By Fonju Ndemesah
On news networks, on public awareness organs, there is a rise of an alarming type of public violence which is bringing a shift in the global system. It is impossible to read news headlines, and reports without finding stories of people who have been kidnapped, diplomats who have been murdered, acts of sabotage, episodes of bombings, and the taking of children and women as hostages. This has made Blair and Brewer (1977) to posit that, though the origin of terrorism can be traced far back into history, nowadays, “terrorism has grown from esoteric aspect of aggression and violence to a prominent means for international and intranational conflict resolution”.[i] What then is really this new kind of violence which is transforming the global system?
The term "terrorism" is not politically neutral. This makes it very difficult to provide a precise definition of terrorism. Some scholars and analysts[ii] who have endeavored to search for a definition of the word have found over 100 definitions of "terrorism”. In fact, an individual can be a freedom fighter for one person but a terrorist to the other person. For example, the IRA called its members "freedom fighters", while the British government categorized the IRA under its 2000 Terrorism Act. During the apartheid years, while Mandela and his colleagues were regarded as freedom fighters, the racist government in South Africa and many western countries labeled the ANC as a terrorist organization. This makes us understand that the definition of terrorism depends on which side we stand.
Attempting a definition
According to the online etymology dictionary, "Terrorism" comes from the French word terrorisme,[iii] and primarily referred specifically to state terrorism as practiced by the French government during the 1793-1794 Reign Of Terror. The United Nations General Assembly describes terrorism as “"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes ....whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them."[iv] The US Immigration and Nationality Act defines terrorist activity as any activity which is unlawful under the laws of the place where it is committed (or which, if committed in the United States, would be unlawful under the laws of the United States or any state) and which involves the following:
The use of any
6) A threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing.
The term “ engage in terrorist activity” means to commit, in an individual capacity or as a member of an organization, an act of terrorist activity or an act which he knows, or reasonably should know, affords material support to any individual, organization, or government in conducting a terrorist activity at any time, including any of the following:
The preparation or the planning of a terrorist activity.
Categories of Terrorism
The Task Force named six categories of terrorism:
Despite the difficulty to define precisely what terrorism is, many analysts agree to the fact that “although the instruments of terror are varied and the motivations are diverse, all terrorist activity is meant to achieve political objectives”.[vii] And that, because of the asymmetric nature of the confrontation, many terrorists are out for a demonstration effect, they “want a lot of people watching, not a lot of people death”, regretfully, the result of these is an increase in terrorist demonstration to seek visibility which also increase its magnitude and lethality.
Sources
[i] Charles W. Kegley, Jr and Eugene R. Wittkopf (1985), World Politics: Trend and Transformation, New York: St Martin Press
[ii] Record, Jeffrey (December 2003). "Bounding the Global War on Terrorism". Strategic Studies Institute (SSI). ed."
Schmid, Alex, and Jongman, Albert. Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data bases, Theories and Literature, Amsterdam ; New York : North-Holland ; New Brunswick: Transaction Books, 1988.
[iii] "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. 1979-10-20. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
[iv] 1994 United Nations Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism annex to UN General Assembly resolution 49/60 ,"Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism," of December 9, 1994, UN Doc. A/Res/60/49.
[v] Department of State Report on Foreign Terrorist Organizations (Oct 5, 2001), in Noam Chomsky (2002),Reflections on 9 – 11, New York: Seven Stories Press
[vi] Disorders and Terrorism, National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals (Washington D.C.:1976).
[vii] Charles W. Kegley, Jr and Eugene R. Wittkopf (1985), World Politics: Trend and Transformation, New York: St Martin Press
On news networks, on public awareness organs, there is a rise of an alarming type of public violence which is bringing a shift in the global system. It is impossible to read news headlines, and reports without finding stories of people who have been kidnapped, diplomats who have been murdered, acts of sabotage, episodes of bombings, and the taking of children and women as hostages. This has made Blair and Brewer (1977) to posit that, though the origin of terrorism can be traced far back into history, nowadays, “terrorism has grown from esoteric aspect of aggression and violence to a prominent means for international and intranational conflict resolution”.[i] What then is really this new kind of violence which is transforming the global system?
