View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives The Justification of Terrorism Morten Alexander Mossin Master's thesis in History Department of Archaeology, Conservation, and History (IAKH) University of Oslo Spring 2014 i Abstract i Abstract In this dissertation I have taken use of comparative research in order to compare three different terrorist organisations, and their justification of terrorism. The groups subjected to study in this paper are Rote Armee Fraktion, Al-Qaeda, and Anders Behring Breivik. The idea of using justification to legitimate violent attacks is a shared trait in most terrorist groups. The concept of justification is explained, and each group is examined to determine how they justify their violence. This analysis reveals that justification, even spanning cultural borders and ethnicities, is comparable and recognizable. The ideological basis for justification is conformable. Reflections made in the process include the importance for more social scientific research on the subject of justification, as well as the daunting realisation that terrorism will most likely never be overcome. ii Preface I have Finally completed the biggest project of my life. The journey was tough, but oh so rewarding. I would never have dreamed of finding the justification aspect of terrorism so interesting and gratifying. I have learnt a great deal, and grown in the presence of great minds, both around me and materialised in the books I've read. The ordeal has been tiresome, however I've always found comfort in the attentive and caring compassion of those close to me. First of all I want to thank my thesis counsellor – Professor Øystein Sørensen. For his guidance, words of wisdom, and expert opinion on my thesis. I would like to thank my family, for being so understanding and supporting in my academic pursuit. The staff at UiO have been exemplary, always there if (when) I needed them. Nik Brandal, Ragnar Holst Larsen and Helena Neumann especially, thank you. I would also like to thank my fellow students, both in Oslo and at Cambridge. Professor Paul Russell at Cambridge University for his commitment. And a special thanks to Aleksander Kristensen for his second opinion and invaluable feedback on my final draft. My two-year journey has come to an end, may the next one be as inspirational as the one I have had. Morten Alexander Mossin Cambridge, 14th of May, 2014 Preface iii Table of Contents iv Table of Contents Abstract.................................................................................................................................................i Preface.................................................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents................................................................................................................................iv List of Tables.......................................................................................................................................vi 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Starting Point.............................................................................................................................1 1.1.1 Politically motivated terrorism..........................................................................................2 1.1.2 Religious extremist terrorism............................................................................................2 1.1.3 Nationalistic terrorism.......................................................................................................2 1.2 Current theory...........................................................................................................................5 1.3 Main Theses...............................................................................................................................7 1.4 Restriction of the project...........................................................................................................8 1.5 Sources.......................................................................................................................................9 2. New terrorism and its significance.................................................................................................10 2.1 Four wave theory.....................................................................................................................10 2.2 Developing different approaches to terrorism........................................................................12 2.3 Challenges to a comparative approach..................................................................................16 2.4 New Terrorism.........................................................................................................................17 2.5 Historical approach..................................................................................................................19 3. Ideological Justifications.................................................................................................................21 3.1 The power of ideological justification.....................................................................................21 3.2 Political violence......................................................................................................................22 3.3 Religious and nationalistic justification...................................................................................23 4. Anders Behring Breivik...................................................................................................................26 4.1 Background..............................................................................................................................26 4.2 Ideological justification and methodology..............................................................................27 4.3 Impact and restrictions............................................................................................................38 5. Al-Qaeda.........................................................................................................................................40 5.1 Background..............................................................................................................................40 5.2 Ideological justification and methodology..............................................................................41 5.3 Impact and restrictions............................................................................................................50 6. Rote Armee Fraktion......................................................................................................................54 6.1 Background..............................................................................................................................54 Table of Contents v 6.2 Ideological justification and methodology..............................................................................55 6.3 Impact and restrictions............................................................................................................63 7. Comparative method......................................................................................................................66 7.1 Root causes and connections..................................................................................................66 7.2 Culture and Religion................................................................................................................73 7.3 The need for identity and propagandic rhetoric....................................................................75 7.4 Guerilla warfare.......................................................................................................................76 8. Conclusion......................................................................................................................................78 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................81 List of Tables vi List of Tables Figure X - David Rapoport, Four wave theory..............................11 Introduction 1 1. Introduction 1.1 Starting Point “Allahu akbar. Allahu akbar.”1. Those were the last words ever heard by several passengers trying to break into the cockpit of Flight 93, September 11th 2001. Allahu akbar is Arabic, and best translated as “God is the greatest”, but how could these Muslim terrorists justify and legitimize their actions in the name of God? There had been several terrorist attacks on Western society prior to this one, although previous operations could not compare to this latest one in forms of planning and the enormous loss of life. The Bush administration called for a ‘Global War on Terrorism’2, and described the terrorist attack as cowardly. Western society would experience several more terrorist attacks across several countries in the years that followed.3 And all seemed to culminate in the most recent one, the dreadful attack on Arbeidernes ungdomsfylking’s (AUF) summer camp at Utøya and the bombing of Regjeringskvartalet by Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik on the 22nd of July, 2011. This project will try