Week 5 - Terrorism

Question 1

Anarchic Terrorism

Answer 1

• the emergence of non-state terrorism is closely intertwined with the creation of the modern state
  violence by the state is percieved at legitimate - comes from the Peace of Westphalia (1648) - the monopoly and legitimate use of violence over territory
• use by the state is not considered violence or terrorism

Question 2

Terrorists Definition vs. Freedom Fighters

Answer 2

Terrorists - “seeking to destroy freedom and democracy, terrorists deliberately target non-combatants for their own cynical purposes. they kill and maim defenseless men, women, and children”
- once an attack as been classified as terrorist in nature, the term has a habit of then being used to describe the group and all acts the group engages in
Freedom Fighters - seek to adhere to international law and civilized standards of conflict. they attack military targets not defenseless civilians (Bush, 1988)

Question 3

The UN on Terrorism

Answer 3

Western states sought to affirm the principle that certain violent tactics were not justified by any cause, as innocent civilians were the primary victims
- UNSC 1373 - UN on terrorism following 9/11, mandatory for member states (preventing financing of terrorist organizations, improving international cooperation)
- highlight no clear definition of terrorism
Effects of UNSC 1373: delegitimized the use by non-state armed groups of terrorist tactics, meaning that while there had been some flexiblity between freedom fighters and terrorism, it had been systematically internalized that all would be considered terrorists did not specify persons or entities that should be listed (giving states the right to blacklist at their own discretion)

Question 4

Media & Naming

Answer 4

• media as a name-giver and mechanisms through narratives to the public
  Shaw argues that ‘new media generally takes their cues from national governments and organizations’ - news organizations also favour certain interpretations, even jounralists will understand this and view what they are reporting on through a certain lens which is accepted by their news organization

Question 5

RLE - the Global War on Terror and the Politics of Naming

Answer 5

War on Terror - introduces a new framewokr through government and non-state actors present their actions, a lens which conflict is understoof
US gov’t role in naming the war on terror:
- labeling group - specific legal and political organizations
- creating a binary - ‘with us or against us’ dichotomy, pressures actors to align themselves
- promotes the narrative of a global strike against evil, justifies military intervention and other actors
Media - played a massive role in amplfying the narrative - take gov’t cues, favour certain interpretations, sequence individual assessments as right or wrong or something inbetween
Consquences of GWOT naming strategies: oversimplification - simple narrative of terrorism, marginalization of alternative perspectives, justification of violence, erosion of nuance in the rush to categorize

Question 6

Naming to gather supports

Answer 6

2 primary functions:
1 - recruit supporters by propagating a discourse of belonging and oppositions
2 - justify action through labelling

Question 7

RLE - Putin and the Baslan School Massacre

Answer 7

2004 hostage crisis - 300 deaths
- exploit the terrorist label to consolidate power and justify repressive measures
- Putin responded with measures to consolidate presidential power and extended authority over the regional government
- exploited the terrorist label - create a sense of crisis to bypass the normal political process, justify repressive measures, centralized powers, and silence opposition
Amnesty International - ‘in the name of combatting ‘terrorism’, gov’t have stepped up repression of their political opponents…undermined the foundations of human rights and humanitarian law’

Question 8

Impact on conflict resolution

Answer 8

• obscuring the root causes - political, economic, and social grievances that fuel the conflict
• delegitimize opponents - difficult to engage with
• polarize public opinion
• limit resolution options
  Author argues for the importance of nuance and context - conflict resolution should be based on a thorough understanding of the underlying causes, motivations, and specific context - calls for a critical examination of the way conflicts are framed

Question 9

RLE - ISIS

Answer 9

• author highlights the differences between ISIS and Al-Qaeda - ISIS is a pseudo-state with a conventional army and control over resources and territory - assert authority over all Muslims and engage in sophisticated military operations
• Critique of the US strategy - American counterterrorism is less effective against ISIS due to their urban presence and administrative structure
• to combat ISIS - must pursue a policy of offensive containment
• requires a combination of limited military tactics and a broad diplomatic strategy to halt ISIS expansion, isolate the group, and degrade capabilities
• air strikes, cutting off supply routes, advising the Iraqi military and assisting regional forces