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Terrorism & Political ViolenceTerrorism & Political Violence
Topic One
Definitions & Ideologies
© William Eric Davis – All Rights Reserved
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Lecture Outline
I. Levels of Analysis
II. The various definitions of terrorism and lack of consensus definition.
III. The Ideologies of Terrorists.
IV. [A] POLITICAL and POLICY-BASED IDEOLOGIES
IV. [B] RELIGIOUS EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES
IV. [C] “Continuing Criminal Enterprises” (“Cashism”)
V. Common Characteristics of Terrorist Groups
VI. Terrorist Areas of Operation
VII. Support Structures
VIII. Terror Group Organizational Structures
IX. Command and Control
X. Discussion Questions
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“Psychopathic”
A person is “psychopathic” when he or she has lost touch with reality.
Psychopaths are living out a fantasy. An example includes a person who thinks that they are an angel doing “God’s work.”
Not all terrorists are psychopaths. In fact, few are.
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“Sociopathic”
A person is “sociopathic” when he or she demands immediate gratification of desires. They have become intolerant toward delay of goals.
Sociopaths want immediate gratification of whatever it is they want. Their objective is taken as a given (neither rational nor irrational) but they demand immediate satisfaction and will destroy anything or anyone that is a barrier to gratification.
Not all terrorists are sociopaths, but most are.
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INSANITY(Legal Definition)
A person is “legally” insane (as opposed to “clinically” insane) when he or she does NOT know that the crime he or she did was morally wrong.
They no longer know the difference between right and wrong.
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Maximillen RobespierreMaximillen Robespierre, a leader of the French
Revolution, who coined the term terrorism.
He did not invent the strategy or tactics of terror, but, he did institute the famous Reign of Terror (“Regime de Terreur”) as part of the French revolution and the new revolutionary government.
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“The Death of Marat”by Jacques-Louis David
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What is Terror?
Definition: Terror is an emotional state of intense fear caused by specific acts of violence or threats of violence.
It (deliberately or otherwise) inhibits or destroys the ability of individuals to function in a society and possibly the societies ability to function as a whole.
It refers to a “physical” or “physiological” reaction.
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The Components of Terrorism?
Terrorism has 3 basic (but required) components:
1. An act or threat of violence.
2. An emotional reaction.
3. Social effects.
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F.B.I. Definition of Terrorism
“The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
[Problems: there may be only a “threat” of violence or force, and there may be no political or social demands (objectives)].
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US State Department Definition
“Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.”
[Problems = terror groups without political motivations are excluded. No substantive motivation(s)].
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US Department of Defense Definition
“The calculated use of violence or threat of violence to inculcate fear, intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.”
[Problem = better, but too vague. Excludes physiological and psychological goals. What does calculated mean?].
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U.S. D.o.D. Directive 2000.12H
“The calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals-political, religious, or ideological in nature-by instilling fear or using intimidation or coercion. Terrorism involves a criminal act, often symbolic in nature, intended to influence an audience beyond the immediate victims.”
[Problem = it leaves out physiological and psychological goals].
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United States Legal Code
“Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents.”
[Problem = nations and governments can be terrorists too, not just “sub-national” groups. We call it “state terrorism”].
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United Nations (UN) Description
“Terrorism is a unique form of crime. Terrorist acts often contain elements of warfare, politics and propaganda. For security reasons and due to a lack of popular support, terrorist organizations are usually small, making detection and infiltration difficult. Although the goals of terrorists are sometimes shared by wider constituencies, their methods are generally abhorred.”
[Problem = too vague and does not produce a workable typology. The methods are also often admired by those who benefit from them].
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British Government Definition“Terrorism is the use of serious violence against
persons or property, or the threat to use such violence, to intimidate or coerce a government, the public, or any section of the public for political, religious or ideological ends. The terms serious violence would need to be defined so that it included serious disruption, for instance resulting from attacks on computer installations or public utilities.”
Problem – how to distinguish this from “criminal” acts? How do we know if their motivation was political, religious, or ideological or not?]
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Russian Federation Law 130 FZ“Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence against individuals or
organizations, and also the destruction (damaging) of or threat to destroy (damage) property and other material objects, such as threaten to cause loss of life, significant damage to property, or other socially dangerous consequences and are implemented with a view to violating public security, intimidating the population, or influencing the adoption of decisions advantageous to terrorists by organs of power, or satisfying their unlawful material and (or) other interests; attempts on the lives of statesmen or pubic figures perpetrated with a view to ending their state or other political activity or out of revenge for such activity; attacks on representatives of foreign states or staffers of international organization enjoying international protection, and also on the official premises or vehicles of persons enjoying international protection if these actions are committed with a view to provoking war or complicating international relations.”
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The Terrorist Recognition Handbook
“Terrorism is the calculated use of criminal violence or threat of violence by a covert or overt individual, group, entity, special-interest organization, or government agency specifically designed to target people, commerce, and/or infrastructures.”
[Problem/Comments – It includes government agencies, but this definition could include warfare that the Geneva Convention considers legitimate warfare].
