13520_book_item_ on politics of terror13520.ppt

Politics of terrorism

1. 1
Chapter 13 Terrorism & Terrorists

2. 2
Chapter Summary
Chapter Thirteen is an overview of
domestic and international terrorism.
The Chapter begins with a definition of
terrorism and the extent of terrorism
worldwide.
Chapter Thirteen then outlines three
major terrorist groups throughout the
world.
This is followed with a discussion of
terrorist groups within the borders of
the United States.

3. 3
The Chapter concludes with possible
causes of terrorism and how law
enforcement is attempting to combat
terrorism.
After reading this chapter, students
should be able to:
Define terrorism
Explain the difference between
terrorists and freedom fighters
Discuss the extent of terrorism
Chapter Summary

4. 4
Understand Al-Qaeda, the PLO, and
Hizballah
Discuss terrorism in the United States
Explain the causes of terrorism
Discuss law enforcement’s policy for
combating terrorism
Chapter Summary

5. 5
Introduction
Terrorism has a long history
The term terrorism itself is believed to have
originated with the French Revolution.

6. 6
Terrorism Defined
Terrorism is highly organized and conducted
primarily for political or religious reasons.
The FBI defines terrorism as: The unlawful
use of force or violence against persons or
property to intimate or coerce a
government, the civilian population, or any
segment thereof, in furtherance of political
or social goals.

7. 7
Why Terrorism?
Terrorism is a tactic used to influence the
behavior of others through intimidation.
Terrorists typically appeal to a higher moral
good.
Terrorists strike at innocents because the
very essence of terrorism is public
intimidation.
Terrorism has an ultimate purpose.
Every time terrorists gain an objective they
have sought, the rationality of terrorism in
demonstrated along with its immorality.

8. 8
Is there a Difference between
Terrorists & Freedom Fighters?
Freedom fighters are fighters in wars of
national liberation against foreign occupiers
or against oppressive domestic regimes they
seek to overthrow.
Freedom fighter activity is typically confined
to third-world dictatorships or one-party
states, while terrorists operate mostly
against liberal Western democracies.

9. 9
Figure 13.1
International Terrorist Attacks, 1982–2003
Source: U.S. Department of State (2004). Patterns of Global Terrorism, 2003.

10. 10
The Extent of Terrorism
Although terrorism has ancient roots, it
became far more prevalent, deadly, and
destructive from the late 1960s onward,
because:
The instability experienced by many
countries following WWII
The high point of conflict between the
superpowers
Modern transportation
Modern technology

11. 11
The Extent of Terrorism
Of the 74 terrorist groups listed by the
U.S. Department of State (2003), only
three of the groups still active originated
before 1960.
We are seeing fewer terrorists incidents
as counter terrorism becomes more
sophisticated.
Although deaths and injuries caused by
terrorists are matters of grave concern,
the damage to a society as a whole is more
psychological than physical.

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Terrorism & Common Crime
Terrorist organizations must be
financed.
Funding may come from:
Governments sympathetic to the cause.
Private sympathizers
Common criminal activities
Nongovernmental organizations

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Table 13.1
International Terrorist Attacks, 1982–2003
Year International
Terrorism Deaths
Homicides in the
United States
2000 409 15,586
2001 3,547 16,037
2002 725 16,204
2003 307 16,503
2004 1,907 16,137
Sources: 2000 - 2003 terrorism figures from U.S. Department of State (2004); the
2004 figure from the National Counterterrorism Center. Homicide figures from the
2001 through 2005 UCRs.

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Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is not a single terrorist group but rather
the base organization for a number of Sunni Muslim
terrorist groups.
Al-Qaeda got its start under Osama bin Laden in
the late 1980s.
Bin Laden and his organization are virulently anti-
West in general, and anti-American in particular.

15. 15
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
The PLO serves as an umbrella organization
for several groups serving a variety of
ideologies and agendas united by Palestinian
nationalism.
The PLO was created at the first Arab
Summit meeting in Egypt in 1964 with the
aim of liberating Palestine from the
Israelis.

16. 16
Hizballah: Party of God
Hizballah is the best contemporary example
of a state-sponsored terrorist organization.

