Nationalistic and Endemic Terrorism

1. Nationalistic and Endemic Terrorism Chapter 7

2. Learning Objectives: Chapter 7 • Summarize the EOKA revolt on Cyprus, FLN in Algeria, and Mau Mau in Kenya. • Explain the danger posed by Russia’s breakaway states. • Describe the political and security issues surrounding violence in Chechnya.

3. Learning Objectives: Chapter 7 • Summarize the terrorist issues facing Turkey. • Describe ethnic tensions in China’s Xinjiang province. • Explain the rationale behind China’s policy toward Uighar separatism. • Briefly summarize Sikh separatism in India.

4. Learning Objectives: Chapter 7 • Define the term endemic terrorism. • Explain the relative importance of terrorism in light of Africa’s other issues. • Summarize political conditions in western and central Africa.

5. Breakaway States and Crime • Russia still suffers from environmental troubles, a poor health system, and sharp declines in life expectancy. • It also suffers from organized crime and corruption. • The former Soviet Union broke into fifteen new nations in the early 1990s

6. Breakaway States and Crime • Five states declared their independence • Nargorno-Karabakh • South Ossetia • Abkhazia • Transnistria • Chechnya • Chechnya is the only one whose claim to independence Russia has been successful in countering, but fighting continues to rage there.

7. Chechnya • Guerrillas and terrorists in the Russian-controlled province of Chechnya called on nationalism in a struggle for autonomy • Although Russia has been able to assert more control in Chechnya than in other breakaway states, Chechnya has experienced savage fighting and terrorism

8. Chechnya as a Nationalistic Revolt • Chechens seek legitimacy in the nationalistic struggle • The current dispute can be traced directly to the communist era when Joseph Stalin imposed Soviet power in the region • Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russians and Chechens have fought two conventional wars for control of the area

9. Chechnya as a Nationalistic Revolt • ShamilBasayev • Planned the takeover of a Moscow theatre in 2002 and Beslan school in 2004 • ibn al Khattab • Became known for his ruthlessness • SalmanRaduyev • Took more hostages than any other terrorists

10. Chechnya as a Nationalistic Revolt • About 50 Chechen rebels, including Black Widows, took over Moscow Theatrical Center during an evening performance • They took 700 people hostage • Before Russian forces had restored order, about 200 people were dead, many killed by the sleeping gas

11. China’s Problem in Xinjiang • The Uighars are ethnic Turkmen and they have lived in and governed parts of the Xinjiang province for 200 years • The Chinese have settled the area with ethnic Chinese, displacing the Uighars • China fights for Xinjiang because it has China’s largest oil and gas reserves

12. Sikh Separatism in India • After India was partitioned in 1947, some Sikhs sought independence in Punjab • In 1984, Indian military forces entered the Sikhs’ most sacred site and engaged in a bloody battle with armed militants • By 1988, more than a hundred people per month had lost their lives

13. Sub-Sahara Africa • Endemic terrorism • Form of terrorism created by artificial divisions of tribes, families, and ethnic groups • Unique brand of terrorism • Ethnic cleansing • Child armies • Wars by self-appointed militias • Crime and corruption • Internal strife

14. Sources of African Terrorism • Terrorism is only one problem among many others in Africa: • AIDS Pandemic • Most poverty-stricken region on earth • Thousands of homeless orphans • Genocide • Child armies • Slavery • Starvation

15. Oil Regions • Oil fields in Sub-Sahara Africa are attractive to the United States: • Oil has a lower concentration of sulfur, and it is easier and cheaper to refine into gasoline • Oil fields are closer to the east coast of the United States than the Middle East • Africa is increasing its oil production

16. Oil Regions • Terrorism has not been a major issue, but should be viewed as a potential problem • U.S. foreign policy misses areas where jihadists have tremendous potential • Countries like Nigeria and Liberia appear on the strategic foreign policy radar screen • Liberia presents another example of misguided U.S. policy

17. Who are the Boko Haram? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VN_7A3mNKg&feature=player_embedded Discussion: • It was stated that BokoHaram wants Sharia Law across the country even though 50% of the country is not Muslim. What is your opinion on this demand of the BokoHaram? • The BokoHaram, it was stated, has ties to al Quaeda, does this relationship move the group into the terrorist domain? Why or why not? • What can be done by the International community to address the group? Should the International community become involved? • Is it probable that failure to address activities of the BokoHaram will provide an avenue for this group to grow becoming a threat to the West?

18. Chapter Take Aways • Quite a bit of nationalistic terrorism came in the wake of World War II as European colonial empires began to break apart. • Cyprus and Algeria became the forerunners of urban ideological terrorism.

19. Chapter Take Aways • Kenya served as the stage for a quasi-religious uprising, and although the Kenyans would eventually win independence, it people were brutally repressed during the Mau Mau rebellion.

20. Chapter Take Aways • Terrorism continued to evolve in nationalistic, ethnic, and religious movements in Russia, break-away semi-autonomous states in the former Soviet Union, Turkey, China, and India. • Africa has experienced endemic terrorism due to artificial national boundaries imposed by Europeans. • While terrorism is a horrendous problem, poverty and the AIDs crisis have been the cause of most of Africa’s suffering.