Transnational Political Violence Flashcards
How do you define terrorism?
- no consensus
- gov definition: non-state actors
- Wardlaw definition: non-state and state actors
- ICJ definition: label without definition
What are the 4 waves of terrorism
- 1880s Anarchism
- 1920s-60s Decolonization movements
- 1960s-70s Radical Left
- 1980s-now Islamic Inspired Movements
=political violence isnt new
What was the first wave of terrorism
1880s: Anarchism
- Anarchist movements in Russia and Europe (violence to achieve political goals)
- Assasination of Tsar Alexander II
- Galleanists Bombings (anarchist groups opposing US gov.)
What was the 2nd wave of terrorism
1920s-1960s: Decoloinization movements
- overthrow of colonial rulers
- Israel and Palestine (right for every jew to enter Palestine -> violence)
- Algeria (FLN)
- Vietnam war (Viet Cong)
What was the 3rd wave of terrorism
1960s-1970s: Radical left
- class struggle and support for decolonization (Marxism)
- Rote Armee Fraktion/Boader-Meinhof Group
- Brigate Rosse (Italy)
- Weather Underground (US)
What was the 4th wave of terrorism
1980s-now: Islamic Inspired Movements
- first wave: 1980s Afghan soldiers (Afghan invaded by SU)
- second wave: Al Qaeda (shift of enemy from SU and authoritarian middle east to USA)
- third wave: London, Madrid, Paris… (franchises, inspired, destructured acts)
What are the policy theories of terrorism?
- Bush interpretation
- New Terrorism (Laqueur)
- Radicalisation & stages model
What was the bush interpretation of theory of terrorism
“they [terrorists] hate our freedom” (Bush)
justification for use of methods against West
rational and political objective, cannegotiate
What is the ‘New Terrorism’ theory?
- (Laqueur)
- not rational, deep hate
- only solution = total annihilation
What is the radicalisation and stages model?
- from static to dynamic definition:
- shock of homegrown terrorism
- allows talking about root causes of terror without justifying it
- initiated huge literature but was debunked
What do policy theories leave out about terrorism?
- violence is political
- violence is relational (interaction with authorities and competing organizations, Bloody Sunday escalation)
- framing is key
- violence develops in action + a logic of its own
=terrorism as a social movement
What are characteristics of clandestine political violence (terrorism)?
- ≠ armed resistance (military) (targets non-combattants)
- ≠ to civil wars or revolution (media attention)
- secrecy of the actors
- better definition for terrorism
What are 3 cases of transnational violence?
- Brigatte Rosse (Italy)
- Kosovo Liberation Army
- Al Qaeda
What were the characteristics of the Brigatte Rosse?
Global frame, national struggle
- global framing: marxism, anti-colonialism
- repertoires:
- Foco theory: use of violence to make state overreact -> gain support
- targetted attacks
- hostage taking
- national mobilizing structures: communist movement and student movement
- national political opportunity structure:
- blockage and escalation:- “the historical compromise”
- strategy of tension
- emulation of 1976
- isolation from the movement
What were the characteristics of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)?
National frame, transnational struggle
- national framing: pan-albanian ethnic nationalism
- repertoires:
- insurgency warfare
- foco theory
- organized crime financing
- national and transnational mobilizing structures: ethnic solidarity and diasporic solidarity
- national and international political opportunity structures:
- blockage and escalation:- end of cold war
- breakdown of yugoslavia
- serbian nationalism
- yugoslav army vs KLA
- Kosovo Democratic League vs KLA
What were the characteristics of Al Qaeda?
Global frame, transnational struggle
- global framing: transnational caliphate (ruler) & near and far enemy
- repertoires:
- insurgency warfare
- bombings
- targetted killings
- transnational mobilizing structures:
- recruitment of foreign fighters
- religious and political solidarity
- transnational financing
- transnational opportunity structures:
- gulf war
- international vs local jihad
- competition with Islamic State (ISIS)
What work did Fiona Adamson publish?
Globalisation, Transnational Political Mobilization and Networks of Violence
What were Adamson’s objectives of her work?
- examine non-state political entrepreneurs under changing globalization
- examine how effects of globalization are challenging traditional notions of national security
What are Adamson’s main arguments
- globalisation: transforming the international security environment
- by stimulating shifts in resources, infrastructure and capacities available to non-state political entrepreneurs
- to engage in political mobilisation transnationally
Political vs. Religious Organizations according to Adamson
- militant Islamist groups (e.g. Bin Laden & Al Qaeda) employing political violence = political groups (vs. cultural)
- tactics used same = strategic (vs. arbitrary)
- same subset of transnational networks willing to employ violence to achieve goals
- BUT GRIEVANCES CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO
According to Adamson, what effect does globalisation have on transnational political mobilization
- migrant communities = connected that can be activated by political entrepreneurs
- more opportunities for economic resources via informal networks
- more mobility of people and capital accompanied by mobility of ideas, info and identities
- push and pull factors
According to Adamson, how are non-violent and violent tactics related
intermingled as part of large grand strategy`
“exist on a continuum”
According to Adamson, how has international security been affected by transnational political mobilization?
- blurring of internal and external security
- blurring of internal and external security institutions
- weak states = security threats
- domesticisation of the global security environment