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Hizballah
It was organized by the Shi’ite religious
leader Ayatollah Khomeini to fight the
secular rule of the Shah of Iran.
The more radical among modern Shi’ites
view the existence of a Jewish state in an
area they also consider holy to be an
affront to Islam.

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Table 13.2 Some Major Terrorist Groups
Group Description & Activities Ideology

Strength Funding
Abu Sayyaf Philippine radical Islamic group
motivated to gain an independent
Islamic state in southern Philippines.
Engages in kidnapping, bombing, and
other criminal activities. Has strong
links with al-Qaeda.
Nationalist
/
Islamic
200 to 500Self-financed
via criminal
activity +
other Islamic
groups.
Asbat al-Ansar
Lebanon-based Sunni Islamic group that
has assassinated Lebanese Shi’ite
religious leaders and bombed symbols of
Western “decadence” such as nightclubs
and U.S. franchise restaurants.
Islamic About 300International
Sunni networks
and al-Qaeda
Basque
Fatherland and
Liberty (ETA)
Founded in 1959 with the aim of
creating an independent Basque
homeland in northwest Spain and
southwest France. Its activities have
been aimed primarily at Spanish
government officials and security
forces, but French interests have also
been attacked.
Nationalist
and weakly
Marxist
Unknown,
but has
many
supporters
in Basque
regions
Primarily via
criminal
activity; has
received
training in
Libya and
Lebanon
Source: Department of State (2004). Patterns of Global Terrorism.

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Communist
Party of
Philippines/New
People’s Army
Military wing of the Philippine
Communist Party. Carries out
assassinations and kidnappings of
political figures and U.S. military
personnel stationed in the Philippines.
Maoist 1,000+ Criminal
activity,
contributions,
and
“revolutionary
taxes”
extorted from
businesses
Harakat ul-
Mujahidin
(HUM)
Pakistani group operating primarily
against Indian troops and civilians in
Kashmir, territory claimed by both India
and Pakistan. Has carried out airline
hijackings and kidnapping of
Westerners. HUM is aligned with al-
Qaeda and signed bin Laden’s 1998
fatwa calling for war on the United
States.
Islamic Several
thousand
Donations from
Saudi Arabia
and other
Islamic states;
also donations
from
individuals
Islamic
Movement of
Uzbekistan
Coalition of a number of central Asian
groups opposed to secular rule in
Uzbekistan. Responsible for numerous
bombing incidents and kidnapping of
Westerners. Fought with the Taliban
against U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamic About
1,000
Support from
other Islamic
groups and
patrons in the
Middle East
Table 13.2 Some Major Terrorist Groups
Source: Department of State (2004). Patterns of Global Terrorism.

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Jemaah Islamiya
(JI)
A Southeast Asian network with links
to al-Qaeda that has the goal of
creating a huge Islamic state composed
of Indonesia, Singapore, the southern
Philippines, and southern Thailand. JI
was responsible for the Bali bombing in
2002 that killed 200 and wounded 300
others.
Islamic About
5,000
Middle Eastern
and Asian
supporters and
al-Qaeda
Kurdistan
Workers Party
Composed of Turkish Kurds seeking an
independent Kurdish state in Turkey.
Has attacked Turkish diplomats in many
countries and attempted to disrupt
tourism in Turkey by bombing hotels,
historical sites, and kidnapping
tourists.
Marxist 4,000 to
5,000
Syria, Iraq,
Iran
Liberation
Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE)
Composed of ethnic Tamils seeking an
independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka,
primarily through the use of bombings
and assassinations. The LTTE has
refrained from targeting Western
tourists for fear of drying up funds
from overseas Tamils.
Nationalism10,000 Funds from
Tamil
communities
overseas and
some drug
smuggling
Table 13.2 Some Major Terrorist Groups
Source: Department of State (2004). Patterns of Global Terrorism.

