CIR104: INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Class: Monday 13.00-16.00, 16.00-19.00

YALOVA UNIVERSITYDr. S. Barış Gülmez

Week 10 –Terrorism

Remember last week

• Historical image of diplomats?

• The syndrome of going native?

• Secret diplomacy vs multilateral diplomacy?

• Machiavellian vs Normative approaches to diplomacy?

Remember last week

• Responsibility to protect?

• Main features of humanitarian intervention?

• Problems/crititisms of humanitarian intervention?

Terrorism

• Definition: • Political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately.

Main features of Terrorism1-state and non-state actors

2-irregular tactics suicide bombers, 9/11 attacks

3-extreme brutality indiscriminate violence on civilians (random victims)

4-psychological impact instilling fear on people (Tehdiş)The fear: «It could have been me»Using small amount of power that has a serious impact on large populations

A New feature of terrorism

Terrorist groups today are:

• Geographically dispersed&multinational. • Difficult to identify, locate and punish.

• Perception: They can be anyone, anywhere...

• Perception: They can bomb anywhere anytime....

Problems in identifying Terrorism1- Different PerceptionsOne man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighterPKK is officially seen as terrorist by the US and the EU but the French press calls PKK militants as ‘freedom fighters’!According to the US: PKK terrorist but PYD is not.. WHY?

Winner/powerful decides who is a terroristFrench resistance (to Nazism) was labelled as ‘terrorist’. After the Nazi defeat, people call them ‘heroes’!

Problems in identifying Terrorism

2-Narrow definition Excluding the attacks against uniforms (soldiers, police etc..) E.g. During 9/11 attacks, no attention was paid to the attack on the Pentagon

Problems in identifying Terrorism

3-Problem of the powerfulNot seen as terrorism if major powers do it

E.g. Dresden bombing 13–15 February 1945British-US bombers killing 25.000 peopleTargeted civilians but quickly forgotton

Problems in identifying Terrorism

4-Denying to identify as terrorists until attacked by them

The US and the EU ignored Turkish demands for classifying PKK as terrorist until the 9/11 attacks...

Ignoring the ISIS terrorism until attacked by ISIS or citizens killed by ISIS...

Types of terrorism1- Right-wing terrorism• aims to combat liberal governments and preserve

traditional social orders.• E.g. The Klu Klux Klan and Neo-Fascists

2- Left-wing terrorismseeks to overthrow capitalist democracies and establish socialist or communist governments E.g. DHKP-C in Turkey, and The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC)

Types of terrorism3-Pathological Terrorismthe use of terrorism by individuals who utilize such strategies for the sheer joy of terrorizing others.e.g. The Batman killer

4- Ethno-nationalist/separatist terroristsseek to cause fragmentation within a country and establishment a new state.e.g. Eta in Spain, IRA in the UK, PKK in TurkeyNote: PKK started as a left-wing terrorist organization in the 1980s and became ethno-nationalist after the Cold War.

Types of terrorism5- Religious terrorismmotivated by religious ideologies and grievancesuse “all in” tactics such as suicide bombings in the name of God

Al-QaedaAnders Behring Breivik - Norway killingsboth right-wing and religiousBoston bombing in the name of Islam

Which terrorism is the most dangerous?

• Right wing?

• Left wing?

• Religious?

• Pathological?

• Ethno-nationalist/separatist

WHY is the ISIS a global terrorist threat?

• More than just a religious terrorism• Utopic purpose Islamic state to rule the world • Enemy Entire world

• They don’t want to just defeat the enemy. • They want to destroy them for good. • They are ready to sacrifice themselves for it• Beyond rationality they think that they serve God by

killing.

Causes of Terrorism

• Individual level: religious extremism, political radicalism, alienation from the society

• Domestic level: bad governance, non-existent social services, poverty, state authoritarianism/oppression

• Global level: capitalist/neo-liberal exploiation, western hegemony, American imperialism

The effects of terrorism• The Securitization effect• Everyday life became much more securitised.• Security check points at almost every corner • (Airports, Malls, schools etc..)

• Biometrics and other digital security measures• Security forces became more visible in public life• Rise of xenophobia, ultra-nationalism• Heavy-handed state policies towards refugees, foreigners• Increasing military spending

Terrorists in the global era

Use of internet & social media

Cyberterrorism (hijacking of websites)

Financial resources: drug smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, etc.

INTERNET & TERRORISM• Al-Qaida's Online University for ‘Jihad Sciences’

In the new al-Qaida, offices and training camps are a thing of the past.

All a would-be recruit needs is an Internet connection.

Al-Qaida's virtual university will take care of the rest.

Source: Spiegel Online, 2006.

WHY DO TERRORISTS USE INTERNET?

• “Goes farther, faster, cheaper, deeper”

“Information technology provides terrorists a place to plan without the risks normally associated with cell or satellite phones”

...an al-Qaeda training manual recovered in Afghanistan states: “Using public sources openly and without resorting to illegal means, it is possible to gather at least eighty percent of information about the enemy.”

(Source: Conway)

Dark side of globalization

• Chris Rumford: • ‘Terrorism is the dark side of globalization’

• WHY?• Abusing globalization for violence• Internet, cyber-terrorism, power of media• Spread of information world-wide• Terrorists spread ‘fear’ world-wide...

How to tackle terrorism?

When combating religious terrorism, coordinating with religious leaders and building a relationship with them will encourage better cooperation.

separatist terrorism can be combated with more inclusive political processes that allow outlets for political dissent.

Policing for right-wing, left-wing and pathological terrorisms

Do these methods really work?

How to tackle terrorism?

• According to IR theories:

• Realism?

• Liberalism?

• Constructivism?