Global terrorism is a chief concern in international relations (IR). The high cost associated with the destruction of property and high costs of counter-terrorism efforts are some of the challenges that are associated with global terrorism. Global terrorism strategies have evolved to include biowarfare and cyberattacks. Consequently, international security systems have adopted to changing terrorism tactics. This paper critically analyzes the global terrorism lecture by Dr. Rossi. It includes a definition of terrorism, which is compared to global terrorism. Additionally, the paper discusses terrorism ideologies and terrorism in the context of IR. Finally, the paper provides an analysis of the challenges to an international system.
Overall View of Lecture Content
Challenges of Global Terrorism in a Contemporary World
One of the chief challenges of global terrorism is the high cost of counter-terrorism efforts, such as maintaining longitudinal data on terrorism. It adds additional cost requirements to governments that are already strained with budget crises and cost-cutting pressures. For counter-terrorism efforts to succeed, data collection is an attractive target (LaFree et al., 2014). The advancement of information technology has allowed global terrorist groups to get the media attention they desire. As a result, the groups are able to spread fear over larger regions that extend over long periods.
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Future generations can take advantage of the increased use of information technology by using data mining to collect longitudinal terrorism data. Expanding the database is likely to support counter-terrorism efforts. For adequate data to be collected using data mining, future generations will have to compromise on privacy. Governments face opposition for passing surveillance laws that infringe on the rights of its citizens. Therefore, future generations will have to be involved in the policy development and implementation procedures to create acceptance and ownership, thus facilitating support for such policies. Acceptance results from extensive consultation with stakeholders, while ownership results from involving stakeholders in the decision-making process.
Additionally, terrorism has adverse social effects that are likely to influence future generations. As Rossi (2018) mentioned, most nations are resorting to putting up barriers that limit the entry of immigrants into their countries. He mentions the irony that while citizens were celebrating the removal of the Berlin wall, other countries were erecting walls to keep out refugees, who are blamed for the majority of the terrorist attacks. Though not all refugees are terrorists, a few are associated with terrorist activities. Closing boundaries will lock out people who are in dire need of relief, such as victims of human rights violations. It would be inhuman and in stark contrast to many nations’ human rights policies.
Global terrorism also creates uncertainty in global markets. Therefore, though some nations are not directly affected by the physical destruction associated with terrorist attacks, these nations can be indirectly affected by the closure of financial markets. Therefore, future generations have to consider how to cushion the economy from the adverse effects associated with such incidences. Global terrorism strategies are also evolving by adopting new technologies, such as biowarfare. The world is severely unprepared for a large-scale biological or cyberattack, especially due to the lack of adequate data on the same.
Global terrorism has evolved over the past few years, as cited in the global terrorism lecture. The introduction includes an analysis of the historical background, which creates a deeper understanding of the evolution of terrorism and why terrorism studies are now an international relations (IR) issue. Al-Qaeda was one of the first terrorist organizations to be recognized worldwide. Dr. Rossi compares the extent of Al-Qaeda’s reach since he started teaching the class to date. The organization covers various Islamic states, such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen. He refers to Al-Qaeda as the grandfather of terrorist organizations. The use of imagery emphasizes its gradual growth, while adequate and relevant examples make the lecture content interesting and up to date.
The evolution of terrorist organizations has created a national policy dilemma between prioritizing national security and respecting civil liberties. Suitable counter-terrorism efforts require governments to infringe on citizens’ civil rights, such as privacy. Data collection and prevention of terrorism attacks require extensive monitoring of communication channels. Terrorism creates and spreads fear and is associated with an ideological goal. Unlike other forms of aggression, terrorists target civilians. Rossi (2018) compared terrorism and normal warfare, which facilitates understanding. The lecture gradually advances to global terrorism and international systems, which creates a good foundation for understanding the impact and significance of global terrorism. The lecture also includes visual content that breaks the monotony and facilitates remembrance. Rossi (2018) also provides an account of a student who had been a soldier in one of the war-ridden countries in the east. The account enlightens students and makes them more forgiving of some of the criticism directed towards American soldiers and their activities in such countries. It also makes students appreciate the difficulty of eliminating terrorism and more willing to support counter-terrorism policies.