The term "terrorism" is not politically neutral. This makes it very difficult to provide a precise definition of terrorism. Some scholars and analysts[ii] who have endeavored to search for a definition of the word have found over 100 definitions of "terrorism”. In fact, an individual can be a freedom fighter for one person but a terrorist to the other person. For example, the IRA called its members "freedom fighters", while the British government categorized the IRA under its 2000 Terrorism Act. During the apartheid years, while Mandela and his colleagues were regarded as freedom fighters, the racist government in South Africa and many western countries labeled the ANC as a terrorist organization. This makes us understand that the definition of terrorism depends on which side we stand.
Attempting a definition
According to the online etymology dictionary, "Terrorism" comes from the French word terrorisme,[iii] and primarily referred specifically to state terrorism as practiced by the French government during the 1793-1794 Reign Of Terror. The United Nations General Assembly describes terrorism as “"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes ....whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them."[iv] The US Immigration and Nationality Act defines terrorist activity as any activity which is unlawful under the laws of the place where it is committed (or which, if committed in the United States, would be unlawful under the laws of the United States or any state) and which involves the following:
- The hijacking or sabotage of any conveyance (including an aircraft, vessel, or vehicle).
- The seizing or detaining, and threatening to kill, injure, or continue to detain, another individual in order to compel a third person (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing any act as explicit or implicit condition for the release of the individual seized or detained.
- A violent attack upon an internationally protected person or upon the liberty of such person.
- An assassination
The use of any
- Biological agent, chemical agent, or nuclear weapon or device, or
- Explosive or firearm (other than for mere personal monetary gain), with intent to endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property.
6) A threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing.
The term “ engage in terrorist activity” means to commit, in an individual capacity or as a member of an organization, an act of terrorist activity or an act which he knows, or reasonably should know, affords material support to any individual, organization, or government in conducting a terrorist activity at any time, including any of the following:
The preparation or the planning of a terrorist activity.
- The gathering of information on potential targets for terrorist activity.
- The providing of any type of material support , including a safe house, transportation, communications, funds, false documentation or identification, weapons, explosives, or training, to any individual the actor knows or has reason to believe has committed or plans to commit a terrorist activity.
- The soliciting of funds or other things of value for terrorist activity or for any terrorist organization.
- The solicitation of any individual for membership in a terrorist organization, terrorist government, or to engage in a terrorist activity.[v]
Categories of Terrorism
The Task Force named six categories of terrorism:
- “Civil disorder – A form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community.
- Political terrorism – Violent criminal behavior designed primarily to generate fearing the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
- Limited political terrorism – Genuine political terrorism is characterized by a revolutionary approach; limited political terrorism refers to "acts of terrorism which are committed for ideological or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the state.
- Official or state terrorism –"referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions." It may also be referred to as Structural Terrorism defined broadly as terrorist acts carried out by governments in pursuit of political objectives, often as part of their foreign policy”.[vi]
Despite the difficulty to define precisely what terrorism is, many analysts agree to the fact that “although the instruments of terror are varied and the motivations are diverse, all terrorist activity is meant to achieve political objectives”.[vii] And that, because of the asymmetric nature of the confrontation, many terrorists are out for a demonstration effect, they “want a lot of people watching, not a lot of people death”, regretfully, the result of these is an increase in terrorist demonstration to seek visibility which also increase its magnitude and lethality.
Sources
[i] Charles W. Kegley, Jr and Eugene R. Wittkopf (1985), World Politics: Trend and Transformation, New York: St Martin Press
[ii] Record, Jeffrey (December 2003). "Bounding the Global War on Terrorism". Strategic Studies Institute (SSI). ed."
Schmid, Alex, and Jongman, Albert. Political Terrorism: A New Guide to Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data bases, Theories and Literature, Amsterdam ; New York : North-Holland ; New Brunswick: Transaction Books, 1988.
[iii] "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. 1979-10-20. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
[iv] 1994 United Nations Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism annex to UN General Assembly resolution 49/60 ,"Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism," of December 9, 1994, UN Doc. A/Res/60/49.
[v] Department of State Report on Foreign Terrorist Organizations (Oct 5, 2001), in Noam Chomsky (2002),Reflections on 9 – 11, New York: Seven Stories Press
[vi] Disorders and Terrorism, National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals (Washington D.C.:1976).
[vii] Charles W. Kegley, Jr and Eugene R. Wittkopf (1985), World Politics: Trend and Transformation, New York: St Martin Press