Terrorism:

Definition of Terrorism

The word terrorism first appeared during the French Revolution. Some of the revolutionaries who seized power
adopted a policy of violence against their enemies. That period in history was known as the 'Reign of terror.

The term terrorism has different meanings and has no internationally accepted definition.

It is a less easily defined term.

It is full of political and intellectual ambiguity.

Commonly it is mentioned as use of force, creating terror or fear, Intimidating methods, especially to secure
political ends, liquidating resistance, stifling dissent, guerrilla warfare etc.

Publicity forms an essential component of a terrorist's strategy.

According to Hans Morgentuu, Terrorism is what the bad guys do." A Chinese philosopher once said, "Kill
one and frighten 10000" is the motto behind the terrorist acts.

Walter Laquer says, A terrorist thus concentrates more on creating a state of fear for achieving his goals.

According to Thornton, terrorism is a symbolic act intending to influence political behavior of the country by
extra normal means, entailing the use of threat of violence.

The most important element in Thornton's definition is the claim that all acts of terror in an internal war are
deliberately propagandist acts, which are always designed to convey a message, signor warning to either their
opponents, the neutral population or to those who belong to or sympathies with the terrorist movement.

No doubt use or threat of violence is an important element of terrorism yet all kinds of violence do not involve political
terrorism.

But most acts of violence such as wounding, arson, assassination, destruction of property etc., are defined as crimes
under the legal codes of all states.

Unlike violence, the effectiveness of terrorism rests mainly on the element of surprise and fear.

Terrorism differs from other crimes in that terrorists always claim to be acting for a cause other than their personal
benefit.

A terrorist's first loyalty is not himself but to his cause, just as soldier's is to his country.

Hence, terrorists generally are willing to take greater risks than criminals, whose concern safety.

Most other crimes are of a personal nature in which the victim is a central figure and generally the main audience.

In terrorism, on the other hand, a victim who normally is not the one for whom the message is intended.

Watson rightly points out, "terrorism must not be defined only in terms of violence, but also in terms of propaganda.
The two are both in operation together."
The term terrorism was first defined at the Third Conference for the Unification of Penal Law held at Brussels
in 1931 as follows:

"The deliberate use of means capable of producing a common danger to commit an act of imperiling life, physical
integrity or human health or threatening to destroy substantial property.

" Such acts included

 "Arson; explosion;
 flooding or submersion;
 Ignition of asphyxiating or noxious substances;
 interruption of the normal operation of means of transport or communication;
 damage to or destruction of government property and public utilities,
 pollution; fouling, or deliberate poisoning of drinking water or staple foods,
 causing or propagating contagious or epidemic disease;
 any willful act which endangers human lives and the community and so on."

The Government of France has given different arguments in term of defining terrorism.

According to it "any act of barbarism committed in the territory of third state by a foreigner against a person who has a
nationality, other than of the offenders, for the purpose of exerting a pressure on a conflict not strictly internal in nature
is called an act of terrorism and that foreigner is terrorist.

Grant Wardlow defines, political terrorism as "the use of violence by an individual or a group, whether acting for or in
opposition to established authority, when such action is designed to create extreme anxiety or fear indicating effects in
a target group larger than the immediate victims with the purpose of coercing that group into the acceding to the
political demands of perpetrators."

TYPES OF TERRORISM:

1. Repressive State Terrorism:

 It denotes complete suppression of people especially opponents and dissidents by the state. For a long time the
repressive measures of the state were described as terrorism, hence the term 'state terrorism' was coined.
 It was much later that the extremist and violent activities of individuals and groups using arms and ammunition
in pursuit of some political ideology or objective were brought within the scope of the definition of terrorism.

2. Revolutionary and War Terrorism.

 When terrorism is employed to make a revolution successful and to overthrow a corrupt and repressive regime,
it is known as revolutionary terrorism.
 A sub-category within this type is sub-revolutionary terror that indicates acts committed out of political and
ideological consideration.
 During war when belligerent countries terrorize each other and especially civilian population it is called war
terror.
 Sometimes terrorists apply all kinds of arms, weapons and ammunition to terrorize people.
 They create war terror by making a war-like condition.
3. Xeno-terrorism and Homo-terrorism.

In Xeno-terrorism terrorist groups fight against foreigners for achieving goals like realignment of political
boundaries.
They do not depend on the support of the people of the target country and hence are more indiscriminate in the
use of violence.
Homo terrorists on the other are fighting for their own countrymen. This group has to fashion its strategies
carefully as they cannot afford to lose the popular support.
In this type, indiscriminate use of force and violent methods can be counter-productive.

