausewitz, 1831 War?

  24. Politics = ? Organization of human societies to achieve group objectives. Often said to have begun with the advent of civilization.

  25. When two or more political entities have mutually exclusive objectives. Conflict = ?

  26. Ergo: War = armed and violent conflict between political entities.

  27. Conflict is common! War is rare!

  28. There are Contrary Definitions • Again – legal distinctions pop up. • War is a legal state of conflict which depends upon a formal declaration of war. (Problems?) • War is armed conflict between nation states. (More problems with this definition?)

  29. Warfare Since 1945 • Complicated by the Cold War “Balance of Terror” between the “Superpowers” – Nuclear Deterrence • Further complicated by the legal definitions generated by the new United Nations and other international bodies/agreements. • As a result, most “wars” since 1945 have not resembled the conventional “force on force” wars common to Europe from c. 1450-1945.

  30. Modern Warfare (continued) • Actually, over the past 200 years there has been a rise in what is sometimes called “irregular warfare.” Other terms to describe these types of operations? • Guerrilla Warfare • Partisan Warfare • People’s War • “Non-Trinitarian Warfare” • “Asymmetrical Warfare.”

  31. These include and overlap Terrorism (Yes, terrorism is a form of warfare.)

  32. The Lure of “Terrorism” • A weapon of the weak? • Does not require large numbers of trained personnel. • Does not require sophisticated technology. • Is not necessarily expensive. • Is difficult to detect, defend against, and retaliate against. • Extremely “cost-effective” on the tactical level.

  33. Is terrorism effective over the long term? This is hotly debated. See Caleb Carr, The Lessons of Terror New York: Random House, 2002.

  34. Our “conflicts” with Al-Qaeda?

  35. Political Conflicts with Al-Qaeda* • Presence of U.S. forces in the Islamic Holy Land. • U.S. Support for Israel. • U.S. Support for “Moderate Arab States” • U.S. (and Western) consumption of Islamic Resources (current market price of oil = $55/barrel vs.Al-Qaeda estimate of true worth at $ 150/barrel?). * See Al-Qaeda, Second Fatwa, 23 February 1998 at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1998.html

  36. Al-Qaeda linked attacks include: • February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center = First al-Qaeda attack on the US? • Some doubt the links to al-Qaeda. • The empirical evidence? • Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the militant cleric convicted in the 1993 plot, once led an Egyptian group now affiliated with al-Qaeda. • Two of his sons are senior al-Qaeda officials. • Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, who was convicted of masterminding the 1993 attack, planned al-Qaeda’s foiled attack on American airliners over the Pacific Ocean. • Yousef is also the nephew of the former senior al-Qaeda terrorist Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, who is now in U.S. custody.

  37. Al-Qaeda Activity Since 1993 • October 3, 1993 – Killing of 18 US soldiers in Somalia – links to Al-Qaeda funding and training. • June 25, 1996 – Truck bomb at Khobar Towers barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 19 US servicemen and women killed. • August 7, 1998 – Bombing of US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 224 people.

  38. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • October 12, 2000 – Bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden, 17 US sailors killed. • September 11, 2001 – Destruction of the World Trade Center and attack on the Pentagon, killing 3,044.

  39. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • April 11, 2002 – Truck bomb near the ancient Jewish shrine of El Ghriba on Tunisian island of Djerba, killing 14 Germans, 5 Tunisians, and a Frenchman. • May 8, 2002 – Suicide bomb attack outside Sheraton Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan kills 14 (including 11 French citizens).

  40. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • June 14, 2002 – Bomb outside US Consulate in Karachi kills 12 Pakistanis. • October 6, 2002 – Bomb attack on the French oil tanker Limburg off the Yemeni coast, killed one crewman. • October 12, 2002 – Bali nightclub bombings in Indonesia kills 202 (most are Australians)

  41. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • November 28, 2002 – Suicide bomb attack kills 16 at the Paradise Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya. • May 12, 2003 – Suicide attack kills 34, including 12 bombers, at an expatriate housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  42. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • May 16, 2003 – Explosions kill 45 people including 12 suicide bombers targeting Jewish, Spanish, and Belgian sites in Casablanca, Morocco. • August 5, 2003 – Suicide car bomb kills 12 and wounds 150 outside a Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.

  43. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • August 19, 2003 – Truck bomb levels UN Headquarters in Baghdad, killing 22, including the UN Special Envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello. • November 8, 2003 – Explosions in a residential compound in Riyadh kill 17 people, mainly Arab workers.

  44. Al-Qaeda Activity (continued) • November 15, 2003 – Bombers attack the HSBC HQ in Istanbul, Turkey kill 32. • March 11, 2004 – Ten bombs explode during rush hour in train stations in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 – influenced Spanish elections? • June 12-18, 2004 – American civilian Paul Johnson a 49-year-old Lockheed Martin Corp. employee,kidnapped and beheaded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  45. On March 11, 2004, Madrid suffered the worst-ever terrorist attacks on a railway system with a total of 10 explosions that were set off at the height of the commuter train rush hour. The Atocha, Santa Eugenia, and El Pozo stations were all involved. According to early news reports, the explosions killed more than 180 people and wounded over 1,000.

  46. Close-up of the Atocha Railway Station in Madrid, Spain

  47. Note #1: All of these attacks correlate to the politicalconflictAl-Qaeda sees itself engaged in versus the United States and other states.

  48. Note #2: None of these attacks, in and of themselves, seriously weakened the United States. None of these attacks even remotely achieved the goals Al-Qaeda pursues. Not in the short run.

  49. Note #3: None of these attacks were preceded by effective warning.

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