Defining Terrorism

The History of Terrorism as a Strategy of Political Insurgency

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It takes one to know one!

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US Government DefinitionsThe United States Department of Defense • “the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear;

intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.”

The FBI• "Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to

intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."

The U.S. Department of State • "premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by

sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.

Violence, Fear, Intimidation, unlawful, non-combatants or victims

It would appear the US Government is against it…

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Terrorism Defined (or not) by non-US Agencies and Governments

1992 UN • "An anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-)

clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets."

1974 British Government• "…the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the

purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear."

These definitions also seem to be not in favor of it

These and preceding thoughts were basically ripped off from…http://www.terrorism-research.com/

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Common Terms

Common components of definitions

• Use of violence (or implied use)• Political objectives• Fear• Propaganda• Victims • Illegal (only state sanctioned violence is legitimate)

Missing is a component that recognizes the Terrorist lacks power to directly confront the sate, so resorts to indirect confrontation.

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Alex Schmidt and Albert Jongman looked at 109 definitions

Common repeated elements of definitions• Violence 83.5%• Political Goals 65%• Fear/Terror 51%• Indiscriminate 21%• Victimization (of Civilians) 17.5%

Alex Schmidt and Albert Jongman, University of Leiden

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Terrorism & Peoples War

Mao Zedong saw terrorism as a strategy of Political Insurgency, and that Revolutionary conflicts pass through phases

When weak, use terror, as you strengthen guerilla war, and then conventional war may follow

• Different provinces can be at different stages• You can move both forward and backwards along the continuum• Primary goal is to not lose militarily, and wear down the enemy• The victory is fundamentally political, not military

Terrorism Guerilla Warfare

Conventional War

Which way are we going?