4. Local, National and International.

 Local terrorism is always confined to a region, area or province of a country.

 Range and targets of terrorists' activities are limited to a particular region or province to get their political and
economic demands accepted.
 Sometimes provincial or regional political groups adopt terrorism to get their demand of secession or autonomy
accepted by the federal government of the country.
 Terrorism prevalent in north-eastern states of India such as Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur etc.
fall under this category.

When a whole nation suffers from terrorist activities it is called national terrorism.
Its targets, range, sphere of activity and network of terrorist groups spread through-out a country but within
national boundary.
Some Kashmiri terrorist organizations have their network in different cities and states of India.
They operate and strike at different places outside the Jammu and Kashmir State.

 Among the various types of terrorism, today international terrorism coupled with religious extremism
has become an important cause of concern for the international community.
 The emergence of trans-national terrorism involving terrorists of different nationalities planning,
training and executing acts of political terrorism has been greatly on the rise.
 In the post-cold war world, the character and extent of international terrorism have drastically changed
with the increase in its destructive power and use of modern communication technologies.
 Range, sphere of activity and networking of terrorist groups have greatly expanded through-out the
world. All these have culminated into the phenomenon of international terrorism.
 It has been sufficiently defined and explained in the preceding and following paragraphs of this chapter.

5. State Sponsored Terrorism.

 As stated above, terrorism has crossed national boundaries. Some governments secretly support terrorist groups
by providing weapons, training and money for attacks in other countries which is termed as 'State sponsored
international terrorism."
 State sponsored terrorism is being encouraged since two decades by nations with their neighboring nations.
Structural factors are thought to be crucial in explaining specific type of state involvement.
 This kind of terrorism starts at the behest of a belligerent neighboring state normally and gets mixed up with
local problems so as to hide its real designs.
 It starts with grievances of local people towards authority and later for mass base it may attach for a particular
cause say, religion, region, ethnicity etc.
 Youth-unemployed and frustrated form the core of this group. Recently, South Asia has emerged as a hub for
international terrorism with Pakistan and Afghanistan being the major sponsors.
  Terrorist organisations like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Harkat-e-Toiba, Lashkar-e-Toiba etc., from Pakistan and Al-
Qaida, Taliban from Afghanistan enjoyed the patronage of their respective governments which was a known
fact.

6. Religion based Terrorism.

A close scrutiny of international terrorism over the last two decades have been the resurgence and proliferation
of terrorist groups motivated by a religious imperative.
According to the US State Department Report, religiously motivated and sectarian terrorism will continue to
grow in the near future.
This brand of terrorism regards violence as a divine duty.
It is not restricted to a particular religion.
White Supremacists in the US, the radical Jewish groups in Israel, radical Sikh fundamentalists and
conservative Hindu elements in India and Islamic fundamentalism (Al-Qaida network) all over the world fall
under this category.
A few nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, N. Korea, Syria, Libya, Iran (the last seven
nations were called as "Rogue States") have taken this form of terrorism too far which has divided the world
into two major religious groups Islamic nations and Non-Islamic nations (in the post September 11 attacks)
threatening each other.
The four major religious extremist organizations of the contemporary world are: Al Qaida, Hizbul Mujahiddeen,
Lashkar-e-toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

7. Ideological Terrorism.

 Ideologically terrorism may be extreme right and extreme left.

 Naxalite insurgency prevalent in Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura etc. and Maoist
insurgency in Nepal are the latest examples of leftist terrorism.
 Maoists in Nepal are fighting for the establishment of the rule of the proletariat They revolted against the
present system after November 2001. The violent tussle between the government forces and the Communist
groups in Nepal has recently taken around a thousand of lives.

8. Suicide Terrorism.

 Suicide terrorism is the new phenomenon in the sphere of international terrorism.

 Suicide strikes by organisations like Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jehad in Israel, the Hizbullah in Lebanon, the
LTTE in Sri Lanka are some outfits which use this form of terrorism.
 The threat of suicide bombing confined to W Asia and S. Asia in the past, is slowly spreading to other regions
of the globe.
 North America and India are the current victims. It has caused untold misery and damage to the common man.
 This kind of terrorism is driven not only by religious but also ethnic nationalism.
 In future, majority ethnic communities are at risk of experiencing conflicts driven by ethnic nationalism.

