Marjetka Pezdirc Terrorism Complex Final
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The Terrorism Complex Submitted by Marjetka Pezdirc to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ethno–Political Studies in January 2015 \ This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. Abstract Discussing, defining and engaging with ‘terrorism’ has long been limited to the narrowly framed situations in which parties to an asymmetric conflict resort to the use of force and to the legitimacy they have in doing so. The problem with the limited understanding of ‘terrorism’ and ‘counterterrorism’ as ‘facts of objective reality’ is the lack of attention to the role of the extreme asymmetry of power in conflicts involving ‘terrorism’ that does not lend itself to analysis readily. This thesis introduces a new theoretical concept, the Terrorism Complex that signifies the complexity of power/knowledge relations and the complexity of power/knowledge practices that operate on a discursive and non-discursive level through time and are affected by the mechanisms of power that stem from the asymmetry of power between the actors involved in a conflict. The research into the Terrorism Complex involves an ontological and epistemological widening of the research focus to account for these effects of the interplay between power and knowledge on the production, construction and perception of ‘terrorism’. I draw on postmodern scholarship and the Critical Terrorism Studies to present a theoretical and methodological framework that is used to examine the production of knowledge in relation to the asymmetries of power. The Israeli– Palestinian conflict is used as a case study for the study of power asymmetry in the political field that determines who will be labelled a ‘terrorist’ and who will be able to claim the moral high ground. The research also reveals the surprising extent to which the power over discourse obscures the role of the systemic terrorising exercise of state power in inducing ‘terrorism’. The final chapter concentrates on the media’s role in the Terrorism Complex. It applies the findings from other chapters to observe the Terrorism Complex in action. 2 Abbreviations AFP Agence France-Presse AI Amnesty International APN Americans for Peace Now ARIJ The Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem BISA British International Studies Association CCPRJ The Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem CDA Critical Discourse Analysis CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies CSTPV The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence CTS Critical Terrorism Sudies CWP Coalition of Women for Peace DCIP Defence for Children International Palestine DPR Division for Palestinian Rights EU European Union GOV UK Government of the United Kingdom HRW Human Rights Watch HSRC Human Sciences Research Council ICC International Criminal Court ICJ International Court of Justice ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross ICT International Institute for Counter-Terrorism IDF Israel Defense Forces ILD International Law Division IMD Israel Ministry of Defence 3 IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding IMFA Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs INSCT Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism IPI International Press Institute IR International Relations ISIT Institute for Studies of International Terrorism JCPA Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs OTS Orthodox Terrorism Studies PCC Palestinian Counselling Center PCFF Parents Circle – Families Forum PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PLC Palestinian Legislative Council PLO NAD Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department SWAN Support the Wistleblower at Nottingham UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNGA United Nations General Assembly UNHRC United Nations Human Rights Council UNOCHAOpT United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory US United States 4 Acknowledgements This thesis would not be possible without the generous Leverhulme Trust scholarship and my supervisor, Professor Gareth Stansfield, who gave me the opportunity to come to Exeter and spend some of the most memorable and happy years there. Gareth gave me the freedom to explore and the support in doing so. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Professor Ewan Anderson for all his help and encouragement. I enjoyed every single one of our talks, especially the ones that strayed from the academic world into the art world. It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to work with him. I was fortunate to work with a number of lovely and exceptional people at EXCEPS. I especially thank Dr Mary-Alice Clancy for taking an interest in my work and providing helpful comments. I am also grateful to Associate Professor William Gallois for his positive attitude and advice. Special thanks goes to Professor Alpana Sharma and Dr Dawn M Phillips who took time to read some of the early drafts and engage with my ideas. The thesis would not have materialized were it not for the Graduate Research Office staff that provided me with much needed help and support. I am particularly thankful for the lifelong friendships that have forged in Exeter and I thank my dear friends Lesley, Kim, David, and Chris for all the wonderful memories. Chris’ selfless help with the submission process will never be forgotten. A very special thanks goes to my partner and to our families who went out of their way to help me. They were my confidantes, critics, nannies, therapists, and cheerleaders. Finally I would like to dedicate this thesis to my son, who came first and always will. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ...................................................................................... 2 Abbreviations .............................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements ...................................................................... 5 List of Figures ............................................................................. 8 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 9 1.1 CHAPTER OUTLINE ............................................................. 17 2. THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATION .... 27 2.1 POWER ................................................................................ 30 2.2 DISCOURSE ......................................................................... 36 2.3 KNOWLEDGE ....................................................................... 41 2.4 METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 46 3. THE ACADEMIC FIELD .............................................................. 63 3.1 POWER AND THE PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE ................ 66 3.1.1 The Asymmetry of Power and the Production of Knowledge ............................... 68 3.2 THE ASYMMETRIES OF IR IN GENERAL AND TERRORISM STUDIES IN PARTICULAR .......................................................... 72 3.2.1 Cultural Bias ........................................................................................................... 72 3.2.2 The History of Asymmetry – Myths and Debates .................................................. 77 3.3 OBJECTIVITY AND DESENSITIZATION TO HUMANITY .......... 94 3.4 BEYOND THE ASYMMETRIES ............................................. 101 4. THE POLITICAL FIELD (A GENEALOGY OF THE ISRAELI– PALESTINIAN CONFLICT) ........................................................... 107 4.1 POWER IN THE POLITICAL FIELD ....................................... 109 4.1.1 Israeli–Palestinian Conflict and The Primacy of the Sovereign State in International Politics ...................................................................................................... 113 4.2 ASYMMETRIES OF POWER ................................................. 116 4.2.1 Historical Narratives of the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict ...................................... 117 4.2.1.1 Victim Status and the Responsibility to Protect ............................................ 117 4.2.1.2 The Right to the Land .................................................................................. 119 4.2.1.3 David Versus Goliath .................................................................................... 120 6 4.2.1.4 The Security Imperative in the face of an Existential Threat and the Right to Self-Defence .............................................................................................................. 122 4.2.1.5 The Use of Force as the Last/First Resort .................................................... 124 4.2.2 The Discursive Continuity Between the Past and the Present ............................. 128 4.2.3 The ‘Terrorism’ Context - Status Quo and the Terrorising Effects of the Mechanisms of Power .................................................................................................... 129 4.2.3.1 The Fragmentation and Displacement of the Palestinian People ................. 131 4.2.3.2 Occupation and the Settlement Project - The Facts Behind the Facts on the Ground ...................................................................................................................... 133 4.2.3.3 Politicide .......................................................................................................