Why terrorism is such a popular means of warfare today
Created | Updated May 3, 2006
Introduction
The purpose of this entry is to establish the reasons why terrorism is such a popular means of warfare today. The first section of this entry attempts to define terrorism, and then discuss terrorism as a means of warfare. The second section gives examples of where terrorism has been used 'effectively' to achieve an intended objective. The third and fourth sections of this document discuss the 'al Qaeda' terrorist organisation and their objectives, and the United States 'war on terror' respectively.
Definition
There is much contention as to the definition of terrorism, as no single definition has so far been agreed upon by any United Nations body. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has several proposed definitions. Their academic consensus definition, proposed by A.P.Schmid in 1988 is,
'Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-)clandestine individuals, groups or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperiled) victims, and main targets are used to manipulate the main target (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought'This means that terrorism is any form of violence that is directed at a secondary target with the objective of forcing a primary target into a course of action or in-action.
Another way of describing terrorism is an act of violence with five major characteristics :
• It is premeditated with the intention of creating widespread terror and fear.
• It is aimed at a wider general target, than the immediate victims of the violent act(s).
• Its targets are inherently random; they are often symbolic and/or civilian.
• It is perceived to be reprehensible by the society in which it occurs, and it precipitates widespread outrage.
• Its objectives are most frequently political.
Historical Background
Terrorism as we know it today is a relatively modern phenomenon, starting in the sixties and seventies with a series of airline hijackings by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). However, terrorism in its broadest sense is much older than this, and many cases can be found throughout human history. A good example of this is the event that precipitated in our celebration of Guy Fawkes day on 5 November every year. In 1605 Guy Fawkes and a group of 'terrorists' were in the midst of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Barrels of gunpowder were discovered in a cellar underneath the Houses of Parliament, and the plot became known as the gunpowder conspiracy. It could be argued that this does not constitute an act of 'modern terrorism' as the attack was part of a strategic 'coup' attempt by extremist members of the Catholic Church, and its purpose was not necessarily to cause widespread 'terror'.
Government Sponsorship
The political nature of many acts of terrorism means that they can also be regarded as a form of guerrilla warfare. There are several cases where governments have sponsored terrorist organisations in other countries in order to achieve their political objectives. For example, prior to the 2003 war in Iraq where Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship was overthrown, Iraq sponsored the families of Palestinian suicide bombers who targeted civilians in Israel.
Why Terrorism?
Terrorism is very popular as a means of warfare for weaker groups against their stronger opponents for several reasons; it is relatively inexpensive, it defies conventional methods of warfare to counter it, and a small group, or cell, of a terrorist organisation can perform large scale attacks which would never be possible with conventional methods of warfare.
For example the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, and The Pentagon, carried out on 11 September 2001, where at least 2992 people died, were reportedly carried out by only 19 hijackers.
Publicity
Terrorism can also be a very effective way of publicizing a group's objectives and beliefs. Very often spreading this 'propaganda' is the prime motivation for acts of terrorism.
In July 2001 Ali Ahmeti, the leader of the Ethnic-Albanian National Liberation Army in Macedonia was asked on BBC television what he and his group had gained by taking up arms. He replied, 'The whole of Europe now knows about our situation.' Another example of a group achieving their objectives was the 'Intifada II' in 2000, where repeated escalating attacks by Palestinians on civilians in Israel prevented the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine from continuing.
Terrorism is often counter-productive in achieving an organisation’s goals. In most cases a group’s acts of terrorism will merely estrange supporters of that group.
Al Qaeda
Al Qaeda is a global terrorist network that was started in 1988 by Osama bin Ladin. Al Qaeda has two major goals. Its primary goal is to overthrow what it perceives to be the corrupt and heretical governments of Muslim states, and restore 'shari’ah', or fundamental Islamic law. Its second goal is to limit the influence of Western cultures and political systems on the Islamic world.
Al Qaeda intends on achieving these goals by mobilising Muslims worldwide against the United States and its allies in a 'Jihad', or holy war. Osama bin Laden and his organisation are believed to be responsible for the attacks on The World Trade Centre and The Pentagon on 11 September 2001.
The American Response
The United States responded to these attacks by declaring a 'war on terror'. The 'war on terror' encompasses the United States policy towards states which harbour and support terrorists, and the investigation and arresting of known and suspected terrorists. Statements by the American media and government have repeatedly classified the perpetrators of the 9/11 tragedy as being Islamic Arabs. This classification has led to increased hostility towards Arabs and people of Asian descent. To make matters worse the American authorities have continued to single-out Muslims for searches at airports and in road-blocks. This prejudice has polarised the international community to such an extent that more and more Muslims now identify with Al Qaeda, feeling that they have been victimised by the West.
One of the fundamental rules for a successful conflict situation is to know your enemy. America’s 'war on terror' policy has shown very little indication of understanding the motivation behind Al Qaeda’s attacks so far.
Al Qaeda’s goal is to unite the Arab world against American influence. By labelling terrorists as being of Arabic descent, the United States has alienated Muslims worldwide, uniting them in their hatred of America
Compounding this problem, the US invaded Iraq in March 2003 amid huge public opposition worldwide. The occupation of Iraq has given Osama bin Laden credibility in arguing that the 'leader of world infidelity' seeks to 'destroy Islam and subjugate its believers.'
Conclusion
This culture of terrorism can only be solved by attempts at mutual understanding and the development of a foreign policy that addresses a tendency to radicalism in the Muslim world. The United States budget for defence was $379 billion in 2003. The only way smaller groups feel they can challenge the United States militarily with any success is through terrorism. This contributes towards terrorism being one of the most popular forms of warfare today.
References:
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United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Proposed Definitions of Terrorism”, http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html, Last updated 12 August 2004.
United States Department of Defence, “Military Budget”, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/defense.html, 14 August 2004.
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