Terrorism and Globalization Or the Nature of the Struggle

- - - Te rrorism and globalization JAM ES D. Kl RAS • Introduction 358 • Definitions 358 • Te rrorism: from transnational to global phenomenon (1968-2001) 360 • Te rrorism: the impact of globalization 361 • Globalization, technology, and terrorism 364 • Combating terrorism 368 • Conclusion 370 Reader's Guide cultural, economic, and religious terms linked to glo balization. However, such terms are not sufficient to Globalization has contributed to the growth of terror explain the relationship. Technology associated with ism from a regional phenomenon into a global one. globalization has enabled terrorist groups to conduct Precisely how it has contributed, however, is hard to operations that are more deadly, distributed, and diffi determine. The difficulty lies in the complex nature cult to combat than in the past. Technological advan of terrorism and disagreements on what constitutes tage is not one-sided and states can use technology to globalization. Global terrorism has been explained in diminish the global impact of terrorism. JAMES D. KIRAS Introduction The relationship between terrorism and globalization or the nature of the struggle. Terrorism is a weapon is difficult to describe accurately. Each phenomenon of the weak, conducted by a minority who promote is complicated and defies simple characterization. It is an extremist ideology-it often fails to create political inaccurate to suggest that globalization is responsible change. Theglobal community is not powerless in the forterrorism, but technologies associated with global face of such violence. In order to succeed, the global ization have been exploited by terrorists. In particu community must utilize the resources at its disposal lar, technologies have increased the ability of terrorist collaboratively, in a way that is consistent with inter groups to work together, share information, and reach national law and human rights, to diminish support for out to previously unavailable audiences. Technology terrorism and demonstrate the illegitimacy of terrorist cannot change the character of the terrorist message messages and aspirations. · ·- · · · Definitions Terrorism and globalization share at least one thing methods is the foremost reason for disagreement (see in common-both are complex phenomena open to Box 23.2). Some view terrorist acts as legitimate only if subjective interpretation. Definitions of terrorism vary they meet the criteria associated with revisionist inter widely but all start froma common point of departure. pretations of 'just war' tradition, which focus on the Terrorism is characterized, first and foremost, by the actions of individuals. Thesecriteria, which apply to all use ofviolence. Thistactic of violence takes many forms applications of force, have been expanded to include a and oftenindiscrimi nately targets non-combatants. The just cause, proportional use of violence, and the use of purpose forwhich violence is used, and its root causes, force as a last resort. Realists suggest that the political is where most of the disagreements about terrorism violence used by terrorist groups is illegitimate on the begin. Historically, the term 'terrorism' described state basis that states alone have a monopoly on the legiti violence against citizens during the French Revolution. mate use of physical force. Over the past half-century, however, terrorism has come to mean the use of violence by small groups aim Box 23.1 Types of terrorist groups ing to achieve political change. Terrorism differs from ... criminal violence in its degree of political legitimacy. Audrey Kurth Cronin has outlined d ifferenttypes of terrorist Thosesympathetic to terrorist causes suggest that vio groups and their historical importance in thefollowi ng way : lence is the only remaining option that can draw atten tion to the plight of the aggrieved. Such causes have 'There are fourty pes of terrorist organizations currently included ideological, ethnic, and religious exclusion or operating around the world, categorized mainly by their source of motivation: left-wing terrorists, right-wing persecution. terrorists, ethnonationalist/separatist terrorists, and reli Defining terrorism can be difficult as groups often gious or 'sacred' terrorists. All fourtypes have enjoyed espouse multiple grievances and compete with one periods of relative prominence in the modern era, with another for resources and support. In addition, the left-wing terrorism intertwined with the Communist relative importance of these grievances within groups movement, right-wing terrorism drawing its inspiration from Fascism, and the bulk of ethnonationalist/separa can change over time (see Box 23.1). Those targeted tist terrorism accompanying the wave of decolonization by terrorists are less inclined to see any justification, especially in the immediate post-World War II years. much less legitimacy, behind attacks that are designed Currently, "sacred" terrorism is becoming more significant to spread fe ar by killing and maiming civilians. As a ...many groups have a mix of motivating ideologies result, the term 'terrorist' has a pejorative value that is some ethnonationalist groups, forexam ple, have religious usefulin delegitimizing those who commit such acts. characteristics or agendas-but usually one ideology or motivation dominates.' Reaching consensus on what constitutes terror (Cronin 2002/3:39) ism is difficult. The legitimacy of terrorist means and Chapter 23 Terrorism and globalization Terrorist groups risk fadingin to obscurity if they do Box 23.2 Legitimacy not cow the public or conduct newsworthy attacks. Martha Crenshaw provides an approach to determine the However, attacks by terrorists that are so horrific, legitimacy of acts ofterror ism: such as publicized beheadings in Taliban-controlled parts of western frontier Pakistan, puts support for 'The value of the normative approach (to terrorism) is that terrorist causes at risk. Thereforeterrorism is defined it confronts squarely a critical problem in the analysis of here as 'the use of violence by sub-state groups to terrorism, and indeed any form of political violence: the issue of legitimacy ...the need forscholarly objectivity inspire fe ar, by attacking civilians and/or symbolic and abstraction does not excuse us from the obligation targets, for purposes such as drawing widespread to judge the morality of the use of force, whether by the attention to a grievance, provoking a severe response, state or against ...Te rrorism must not, as the terrorists or wearing down their opponent's moral resolve, to can foresee, result in worse injustice than the condition effect political change'. the terrorists oppose ...The targets of terrorism are mor ally significant; witness the difference between material As with definitions of terrorism, there is general objects and human casualties.' agreement on at least one aspect of globalization. (Crenshaw 1983: 2-4) Technologies allow the transfer of goods, services, and information almost anywhere quickly and efficiently. In the case of information, the transfer can be secure As with other forms of irregular warfare,terrorism and is nearly instantaneous. The extent of social, cul is designed to achieve political change for the pur tural, and political change brought on by globalization, poses of obtaining power in order to right a perceived including increasing interconnectedness and homoge wrong. Terrorism, however, is the weakest form of neity in the international system, remain the subject irregular warfare with which to alter the political of much disagreement and debate, as other chapters landscape. The reasonfor this weakness is that terror in this volume have outlined. These disagreements, in ist groups rarely possess the broader support of the turn, influence discussion of the extent to which global population that characterizes insurgency and revolu ization has contributed to the rise of modern terrorism. tion. Terrorist groups often lack broader support for There is little doubt that the technologies associated their objectives because their goals for change are with globalization have been used to improve the effec based on radical ideas that do not have widespread tiveness and reach of terrorist groups. Therelat ionship appeal. In order to influence change, terrorists must between globalization and terrorism is best understood provoke drastic responses that act as a catalyst for as the next step in the evolution of political violence change or weaken their opponent's moral resolve. In a since terrorism became a transnational phenomenon few cases, terrorist acts have achieved relatively rapid in the 1960s. change. Thebo mbings in Madrid in 2004, forexa m ple, influenced the outcome of elections in Spain in Key Points a dramatic fashion, and anecdotal evidence suggests that the attack was designed with just this purpose in • Agreement on what constitutes terrorism continues to be mind. Many terrorist leaders hope that their actions difficult given the range of potential acts involving will lead to disproportionate reactions by a state, violence. which in turn disaffects public or international opin • Terrorism, or acts of violence by sub-state groups, has ion and increases support fortheir cause. Other lead been separated from criminal acts on the basis of the purpose forwhich violence is applied, namely political ers using acts of terrorism seek immediate impact, change. to demonstrate the weakness of their opponent, and • Te rrorist groups succeed when their motivations

Load more