9. Nuclear Terrorism.

 The emergence of nuclear, biological, chemical and cyber-terrorism (NBC) is directly linked to technological
progress.
 In 1974, Ford Foundation came out with an authoritative and mind boggling analysis and real possibility of
nuclear terrorism.
 Of all the forms of terrorism in the present century, nuclear terrorism has become a major threat to the very
existence of human beings.
 The ever increasing proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials makes the threat of their being stolen by or
supplied to terrorists.
  This has assumed much significance after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA

 The terrorists are not only seeking nuclear weapons, but also biological and chemical weapons of mass
destruction as also practising cyber terrorism.
 The main worry for the nations is that nuclear terrorism need not be carried by criminals alone, but even by the
disgruntled groups within a particular government.
 This may happen in case of a civil rebellion or civil war, some competing military groups or factions might
seize all or part of the country's nuclear stock pile.
 Terrorism is often said to be the weapon of the weak against strong.
 Nuclear terrorism is surfacing as a means to humble even the strongest. Its impact is blood-chilling. The
terrorists can do anything they want with this kind of terrorism, and can take the whole of the target nation to
ransom.

10. Cyber Terrorism.

 Matthew Devork, Belan Houghton and Neal Pollard defined information terrorism' as the intentional abuse of a
digital Information system, network or component toward an end that supports or facilitates a terrorist campaign
or action."
 They conceive of information terrorism as the "nexus between criminal information systems fraud or abuse, and
the physical violence of terrorism.
 This allows for attacks that would not necessarily result in violence against humans-although they might incite
fear to be characterized as terrorist.
 "We shall define cyber terrorism as any act of terrorism that uses information system or computer technology
either as a weapon or a target , stated a recent NATO brief, Technology and Terrorism

11. Bio-terrorism.

 It is a silent reprisal by a faceless enemy whose aim is to spread terror-the terror of getting annihilated by
biological and chemical attacks, and, most devastatingly, the terror of just waiting, waiting for a genocide to
happen.
 Biological and chemical weapons have the capability of travelling unseen in the air and causing mass deaths in
a matter of days.
 Biological weapons are defined as any infectious agent such as a bacteria or virus used Intentionally to inflict
harm upon others. This definition is often expanded to include biologically derived toxins and poisons. Types of
biological weapons are Anthrax, Ricin, Botulism, Smallpox, Clostridium Perfringens, and Camelpox
 The most common types of chemical weapons are: Serin (used in Tokyo subway), Soman, VX, Hydrogen
Cyanide and Mustard agents.

12. Complex Terrorism.

 Keeping in view the destructive power of terrorists, availability of new communication technologies and
vulnerability of all nations to terrorists' attack some scholars have given new name to and type of terrorism
 Schweitzer and Dorsch define super terrorism as committing violent acts using advanced technological tools to
cause massive damage to populations and/or to public and private support networks. It includes all forms of
nuclear, chemical and biological attacks except small chemical poisonings. It also includes cyber crime,
designed to knock out security, economic and emergency systems.
CAUSES OF TERRORISM

A number of causes and factors are responsible for the growth of terrorism.

These are,

 Unrepressed grievances by the government;

 denial of legitimate political, economic and civil rights;
 frustration because of poverty, unemployment and economic deprivations;
 social and political injustice;
 separation and secessionism etc.

Further misery, zionism, fundamentalism, racialism, frustration, political intolerance, religion based crusades,
Insecurity and confusion are growing in many and nations that consequently create

"Terrorism thrives on varied causes, though terrorist acts often are grounded most essentially in personal or borrowed
longing for self-justification: I am! Among the leading sources of terrorist causes today is predatory
entrepreneurialism- social, economic and political-which nourishes destructive passions as it destroys shared norms of
civilisation," observes Newland.

No doubt, there are various factors which are responsible for terrorism but many acts of terrorism are the outcome of a
deeply ideological conviction or dedication to a certain political cause. It will be pertinent to discuss some of these
factors in detail.

1. Israel-Palestine Rivalry. One of the foremost causes of the growth of terrorism in the contemporary world is
enemity between Israel and Palestine.

2. Colonialism. Terrorism is also a result of many years of brutal suppression, physical torture and cultural
dehumanization which is used by colonial power in a foreign country.

In the process of anti-colonial struggle for national liberation, violence and terrorism became the ultimate tactics.
Terrorism is brought about where and when an open political participation is not possible on account of severe
oppression.

