Violence and Terrorism Book

UNIT 1. The Concept of Terrorism

1. Ghosts of Our Past, Karen Armstrong, AARP Modern Maturity, January/February 2002

In order to fully understand the War on Terrorism, it is necessary to explore the past incidents that have served as catalysts over time. We cannot understand the present crisis without taking into account the painful process of modernization and the effects of the “Great Western Transformation” on the Muslim world.

2. An Essay on Terrorism, Marc Nicholson, American Diplomacy, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2003

Former diplomat Marc Nicholson provides a quick overview of contemporary political violence. He describes terrorism as a “tool of the weak, used by disaffected groups or minorities to oppose the rule and (as they see it) the oppression of an established and militarily superior power.”

3. The Origins of the New Terrorism, Matthew J. Morgan, Parameters, Spring 2004

Matthew J. Morgan examines what he considers to be a “new” and more “evolved” type of terrorism. He argues that cultural, political, and technological factors have shaped its development.

4. The Myth of the Invincible Terrorist, Christopher C. Harmon, Policy Review, April/May 2007

Christopher Harmon uses examples to highlight potential vulnerabilities of terrorist organizations. Focusing on the tactical, technological, strategic, and ideological obstacles faced by these groups, he challenges the notion that terrorists are invincible.

5. Paying for Terror, David E. Kaplan, U.S. News & World Report, December 5, 2005

Terrorist organizations are exploring new ways to fund operations. David Kaplan examines how organized crime and drug trafficking provide the financing that terrorists seek. He also discusses scams, identity theft, and extortion as new sources of revenue.

6. Toy Soldiers, Cheryl Benard, Current History, January 2007

Cheryl Benard argues that demographic changes in the Middle East have led to the increased recruitment of youth by terrorist organizations. She believes that immature brain development, thrill seeking behavior, and misperceptions of reality make this group particularly vulnerable.

7. Iran’s Suicide Brigades, Ali Alfoneh, Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2007

This article examines Iran’s use of “martyrdom-seekers” against internal and external threats. It describes the training and command of these units, their use in internal power struggles, and their impact on Iran’s relationship with its neighbors.

8. Hizballah and Syria, Emile El-Hokayem, The Washington Quarterly, Spring 2007

This article assesses the changing relationship between Syria and Hizballah. It discusses the historical development of the relationship between the “state” and its “client,” arguing that Hizballah is becoming increasingly more autonomous.

9. Guerrilla Nation, Thor Halvorssen, The Weekly Standard, January 26, 2005

Thor Halvorssen offers evidence of a potential connection between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC). Halvorssen argues that, despite Chavez’s consistent denials, he continues to support the FARC.

10. The Growing Syrian Missile Threat: Syria after Lebanon, Lee Kass, Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2005

Lee Kass focuses on Syria’s ambitions to develop its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capability. He points to Syria’s links with terrorist organizations and argues that it will become more difficult to confront Syrian sponsorship of international terrorism.

11. Colombia and the United States: From Counternarcotics to Counterterrorism, Arlene B. Tickner, Current History, February 2003

Colombia’s terrorist network and its drug trade are impossible to separate. Arlene Tickner argues that U.S. policies to address these issues have been defined primarily in military terms and have “…taken precedence over equally significant political, economical, and social considerations.”

12. Wounded But Still Dangerous, The Economist, June 16, 2007

Despite Indonesia’s recent successes against Jemaah Islamiah, the group remains a significant threat. While there have been no large-scale attacks against foreigners since the Bali bombings in 2005, there are indications that JI may be rearming and reorganizing.

13. Peace at Last?, Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian, January 2007

Joshua Hammer explores the roots of the conflict in the Basque region of Spain. While skepticism remains high on both sides, there is some hope that the latest cease fire will lead to a peace agreement, ending decades of separatist violence.

14. Root Causes of Chechen Terror, Alon Ben-Meir, The World & I, December 2004

The Chechen struggle offers an example of how misguided policy can lead to tragic consequences. Ben-Meir argues that as long as Russia continues to ignore the root causes of Chechen terrorism, there is no chance of diminishing or eliminating it.

15. End of Terrorism?, Meredith Moore, Harvard International Review, Summer 2005

Meredith Moore argues that, despite Basque’s calls for peace, the lack of action on both sides of the conflict will lead to a continuation of violence in Spain.

16. Homegrown Terror, Michael Reynolds, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, November/December 2004

Reynolds contends that the preoccupation with Islamic terrorism has caused the government and the media to ignore the potential threat posed by extremists and right-wing groups in the United States. He asserts that, Joseph Konopka and William Krar, two U.S. citizens prosecuted in 2002 and 2003 were in possession of “…far more chemical weapons than have been found in post-war Iraq.”

17. Green Rage, Matt Rasmussen, Orion, January/February 2007

Sympathetic to the cause, Rasmussen looks at the motives behind attacks carried out by radical environmentalists in the United States. He blames harsh sentencing on the efforts of an overzealous administration trying to distract from its failings “…to counter real terrorism.”

18. Echoes of the Future, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Kyle Dabruzzi, The Weekly Standard, June 7, 2007

The authors discuss some of the details of a recent terror plot targeting New York’s John F. Kennedy airport. They argue that evidence from the plot may indicate a potential change in terrorists’ modus operandi.

19. Casting a Wider Net, Allan Lengel and Joby Warrick, The Washington Post National Weekly Edition, October 2-8, 2006

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has expanded its pool of potential suspects in the anthrax attacks immediately after 9/11. New information about the quality of the anthrax has caused the FBI to cast a “wider net” in its efforts to determine who may be responsible for these attacks.