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Mujahedin-e
Khalq
Formed in the 1960s to counter the
Westernization of Iran under the
Shah. It supported the overthrow of
the Shah but is presently fighting
against Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist
regime. Carries out attacks on Iranian
diplomats and Iranian property.
A mixture
of
Marxism
and Islam
Several
thousand
Contributions
from Iranian
expatriates
National
Liberation Army
Columbian Marxist group formed by
urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel
Castro and legendary terrorist Che
Guevara. Engages in kidnapping,
bombing, and extortion. Attacks
foreigners and Columbian
infrastructure.
Marxist 3,000 to
5,000
Criminal activity
(drug trafficking
and extortion)
and some aid
from Cuba
Sendero
Luminoso (Shining
Path)
Formed in late 1960s to destroy
existing Peruvian institutions and
replace them with a peasant
revolutionary regime. Almost all
Peruvian institutions have been brutally
targeted in Peru and abroad.
Marxist/
Maoist
2,000+ Mostly drug
trafficking and
other forms of
crime
Turkish HizballahKurdish Sunni Islamic group that arose
in opposition to the Marxist Kurdish
Workers Party’s (KWP’s) actions
against Muslims. Fights against KWP
and Turkish armed forces. Bombs any
establishment considered anti-Islamic.
Kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at
least 70 businessmen and journalists in
the 1990s.
Islamic A few
hundred +
several
thousand
supporters
Unknown

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Terrorism in the United States
Left-wing terrorism in the United States
became active during the turmoil of the 1960s.
Some left-wing terrorist groups in the United
States:
Weather Underground
May 19 Communist Organization
Revolutionary Armed Task Force
Black Liberation Army

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Ideological: Right-Wing
Most right-wing American groups characterized as
terrorist are extremist rather than terrorist groups in
that they hold views that are to the extreme right of
mainstream.
Some right-wing terrorist groups in the United States:
Aryan Nations

24. 24
Special-Issue Domestic Terrorism
There are a number of groups in the
United States that employ terrorist
tactics that have no grand sociopolitical
agenda but rather seek to resolve special
issues:
Animal Liberation Front
Earth Liberation Front
Anti-Abortion Groups

25. 25
Theories about the Causes of Terrorism
Terrorism cannot be understood
without understanding the specific
historical, social, political, and economic
conditions behind the emergence of
each terrorist group.
The groups originated in response to
some perceived injustice.

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Theories about the Causes of Terrorism
Many Islamic terrorists are recruited from
religious schools known as madrasas.

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Is there a Terrorist Personality?
No study of terrorist psychology has ever
produced a psychological profile leading the
majority of terrorist experts to suspect that
there is any such thing as a terrorist
personality.
Terrorist groups live on the fringes of the
host society & espouse a violently radical
vision of reality.
We should look at what terrorist groups have
to offer if we want to understand why
individuals join them.

28. 28
Is there a Terrorist Personality?
The terrorist group is made up of three
types of individuals.
The charismatic leader is socially alienated,
narcissistic, arrogant, and intelligent.
Antisocial individuals have opportunities in
terrorist groups to use force and violence
to further their own personal goals.
The majority of terrorists are simple
followers who see the world purely in black
and white and have deep needs for
acceptance.

29. 29
Becoming a Terrorist
The bulk of terrorists are probably better
characterized as crusaders convinced of the
moral rightness of their cause.
The willingness to perform terrorist acts may
reflect a process of moral disengagement
more than a manifestation of pathological
and/or criminal traits the individual brings to
the terrorist group.

30. 30
Law Enforcement Response & Government Policy
There are a number of ways a democracy can
respond to terrorism, ranging from making
concessions to military intervention.
Concessions are only likely when there is
moral substance to the terrorist cause, or
when such concessions are reasonable.
Military intervention may be used when the
terrorist threat is too big for civilian
authorities to handle.

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The principle of international law obliges
countries to either extradite terrorists to
the country where their crimes were
committed or to punish them themselves.
The mission of the Department of Homeland
Security is to detect, prevent, prepare for,
and recover from terrorist attacks within the
United States.
Law Enforcement Response & Government Policy

32. 32
The US Patriot Act grants federal agencies
greater authority to track & intercept private
communications, greater powers to the
treasury Department to combat corruption &
prevent money laundering, & creates new
crimes, penalties, and procedures for use
against domestic & foreign terrorists.
Law Enforcement Response & Government Policy