3. Extension of Guerrilla Strategy. Many a time terrorism was employed by revolutionary leaders 'as an extension of
guerrilla strategy."

In many national liberation movements as well as communist movements, guerrilla tactics played very important role.

Sometimes terrorism gets provoked by security forces which could wipe out guerrilla cells and capture supplies that
have been possible by enormous amount of efforts of the revolutionaries.

4. Fundamentalism. Religion has become the main motivating force for terrorism across the globe. In 1930s and the
1940s the underground Jews in Palestine who were forcibly expelling Palestinians in pursuance of the objective of
setting up an Israeli state were described as terrorists.

 From 1950 onwards, the armed resistance of Palestinians was described as terrorism.
 In the 1980s terrorism was unleashed by Sikh fundamentalists in the Indian state of Punjab.

5. Organised Crime and Drug-Trafficking. There is a growing nexus between terrorists and Internationally organised
crime and drug trafficking networks.
Newland reveals, "Central to terrorism are international criminal activities that are linked to cultural, business, and
governmental corruption in Afghanistan under the Taliban, in Columbia's drug wars, and on streets scattered around the
world.

" A distinction between terrorism and organised crime has become very blurred recently.

The terrorist's aims are ideological and political, while organised crime's goal is financial, but the instrument is same.
They both need money and arms.

In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers engage in drug trafficking to finance their struggle, in north-eastern India terrorists
kidnap tea planters and hold them to ransom to help fund their fight for secession. In Chechnya, the secessionists were
heavily involved in drug distribution. Pakistan has been one of the major merchants of illicit drugs and supplies a fifth
of all heroin consumed in the USA.

6. Advances in and Availability of Weapons.

Improvement in and easy availability of small weapons are largely responsible for the growth of terrorism in the recent
past.

Progress in materials engineering, the chemistry of explosives, and miniaturization of electronics has brought
remarkable advances in all key weapons characteristics such as accuracy, destructive power. range, portability,
ruggedness, ease-of-use and affordability.

Improvement in light weapons are especially pertinent to trends in terrorism and violence by small groups, where the
device of choice include rocket propelled grenade launchers, machine guns, light mortars, land mines, and cheap
assault rifles such as famed AK-47.

The incredible sophistication of modern weapons have enabled terrorists to inflict greater degree of damage, gives an
added teeth to modern terrorism.

7. Secessionism.

Alter decolonisation many mini and micro-sovereign states with populations of a million and less came into existence.

With this development many small ethnic groups in different nations were encouraged to demand recognition for their
separate identity and to seek separate nationhood. This type of terrorism's classic example is the Irish Republican Army
and its unrelenting terror campaign against the British.

The Irish republican movement traces the cause of Ireland's woes in British occupation of the six countries. Section of
Quebecords in Canada, Basques in Spain, Croatians in Yugoslavia, Armenian in Turkey, Tamil in Sri Lanka,
Khalistanis and Kashmiri militants in India and Maros in the Philippines are a few among such secessionist groups
resorting to political violence as a method for the realisation of their aims.

Armed secessionist movements were further accelerated in different parts of the world with the collapse of the Soviet
Union and decline of communism.

[Link] Technology.

The easier and convenient means of communication and availability of modern technology facilitated terrorism's
access to different parts of the world and it started growing up in different countries.
The advent of closely interconnected international community, modern and efficient transportation system and
instantaneous transmission of news around the world has altered the situation dramatically.

It has brought substantial cooperation between different terrorist groups with divergent political, ethnic and
geographical backgrounds.

Increased density of global communication and information technology turned the world into a global village.
Recruitment, training, joint planning and execution have now become easy for any terrorist group as it need not be
based in the target nation.

It can carry out the attack from anywhere.

Bin Laden's Al Qaida became the world's pre-eminent terrorist organisation" by "cleverly combining the technological
munificence of modernity with a rigidly puritanical explication of age-old tradition and religious practice," observes
Hoffman." He was also perfect example of products of the 1990s and globalism.

With the satellite telephone, bin Laden was able to communicate with his followers in real time around the world
during his isolation.

9. Abetment by States.

As Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter has prohibited the use of force by States in their relations with other states, several
states started encouraging terrorists through proxy wars and supporting militant outfits or fundamental groups in the
name of religion.

With the encouragement from states, terrorists in the modern world became more ruthless and technically more
efficient with the use of sophisticated weapons.