20. Speaking for the Animals, or the Terrorists?, Scott Smallwood, The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 5, 2005

Smallwood covers the story of Steven Best, an associate professor at the University of Texas-El Paso, who is a spokesperson and advocate for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The article questions whether vocal support for a terrorist organization and its objectives constitutes terrorism.

21. José Padilla and the War on Rights, Jenny S. Martinez, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Fall 2004

Martinez, a counsel for José Padilla, an American citizen detained as an “enemy combatant,” describes the legal hurdles Padilla’s lawyers have faced while trying to ensure due process. She uses Padilla’s case to illustrate how civil liberties have been sacrificed in the name of security.

22. A Violent Episode in the Virtual World, John Gray, New Statesman, July 18, 2005

John Gray shows how media portrayals of terrorist acts can shape reality. Through the media, each terrorist incident becomes a problem of the global community: a problem that must be solved.

23. Terror’s Server, David Talbot, Technology Review, February 2005

The Internet has become an integral part of terrorist organizations’ communications, recruitment, and funding strategies. David Talbot explores the extent to which tighter security and regulation of Web page content could aid the war on terror.

24. The Globe of Villages, Feisal Mohamed, Dissent, Winter 2007

Feisal Mohamed discusses the role of the Internet in disseminating radical Islamic ideas. He argues that the medium of dissemination is as important as the content of the messages.

25. Congress and the “YouTube War,” Michael A. Cohen and Maria Figueroa Küpçü, World Policy Journal, Winter 2006/2007

The rise of stateless enemies and Internet organization heralds a new type of war. Cohen and Küpçü argue that the 110th Congress must implement legislation that addresses this change in warfare.

26. Qutbism: An Ideology of Islamic-Fascism, Dale Eikmeier, Parameters, Spring 2007

Eikmeier highlights the importance of understanding the enemy’s ideology. In his article he describes the basic tenets of Qutbism and ways to defeat it.

27. The Madrassa Scapegoat, Peter Bergen and Swati Pandey, The Washington Quarterly, Spring 2006

Bergen and Pandey argue that Western countries have falsely attributed the training of terrorists to Islamic schools. A study of the five worst anti-Western terrorist attacks in the past 15 years shows that while many of the terrorists involved were highly educated, only a few had attended religious schools.

28. Holy OrdersMark Juergensmeyer, Harvard International Review, Winter 2004

Juergensmeyer argues that religious terrorism is a tool of the powerless in their struggle against the secular state. Religion provides the moral basis for the individual’s struggle for identity in the increasingly complex modern world.

29. Female Suicide Bombers: A Global Trend, Mia Bloom, Daedalus, Winter 2007

Bloom examines the motives of women who choose to become suicide bombers. She discusses potential reasons for recruitment of women by terrorist organizations, and concludes that these women are not likely to become “portents of gender equality.”

30. Cross-Regional Trends in Female Terrorism, Karla J. Cunningham, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2003

Karla Cunningham examines the roles of female terrorists in various regions around the world, focusing on what motivates women to engage in political violence. Cunningham concludes with a discussion of the future of women in international terrorism.

31. Explosive Baggage: Female Palestinian Suicide Bombers and the Rhetoric of Emotion, Terri Toles Patkin, Women and Language, Fall 2004

Patkin discusses the role of women in the context of contemporary religious violence. Focusing on women in Palestine, she argues that it is the culture of martyrdom and the lack of opportunity that motivates women to become suicide bombers.

32. The Bomb Under the Abaya, Judith Miller, Policy Review, June/July 2007

Judith Miller interviews two would-be women suicide bombers in Hasharon prison in Israel. Based on her interviews and a review of the expert literature on the subject, she explores how governments can best respond to this threat.

33. Picked Last: Women and Terrorism, Alisa Stack-O’Connor, Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 44, 1st Quarter 2007

Alisa Stack-O’Connor examines how and why terrorist organizations use women in their attacks. Focusing on their propaganda value, the obstacles they face, and the tactical advantage they provide, she emphasizes the importance of women to terrorist organizations.

34. The Eye of the Storm, Kevin Whitelaw, U.S. News & World Report, November 6, 2006

Whitelaw provides a first look into the day-to-day activities of the National Counterterrorism Center and identifies some of the problems that its staff has encountered.

35. Port Security Is Still a House of Cards, Stephen E. Flynn, Far Eastern Economic Review, January/February 2006

Stephen Flynn argues that efforts to secure domestic ports and monitor foreign points of origin have not been successful. Flynn highlights three important weaknesses of the maritime security apparatus and offers policy recommendations designed to address these issues.

36. Are We Ready Yet?, Christopher Conte, Outlook, October 2005

This article discusses efforts by various public health agencies to prepare local communities for bioterrorism. Conte argues that preparations for bioterrorism are drawing resources away from more pressing health crises.

37. Held Without Trial in the USA, A.C. Thompson, The Progressive, March 2007

Thompson discusses the case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a man accused of collaboration with al-Qaeda. Labeled an “enemy combatant” four years ago, al-Marri was stripped of all legal rights, including the right to trial.

38. From the War on Terror to Global Counterinsurgency, Bruce Hoffman, Current History, December 2006

Hoffman describes a shift in Al Qaeda’s operations. He argues that the U.S. Government must “adjust and adapt its strategy, resources and tactics to counter the threat.”

39. The Terrorism to Come, Walter Laqueur, Policy Review, August/September 2004

Walter Laqueur provides a broad overview of the world of terrorism, focusing on potential challenges that we will face in the 21st century.