Third Edition Understanding Terrorism Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

1. Third EditionUnderstanding TerrorismChallenges, Perspectives, and Issues

2. Part I Terrorism A Conceptual Review

3. Chapter 1 Terrorism First Impressions

4. First Considerations • Overview of Extremism and Terrorism • Terrorism at First Glance • Sources of Extremism and Terrorism

5. First Considerations(continued) • Overview of Extremism and Terrorism • Extremism: A quality that is “radical in opinion, especially in political matters; ultra; advanced.” • Terrorism: Politically motivated violence usually directed against soft targets with an intention to affect (terrorize) a target audience.

6. First Considerations(continued) • Terrorism at First Glance • Perpetrators always claim to champion noble causes and values. • Advocates always cite righteous goals to justify their behavior. • Perpetrators uniformly maintain that they are freedom fighters or champions of law and social order.

7. First Considerations(continued) • Sources of Extremism and Terrorism • Terrorist acts are grounded in extremist beliefs arising from group identity, intergroup conflict, and a chosen strategy. • A subject of extensive discussion, debate, and research. • Involves many disciplines: Sociology, psychology, criminology, political science.

8. Understanding Political Violence • Political Violence: Mala Prohibita or Mala in Se? • The Just War Doctrine

9. Understanding Political Violence(continued) • Political Violence: Mala Prohibita or Mala in Se? • Mala Prohibita: Acts that are “crimes that are made illegal by legislation.” • Not inherently immoral, wicked, or evil. • Cases: Gambling, prostitution, and so forth. • Mala in Se: Acts “that are immoral or wrong in themselves.” • Cannot be justified in civilized society and have no acceptable qualities. • Cases: Murder, rape, and so forth.

10. Understanding Political Violence(continued) • The Just War Doctrine • An ideal and moralistic philosophy. • Jus in Bello: Correct behavior while waging war. • Jus ad Bellum: Correct conditions for waging war in the first place. • Often used conceptually by extremists to justify violence.

11. Recent Attacks in the United StatesSymbolism and Aftermath • The Significance of Symbolism • The Oklahoma City Bombing • September 11, 2001 • Reorganization of Homeland Security and Intelligence

12. Recent Attacks in the United StatesSymbolism and Aftermath(continued) • The Significance of Symbolism • A central feature of terrorism. • Central to terrorists’ public relations and propaganda campaigns. • Targets symbolize the righteousness of the terrorists’ cause and the evil of their opponent. • Cases: Oklahoma City Bombing. 9/11.

13. Recent Attacks in the United StatesSymbolism and Aftermath(continued) • The Oklahoma City Bombing • An “act of war” by Timothy McVeigh. • A devotee of the extremist Patriot movement. • A believer in New World Order conspiracies. • Symbolism of April 19, 1995. • 220th anniversary of the American Revolution battles of Lexington and Concord. • Second anniversary of the assault on the Branch Davidian cult’s compound in Waco, Texas.

14. Recent Attacks in the United StatesSymbolism and Aftermath(continued) • September 11, 2001 • World Trade Center and Pentagon symbolized American and Western power. • Carried out by 19 Al Qaeda terrorists on a suicidal “martyrdom mission.” • Done in response to perceived domination and exploitation of Muslim countries.

15. Recent Attacks in the United StatesSymbolism and Aftermath(continued) • Reorganization of Homeland Security and Intelligence in the United States • An attempt to unify the U.S. domestic security community. • A perceived failure to “connect the dots” to the 9/11 attacks. • Massive reorganization of law enforcement and services agencies into a single Department of Homeland Security.

16. Organizational Chart of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

17. Terrorism and Criminal SkillThree Cases in Point • Richard Baumhammers • Low degree of criminal sophistication. • Neo-Nazi. • April 2000 “lone wolf” killing spree near Pittsburgh. • Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski • Medium degree of criminal sophistication. • Anarchist “war” against technology. • 18-year bombing spree, labeled by FBI as Unabom.

18. Terrorism and Criminal SkillThree Cases in Point(continued) • RamziYousef • High degree of criminal sophistication. • Islamist jihadi. • February 26, 1993 bombing of World Trade Center.

19. The Past as PrologueHistorical Perspectives on Terrorism • Antiquity • Tyrannicide. • Mass exile. • Suppression of “dangerous” ideas. • The Roman Age • Crucifixion. • Extermination and slavery. • Regicide.

20. The Past as PrologueHistorical Perspectives on Terrorism(continued) • The Ancient and Medieval Middle East • Zealots and sicarii. • Assassins. • The French Revolution • Coined the word terrorism. • Reign of Terror. • Revolutionary Tribunal and mass executions.

21. The Past as PrologueHistorical Perspectives on Terrorism(continued) • Nineteenth Century Europe • 19th Century revolutionary ideologies: Anarchism and Marxism. • Luddites. • People’s Will (NarodnayaVolya). • The Modern Era • The “New Terrorism.” • Cell-based, WMDs, politically vague or religious. asymmetrical, use of modern technologies.