Global Terrorism
Rossi (2018) defines global terrorism as terrorism that can strike beyond international borders, whereby terrorist organizations have a global reach and provide global impact. Global terrorism is academically defined as a clash between established understandings of transnational liberalism advocating open borders, a greater sense of cooperation, and neoclassical realism. Al-Qaeda was one of the first global terrorists. Later, it was overtaken by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are some of the regions that are most affected by global terrorism. Global terrorism is a result of the globalization era and can impact international systems. Global terrorism organizations are non-state actors, yet they can influence decision-making within states and international organizations. They do not have a flag, fixed location, representation, or national identity, which makes them unconventional. Therefore, formal international organizations are forced to take action against them. The lack of national identity means that terrorists lack values, which allows them to violate human rights.
Rossi (2018) states that one of the most affected regions by global terrorism is Europe. According to Grenon et al. (2019), France is one of Europe's most affected regions. Since 2012, France has suffered multiple global terrorist attacks. In 2017, a terrorist attacked one of London’s most popular tourist areas. The attacker drove a car into a crowd and plowed through twenty pedestrians. Among the pedestrians were French high school students on a school trip. This attack emphasized the unconventional nature of terrorism and contributed to a growth in terrorism fears. Though I have never been directly affected by an international terrorist attack, watching the news about such cases gives me anxiety. As Dr. Rossi stated, such terrorist attacks aim to instill fear in the people, especially since they target civilians.
When I hear that a car rammed through twenty unarmed and innocent pedestrians, including schoolchildren, I become more sensitized to the unconventional nature of terrorist attacks, whereby they can occur at any place or time. Therefore, I often get anxious whenever I walk through a crowded place since I cannot help but think of such spaces as suitable targets for terrorist attacks. Consequently, I often feel uneasy in public places. Students that have been directly exposed to terrorism exhibit a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Grenon et al. (2019) performed a study to determine the prevalence of PTSD among the 53 French students that had been directly exposed to a terrorist attack. Study results indicated that all 53 students had PTSD, where anxiety was one of the chief indicators. Therefore, global terrorism adversely affects victims’ mental health.
Terrorism and Ideologies
Terrorism is often associated with an ideological goal, whereby terrorists do not commit acts of violence for the sake it. Instead, they target achieving specific goals, which range from territorial acquisition, independence from certain groups, or access to resources. Some extreme terrorism goals include overthrowing governments. Since international terrorist organizations are non-state actors, state actors are forced to declare war not on a state but an idea. For instance, after the 9/11 attack, the US declared war on Al-Qaeda ideologies. Terrorists and ideologies are associated with an extreme, non-negotiable, uncompromising socio-political situation (Rossi, 2018). For instance, the goals could be the creation or destruction of states. The lack of compromise makes it difficult for international organizations to predict and counter-terrorist behavior.
Dr. Rossi emphasized that terrorist ideologies do not have to be influenced by religion. For instance, the terrorist attack against planned parenthood was motivated by personal values. Therefore, terrorists can be Islamic, Jewish, Muslim, Atheists, or Christians. However, most non-Islamic states attribute terrorism to Islam, which facilitates discrimination against Arabs and some Asians. Rossi (2018) states that one of the adverse effects of cyberbullying is that it creates angry individuals who are prone to recruitment by terrorist organizations. Therefore, information technology facilitates terrorism. The view that terrorism is only associated with Islam has led to a lot of discrimination against the religious group. However, terrorism is not associated with just one religion but is used as a weapon for the weak. Terrorist establishments are used to expose the weakness and incompetence of established organizations.
Some of the most violent terrorist groups speak in the name of Islam. Though they use its name, their actions are ill-informed due to their limited knowledge about religion. Therefore, it is good to create a distinction between the two. These terrorist organizations, such as Al-Qaeda and Isis, operate in the name of some form of puritanical, aggressive, uncompromising form of the religion. In many Islam states, it is a form of opposition against the rampant corruption and influence by Western imperialism, which can be economic or diplomatic. It is a form of rage from below. Islam has had a political undertone, indicated by the close relationship between religious, political, and social Islam. Therefore, it acts as a social and cultural counterbalance (Rossi, 2018). Extremists use it as a form of violence against the established order.
