Untitled Deck Flashcards
What is the definition of Terrorism?
Use or threat of violence intended to create fear or terror, targeting civilians or non-combatants for a political objective.
What are the political motivations of specific acts of terrorism?
Political Change, Attention, Support.
Explain political change in the context of terrorism.
Same attacks are planned to cause direct political change. While all terrorism has a political cause, not all actions will expect an immediate shift.
What is the role of Attention in terrorism?
Some terror attacks largely pursue attention to raise awareness for their political cause among media and the broader population.
How does Support relate to terrorism?
By using terrorism to advocate for their political cause, some terrorists seek sympathy or opportunities for recruitment.
When is Terrorism the most effective?
Terror acts are most effective when they reach a large audience, affecting a population and thereby, a government.
What are the root causes of terrorism?
Nationalist Separatism, Ethnic Terrorism, Religious Fanaticism, Right-Wing Extremism, Oppression Driven Terrorism.
What is Nationalist Separatism in terrorism?
Terrorism driven by the desire to restore or obtain sovereignty for a group of people, usually enacted against representatives of their perceived political oppressors.
E.g. The Irish Republican Army.
What is Ethnic Terrorism?
Terrorism driven by the desire to preserve or promote the interests of a specific ethnic group, usually enacted against another ethnic group perceived to challenge or oppress them.
What is Religious Fanaticism in terrorism?
Terrorism fueled by an extreme, uncritical enthusiasm for a religious standpoint, usually committed against those who reject their beliefs or actions perceived to threaten their religion.
What characterizes Right-Wing Extremism in terrorism?
Terrorism driven by a spectrum of political thought that is radically conservative, ultra-nationalist, and authoritarian, often protective of existing power structures.
What is Oppression-Driven Terrorism?
Individuals or groups discriminated against in societies may turn to terrorism when they lack rights or political power to voice their opinions freely.
Can a state commit terrorism?
Yes.
What are the structures of Non-State Terrorism?
Hierarchical groups, Lone wolf, Decentralised cells.
What are Hierarchical groups in terrorism?
Terrorist organizations operating under one central leader, with defined roles and coordinated acts.
E.g. Al Qaeda, formerly led by Osama Bin Laden.
What is a Lone wolf in terrorism?
An individual acting to overcome the root cause of their passion without external support or organization.
What are Decentralised cells in terrorism?
Groups with many parts that do not actively communicate with one another, allowing them to survive as they are harder to track down.
What is State-Sponsored Terrorism?
Acts of terrorism conducted by non-state actors with the support of a state or its representatives.
What are the types of State-Sponsored Terrorism?
Active Sponsorship, Passive Sponsorship.
What is Active Sponsorship in state-sponsored terrorism?
A deliberate decision by a regime to provide critical support to a terrorist group, typically in the form of weapons, money, propaganda, or a safe-haven.
What is Passive Sponsorship in state-sponsored terrorism?
When a state’s deliberate inaction allows terrorist activity to occur, often as terrorism is self-funded.
What is State Terrorism?
Acts of terrorism conducted by agents of the state.
Why would a state sponsor terrorism?
Plausible Deniability, Power Projection, Coercive power, Local Power, Lack of Capacity.
What is Plausible Deniability in the context of state-sponsored terrorism?
The ability to cause damage to an adversary without facing the repercussions of blame.
