Literature 1 - What is terrorism?

Question 1

According to Ganor (2002) what is the difference between Guerillia Warfare and Terrorism

Answer 1

o Guerillia Warfare
 Guerrilla warfare primarily targets military entities,
o Terrorism
 Terrorism deliberately targets civilians

Question 2

How does Ganor (2002) define terrorism?

Answer 2

Ganor argues that a correct and objective definition of terrorism can be based upon accepted international laws and principles regarding what behaviour are permitted in conventional warfare. These Conventions thus differentiate between soldiers who attack a military adversary, and war criminals who deliberately attack civilians.

• Ganor argues that shaping such a definition creates a situation where these organizations and their sponsors be made aware that the use of terror will bring them more harm than good, they may opt to focus on guerrilla warfare rather than on terrorism. This would be a great achievement for Counter-Terrorism

Question 3

What are Stohl (2006) reasons states employ terrorism?

Answer 3

Governments sometimes use violence and fear within their own societies for several reasons:
* To strengthen their control: They use fear to keep people in line and maintain their power.
* To stop changes: If there are groups in the society that want to change things (like laws, leaders, or how wealth is shared), the government might use violence to stop them.
* To respond to threats: If there are people or groups that are trying to fight against the government (like rebels or revolutionaries), the government might use violence against them.
* To control everything: Sometimes, governments want to control all political and economic activities. If people resist this, the government might use violence.
These actions often happen when the government thinks it won’t lose much but can gain a lot by using violence.

Question 4

What are the three elements of terrorism according to Ganor?

Answer 4

1. The core of terrorism is the use or threat of violence. Activities without violence or its threat, such as nonviolent protests, strikes, peaceful demonstrations, tax revolts, etc., are not considered terrorism.
2. The essence of terrorism is always political, aiming to achieve political objectives such as regime change, power shifts, or policy alterations. Without a political aim, violent activities against civilians are considered criminal acts or insanity, not terrorism. The motivation behind the political objective, whether ideological, religious, or otherwise, is irrelevant to the definition of terrorism.This definition is concise and comprehensive, with ‘political aim’ broad enough to encompass various goals.
3. The targets of terrorism are civilians. Terrorism is thus distinguished from other types of political violence (guerrilla warfare, civil insurrection, etc.) Terrorism exploits the relative vulnerability of the civilian ‘underbelly’ - the tremendous anxiety, and the intense media reaction evoked by attacks against civilian targets.