Terrorism and IR
Terrorism in IR resembles the biggest antithesis to liberalism. The latter argues that the incorporation of reason and rationality in IR leads to increased certainty about international security. Additionally, it reduces fear and anxiety. On the other hand, terrorism eliminates the preconceived idea of order, security, and stability within the international environment. Consequently, states result in realism. Terrorism ideologies include the ideology of response and fear. They cannot be explained by realism or liberalism. Marxism is the most suitable theory in explaining the causes of global international terrorism, otherwise known as the world-systems theory. According to Marxism, terrorist organizations are created due to economic imbalances, highly corrupt governments, and Western imperialism (Rossi, 2018). In some cases, terrorism is a last resort for the oppressed. It is ironic that western imperialism supports some of the states that advance such forms of oppression, which results in the rise of terrorist groups that target these western states.
Conventional IR studies are inadequately prepared for warfare, diplomacy, and other forms of compromise with terrorist movements. These studies need to adapt to changes in terrorism tactics as fast as they occur. Non-state actors take the role of states by controlling territories and resources and making demands. They operate in large monetary networks. For instance, Al-Qaeda has a pervasive financial reach, with many economic activities that make it economically sustainable. For example, the group controls large oil reserves and sells the oil at competing prices. It gives individuals the power to influence international policy. Their armies are not soldiers but ordinary people. These individuals are well educated, whereby they are media-, tech-, and cyber-savvy and can use information technology to issue threats and instill fear in people (Rossi, 2018). It gives them the ability to facilitate war while disregarding sovereign boundaries. These individuals are just as well trained as anti-terrorism experts, exacerbating the challenge.
Challenges to an International System
Global terrorism reinforces the stereotypical and prejudicial assessments about the eastern world. Instead of rectifying the global imbalance between different regions, the relationship between IR and global terrorism reinforces it and the prejudices between the west and the Islamic region. The international system is inadequate, which has motivated a rise in pessimism about its ability to maintain international security. The war on terror has been conceptual, malleable, and hazy, with the absence of clear victories. Conventional warfare is inadequate in dealing with global terrorism. The nature of warfare has changed since terrorism makes it is impossible to distinguish between soldiers and civilians. When terrorist organizations control vast territories, they can influence world economic markets. The extent of their influence motivates governments to implement policies that give them ignored degrees of power of surveillance (Rossi, 2018). There is also the paradox between protecting civilians from terrorist attacks through increased surveillance and respecting civil liberties. Making that choice would require civilian output, which would create support for such surveillance policies.
The paradox that was created between respecting civil liberties and protecting citizens will eventually force citizens to compromise. Consequently, liberalism will be compromised in favor of security. Due to the extensive influence that terrorist organizations have on global economic markets, more resources should be dedicated to counter-terrorism. Nations should also unite their counter-terrorism efforts to mobilize more resources. However, these efforts should not facilitate discrimination or the creation of barriers between people.
Conclusion
Global terrorism is a chief concern in international relations (IR). It has evolved over the past few years. For instance, Al-Qaeda was one of the first terrorist organizations and now covers various regions in Islamic states, such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen. Governments have to choose between prioritizing national security or respecting civil liberties. Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are some of the regions that are most affected by global terrorism. Global terrorism adversely affects victims’ mental health. Terrorism organizations target goals, such as territorial acquisition, independence from certain groups, or access to resources. Their ideologies are extreme, non-negotiable, and uncompromised. Some of the most violent terrorist groups speak in the name of Islam. Terrorism eliminates the preconceived notion of order, security, and stability within the international environment. It gives individuals the power to influence international policy.
References
Grenon, M., Consigny, M., Lemey, C., Simson, J. P., & Coulon, N. (2019). Impact of a Terrorist Attack on the Mental Health of Directly Exposed French Adolescents: Study Protocol for the First Step of the AVAL (Adolescents Victimes de l’Attentat de Londres) Cohort Study. Frontiers in psychiatry , 10 , 744.
LaFree, G., Dugan, L., & Miller, E. (2014). Putting Terrorism in Context: Lessons from the Global Terrorism Database . Routledge.
Rossi, M. (2018, October 3). International relations: The challenge of global terrorism [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WznOvObDk68
