Third Edition Understanding Terrorism Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

1
Third EditionUnderstanding TerrorismChallenges,
Perspectives, and Issues
2
Part I

• Terrorism
• A Conceptual Review

3
Chapter 2

• The Nature of the Beast
• Defining Terrorism

4
Understanding Extremism

• Defining Extremism
• Common Characteristics of Violent Extremists
• The World of the Extremist

5
Understanding Extremism(continued

• Defining Extremism
• Intolerance in what someone believes.
• Intolerance in how someone expresses their
  beliefs.
• Violent expression is not a universal
  characteristic.

6
Understanding Extremism(continued

• Common Characteristics of Violent Extremists
• Intolerance.
• Moral absolutes.
• Broad conclusions.
• New language and conspiratorial beliefs.

7
Understanding Extremism(continued)

• The World of the Extremist
• Different, often fantastic, worldview compared to
  nonextremists.
• Basic belief that unjust forces are arrayed
  against true believers.
• Clear sense of mission, purpose, and
  righteousness.

8
Defining TerrorismAn Ongoing Debate

• Common Features of Definitions
• Defining Terrorism in the United States
• Types of Terrorism

9
Defining TerrorismAn Ongoing Debate(continued)

• Common Features of Definitions
• The use of illegal force.
• Subnational actors.
• Unconventional methods.
• Political motives.
• Attacks on soft civilian passive military
  targets.
• Acts aimed at purposefully affecting an audience.

10
Defining TerrorismAn Ongoing Debate(continued)

• Defining Terrorism in the United States
• No single definition has been adopted.
• Definitions have been developed from time to time
  by government agencies.
• For example, by the Department of Defense, the
  U.S. Code, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
  and the Department of State.

11
Defining TerrorismAn Ongoing Debate(continued)

• Defining Terrorism in the United States
  (continued)
• Composite American definition Premeditated and
  unlawful act in which groups or agents of some
  principal engage in a threatened or actual use of
  force or violence against human or property
  targets. These groups or agents engage in this
  behavior intending the purposeful intimidation of
  governments or people to affect policy or
  behavior with an underlying political objective.

12
Defining TerrorismAn Ongoing Debate(continued)

• Types of Terrorism
• A general consensus among experts about the types
  of terrorism.
• State Terrorism.
• Dissident Terrorism.
• Religious Terrorism.
• Criminal Terrorism.
• International Terrorism.

13
Perspectives on Terrorism

• Four Quotations
• Participants in a Terrorist Environment
• Terrorism or Freedom Fighting?
• Extremism or Mainstreamism?

14
Perspectives on Terrorism(continued)

• Four Quotations
• One Persons Terrorist is Another Persons
  Freedom Fighter
• One Man Willing to Throw Away His Life is Enough
  to Terrorize a Thousand
• Extremism in Defense of Liberty is No Vice
• It Became Necessary to Destroy the Town to Save
  It

15
Perspectives on Terrorism(continued)

• Participants in a Terrorist Environment
• The terrorist.
• The supporter.
• The victim.
• The target.
• The onlooker.
• The analyst.

16
Perspectives on Terrorism(continued)

• Terrorism or Freedom Fighting?
• Debate Whether the use of political violence is
  justifiable.
• Governments and dissidents always cite noble
  aspirations to justify violence.
• Extremism or Mainstreamism?
• Debate Whether political violence is always
  manifested from a political fringe.
• Do some political environments make extremism
  justifiable within the mainstream?

17
The Political Violence Matrix

• 2X2 Table
• Combatants and Noncombatants
• Use of Discriminate or Indiscriminate Force
• Violent Environments Resulting From Use of Force
• Total war.
• Total war/unrestricted terrorism.
• Limited war.
• State repression/restricted terrorism.

18
The Political Violence Matrix(continued)