Pakistan for long has been considered as a partner of militants. It is an open secret that Pakistan supports Muslim rebels
in Jammu and Kashmir and spreads the flames of militancy in every nook and corner of this Indian State. The
asymmetrical conflict between India and Pakistan, which is the outcome of the differentials and disparities between
them in size, population and resources, has resulted in Pakistan's sponsorship of cross border terrorism in the Indian
soil.

Pakistan's grievances against and fear of India, which are as old as its creation, still remain unsettled and unresolved.
As it is not in a position to settle the Kashmir issue through open conflict, Pakistan was constrained to take recourse to
proxy, unconventional war with India.

10. Exporting Terrorism. Pakistani terrorist groups have been exporting their version of Jehad all over the world and
thus helping the growth of international terrorism. The Khudamudeen mafresa, according to its chancellor, is training
students from Burma, Nepal, Chechnya, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mongolia, and Kuwait. Out of the 700
students at the Madrasa, 127 were foreigners in 2000. Nearly half the student body at Darul Uloom Haqqania, the
Madrasa that created the Taliban, is from Afghanistan.

It also trains students from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia and Turkey, and is currently expanding its capacity to house
foreign students from 100 to 500, its chancellor said. A Chechen student at school revealed that his goal when returned
home was to fight Russianas. And according to the US State Department, Pakistani groups and individuals also help
finance and train the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist organisation that aims to overthrow secular
governments in Central Asia.

11. Economic Retsons.

Instability and economic disparity in the developing world is one of the primary factors.

The disparity between the 'haves' and the "have not’s' leads to DIE (Dependency, Inequality and Exploitation).

Such a situation beyond a tolerable limit would lead to prolonged and even violent backlash from the deprived sections.

12. A Creation of the United States.

The present author along with many others" believe that the United States cannot absolve itself from the responsibility
for creating the menace of global terrorism. The present phenomenon of global terrorism is America's own creation. It
is the outcome of its own doings, policies and unilateral displays of power since the end of the Second World War.

IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. It is as old as human civilization and was used in entirely different contexts during
different periods of history.

It assumed more and more international dimension in the twentieth century. The process of globalisation is the late
twentieth century made it more global.

Instead of discussing impact of terrorism during the whole course of history this part is confined to examining major
consequences of international terrorism in the recent past keeping in view latest developments in international relations.

1. New Era in International Relations.

International terrorism opened a new era in international relations.

The terrorist attack on twin towers of the World Trade Centre (New York) and Pentagon (Washington, DC) on
September 11, 2001 has created a special kind of alarm bell before the international community for their quest for
peace, harmony, brotherhood and cordial international relations.

The terrorist attacks were a critical turning point for both the Untied States and the international community.

September 11 not only changed the New York city skyline forever, but also fundamentally altered the nature of
international relations and foreign policy of several nations and especially of the US.

2. New Type of Security Threat.

International terrorism has created a new type of security threat which is more covert, sudden, undeclared and
dangerous than the conventional war.

This new threat is aimed at cities, busy business centers and markets, government offices and buildings, legislatures,
political leaders, bureaucrats and civilian population in addition to police and military personnel.

No one can predict possible scenarios for future terrorist attacks.

Communication, information, technological and economic systems of the present time provide the novel opportunities
to terrorists to attack more destructively.

3. Instrument of Foreign Policy.

Of late terrorism has been used as an instrument of state policy by nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya etc.
With the use of terrorism as a State policy have arisen phenomena and concepts like proxy war, surrogate warfare,
international civil war, low-intensity conflict etc.

The country which is at a disadvantageous position in comparison to its adversary, often resorts to 'surrogate or
subliminal warfare' with the latter, by instigating and assisting rebels and dissident elements, in its effort to weaken the
control of the government of the other state by hurting and embarrassing it.

The governments support terrorism in other countries through money, diplomatic facilities, passports, sanctuaries,
experts, training camps, weapons, explosives and justifying ideologies.

The terrorists who are called "criminals by foreign governments whose nationals they attack are hailed as freedom
fighters' by the governments who support them.

Thus terrorism is indeed the weapon of the weakest, used in areas where such groups or their state-sponsors cannot
mount a large-scale organised military challenge to the government concerned.

4. Spoiled Relations between Nations. As a result of terrorism relations between several nations were either spoiled or
further deteriorated.

For example bitterness and misunderstanding were heightened due to terrorism in relations between Israel and Arab
nations, India and Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, the USA and some Islamic nations etc.

5. The Clash of Civilisations.

6. New Division of the World.

7. International Coalition.

8. Terrorion Replaces Communisn.