Theorizing TerrorismDISCUSSING THE TERRORISM DEBATE IN THEORIES OF IRBy: Mizgin Rai

Many theories of terrorism

1.            Terrorism and political violence theory. 2.            Common wisdom and common myths on terrorism. 3.            Theories of state or regime terrorism. 4.            Terrorist theories of terrorism. 5.            Psychological theories. 6.            Materials for an identification theory of insurgent terrorism. 7.            Terrorism as surrogate warfare. 8.            Conspiracy theories of terrorism. 9.            Communication theory of terrorism. 10.         Sociological theories and models. 11.         International environment theories. 12.         Theories of domestic causation.

Problems with defining ‘terrorism’

Google definition: “the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”

Wikipedia: “There is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the definition of the term terrorism”

The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comprehensive definition of terrorism

United Nations General Assembly: Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them”

However…

Critical views?

Continued…

Bruce Hoffman: Terrorism is a pejorative term. It is a word with intrinsically negative connotations that is generally applied to one's enemies and opponents, or to those with whom one disagrees and would otherwise prefer to ignore. (...) Hence the decision to call someone or label some organization 'terrorist' becomes almost unavoidably subjective, depending largely on whether one sympathizes with or opposes the person/group/cause concerned.

If one identifies with the victim of the violence, for example, then the act is terrorism. If, however, one identifies with the perpetrator, the violent act is regarded in a more sympathetic, if not positive light; and it is not terrorism.“

For this and for political reasons, many news sources avoid using this term, opting instead for less accusatory words like "bombers", "militants", etc.

A ‘WAR ON TERROR’ – irony?

Western states’ willingness to compromise civil liberties in the fight against terrorism: undermining freedom which is the very thing they claim to be defending

More photos

Timeline & the key events of the ‘War on Terror’

Sept. 11, 2001: Hijacked airliners crash into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside Washington. A fourth hijacked plane, meant to fly into the White House, instead crashes in a Pennsylvania field. According to the 9/11 Commission’s report, deaths totaled more than 2,600 at the World Trade Center, 125 at the Pentagon and 256 in the four planes.

Oct. 7, 2001: The war in Afghanistan begins.

Dec. 13, 2001: The Pentagon releases a video it claims shows bin Laden discussing the Sept. 11 attacks with guests at an al-Qaida dinner at a house in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Oct. 12, 2002: More than 200 people, citizens of 21 countries, are killed in a terrorist bombing on the resort island of Bali. The blast is attributed to Jemaah Islamiah, a pan-Asian network of Muslim extremists with ties to al-Qaida.

March 20, 2003: The U.S. invades Iraq.

Dec. 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein is captured and executed on Dec. 30, 2006.

March 11, 2004: Ten bombs go off almost simultaneously in trains carrying commuters into Madrid. The attacks kill 190 people and wound about 2,000.

Oct. 29, 2004: A videotape surfaces days before the U.S. presidential election in which bin Laden admits responsibility for Sept. 11 and threatens new attacks on the U.S.

July 7, 2005: Four explosions strike London’s public transportation system, killing more than 35 people and wounding at least 700.

May 1, 2011: bin Laden is killed in a U.S. raid on his compound in Pakistan.

… so what?

Since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, terrorism has been a key concern worldwide, with the US leading a War on Terror, and with continued attacks around the world by religious extremists.

Are the terrorists simply fanatics to be defeated, or is terrorism a consequence of real global injustices?

Political violence has always been a feature of human society, but terrorism as we know it has its roots in the politics of the nineteenth and especially twentieth centuries, as typically small groups of radicals sought to unsettle states

Therefore an increasing role of non-state actors

But we must avoid scapegoating

and stereotyping…e.g. ‘Islamophobia’Who’s responsible?Who are the real terrorists?

Can terrorism be justified?

Can a ‘war’ on terrorism be justified?

Aren’t they the same thing?

Innocent civilians are the targets

Is there another solution to terrorism? Maybe a better one?

Are terrorists associated with a wide group of religious people? Or a whole nation? Is this right? Or are they just specific alienated individuals?

Many questions…

“How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism?” ― Howard Zinn

the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.

the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorisation.

Therefore, ‘terrorism’ isn’t just limited to those that we are told

We need to think outside the ‘box’

?

Terrorist attacks and attempted attacks in the United States have become less frequent since the 1970s — though September 11 was a huge exception

Since the Oklahoma City bombing, a greater portion of terrorist attacks have been carried out by individuals

Your odds of dying in a terrorist attack are still far, far lower than dying from just about anything else

The Terror Economy is Bigger than the GDP of the United Kingdom

So why is the debate on terrorism important?

Defining what counts as a terrorist attack or a terrorist fatality is controversial.

One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Some terrorism databases or indices count rebel attacks, others don’t, some limit terrorism to peacetime, others include wartime attacks, and so on.

However, a definition states that a terrorist attack is “an 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 victims are usually innocent bystanders; the perpetrators are non-governmental groups; and the purpose is fear. Hence, the murder of abortion doctors would also count.

Another remark: media attention for terrorism doesn’t correspond to the importance of terrorism. As a cause of death, terrorism is actually rare: in 2012, more Americans died crushed by their TVs or furniture (16) than from terrorism (10).

This does not mean we should neglect terrorism, but it does put things in perspective!

Some quotes

Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it. -Noam Chomsky 

When we think of the major threats to our national security, the first to come to mind are nuclear proliferation, rogue states and global terrorism. But another kind of threat lurks beyond our shores, one from nature, not humans - an avian flu pandemic. - Barack Obama 

Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities. - Pope Francis I 

“Fear is the State's psychological weapon of choice to frighten citizens into sacrificing their basic freedoms and rule-of-law protections in exchange for the security promised by their all-powerful government.” ― Philip G. Zimbardo

Longing for peace… There is hope…

Some videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0WscIw2hSw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I7UGOufTYE