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William Eric Davis
“An act or threat of physical violence to persons or property, motivated either by values, political objectives, or psychic rewards (like revenge); directed against property or persons that are not objectively culpable for grievances or not in a position to redress the perpetrator’s grievances directly (e.g., unarmed civilians); where the violence is expected to have far-reaching psychological repercussions (including intense fear) beyond the immediate victim or target of violence.”
-The Road to Evil-[Forthcoming]
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Does the US fit Definition?
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Some People Consider this Guy to be a Terrorist
IS HE?
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GENOCIDE versus MASS KILLING
GENOCIDE = political violence motivated by a desire to exterminate an entire group of people based on their race, religion, or beliefs.
MASS MURDER = the killing of a lot of people, but not intended to make them (and their race or religion) extinct.
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There is possibly only 1 way to enforce a definition of terrorism.
It is this Those who violate the definition of terrorism forfeit their right to have rights.
The Geneva Convention on Human Rights should not apply to terrorists because they do not respect the rules themselves.
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The Spock Principle
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”
“Mr. Spock”
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn:
© Paramount Pictures, 1982.
This collectivism principle has often been used to justify political violence and terrorism.
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“Civilization”In the most comprehensive sense
“civilization” means a regime (society, system and processes) where disputes are resolved peacefully and all participants are willing to accept a loss if they feel they lost fairly.
This, interestingly, implies democratic
government. Democracy is not fair, but it is fairer than any alternative because it allows “the many” to decide the needs of the many, rather than a small elite doing it.
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Ideology Definition
An ideology is a conception of the ideal social order.
Ideologies are born of crisis and feed on conflict.
People seeking to comprehend and cope with turbulent times and confusing circumstances turn to ideologies for explanations and for programs of action to end “misery”.
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Four important functions performed by an Ideology
• Explanatory
• Evaluative
• Orientive (Identification)
• Programmatic
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The Explanatory Function of an Ideology
An ideology EXPLAINS political phenomena that would otherwise remain mysterious.
Why is there poverty and misery?
Why are there wars?
What causes depressions?
Different ideologies provide different answers to these questions.
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The Evaluation Function
An ideology provides its followers with criteria and standards of evaluation.
That is, it provides a rule for deciding what is right or
wrong, good or bad. For example, are class and economic differences a good
or bad thing?
The answer depends on whether equality is most important to you (egalitarians) or prosperity and liberty (libertarians).
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The Identification (Orientive) Function
An ideology provides self-identification. That is, it orients its adherents giving them a sense of who they are and where they belong.
It provides a social and cultural compass with which to define and affirm their individual and collective identity.
An ideology defines the person and what they are about—and gives them something around which to socialize with like-minded people.
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The Programmatic Function
An ideology supplies its followers with a political program.
The program provides an answer to the questions:
• “What is to be done?”
• “Who is to do it?”
• “What tactics should be used to do it?”
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The 3 “Basic” Categories of Ideology
Political and Policy Ideologies
Religious Ideologies
“Cashism” (Greed)
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Political / Policy Based Ideologies Marxist-Leninist/Communism
Stalinist CommunismMaoist Communism
Castro and Guevarist CommunismSocialism
Anti-GlobalizationEnvironmentalism
Animal RightsFascism/Neo-Fascism (National Socialism)
European Neo-NazismAmerican Neo-Nazism
Anarchist/NihilistEthnic & National Independence Movements
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Religious & Extremist Ideologies
Islamic Extremism (Wahabi)Militant Zionism
Christian ExtremismAnti-Abortion/Right to Life
Hindu ExtremismSikh Extremism
Messianic Salvation/Apocalyptic CultismOccultism
Paganism/Animism
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Continuing Criminal Enterprises (CCE) [Cold Hard “Cashism”]
Narco-Terrorism (e.g., Drug Cartels)
Politically Active CCE
Non-Political CCE
Mercenaries
Pablo Escobar
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Common Characteristics of Terrorists
1. Terrorists use violence.2. Terrorists operate in all environments.3. Terrorists operate covertly.4. Terrorists are well organized 5. Terrorists act deliberately.6. Terrorists are highly mobile.7. Terrorists use short-duration tactics. 8. Terrorists are media dependent. 9. Terrorists engage in “Guilt Transference”.
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Terrorist Areas of Operation
1. Local Terrorists
2. Regional Terrorists
3. National (Domestic) Terrorists
4. Transnational Terrorists
5. International Terrorists (Global)
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Support Structures
1. State Terrorism
2. State-Directed Terrorism
3. State-Supported Terrorism
4. Independent Terrorism
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The subgroups within a terror group
Senior Leaders
Field Leaders
Active Operatives
Active Supporters
Passive Supporters
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Command and Control
Centralized Authority Structure -- Provides terror cells and members with ALL support: financial, intelligence, and supplies come from a single source.
Decentralized Authority Structure -- Allows
groups at the cell level or individual level to provide for themselves with minimal direction or support from the group’s top leadership.
