Four Waves of Terrorism PDF PDF

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Detailed notes on the analysis of the 'Four waves of terrorism'....

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The Four Waves of Modern Terrorism • September 11 2001, ‘is the most destructive day in a long blood history of terrorism. • Led President Bush to declare ‘war that would not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.’ 100 years previous Roosevelt called for a crusade to exterminate terrorism everywhere. • First Wave: Creation of a Doctrine • Hostile society. • Terror was thought to be quickest and more effective means to destroy conventions. • Terror was violence beyond moral conventions used to regulate violence: the rules of war and punishment. • Terrorism was a strategy not an end- acts depended on the group’s political objective. • High point of first wave: occurred 1890s- ‘Golden Age of Assassination’. (monarchs, PMs & presidents assassinated.) Second Wave: Mostly Successful, and a New Language • Versailles Peace Treaty precipitated the second wave. • Most terrorist successes occurred 25 years after Versailles. • Terror campaigns fought in territories where special political problems made withdrawal a less attractive option. (Jews & Arabs had conflicting versions of what termination of British rule meant) • E.g Northern Ireland- majority wanted to remain British. • Second wave realised needed a new way to describe themselves other than ‘terrorist’ as it had accumulated negative connotations. Governments began to call all violent rebels terrorists. • Third Wave: Excessive Internationalism? • • • • • •

Third wave stimulated by Vietnam war. Women became leaders and fighters. Hostage crises. Memorable episode: 1970 kidnapping of former Italian PM Aldo Moro by Red Brigades. Kidnappings occurred in 73 countries. Abandoned practice of assassinating prominent figures was revived.

Fourth Wave: How Unique and How Long? • • • •

Religious wave gathered force. Aim to create secular states. Suicide bombing. Number of terrorist groups declined dramatically in fourth wave. Response to September 11- more than 100 states joined the attack in Afghanistan in various ways.

Concluding Thoughts and Questions • international terrorism is a recent phenomenon. 125 years. • Technology and doctrine play vital role....