11.1 Terrorism History

WHO? Small parties seeking to overcome larger ones.

WHAT? Employ terrorism pitting their strength against their adversary’s weakness.

WHEN? Terrorism is a long-term strategy that cannot be decided by a single engagement.

WHERE? Terrorism is as old and widespread as civilization.

WHY? So long as there are disaffected elements of society, terrorism will remain a viable strategy.

Despite the fact we’ve made it clear homeland security is NOT about terrorism, there is no avoiding the subject. Most people equate homeland security with terrorism. Again, homeland security is about safeguarding the US from domestic catastrophic destruction. Remember from Topic 1.4, terrorism is a crime distinguished by motive, namely to coerce US government. Homeland security is less concerned about motive than effect, domestic catastrophic destruction. However, as we saw with the 1995 Tokyo Subway Attacks and 9/11, terrorism was indeed the motive that lead to the effect, or at least the attempt at domestic catastrophic destruction. For this reason, terrorism cannot be ignored. Accordingly, we will use this last section to take a closer look at terrorism. Let us begin in this topic by examining the history of terrorism. In short, terrorism is a strategy adopted by smaller parties to overcome larger ones. The basic strategy is to pit one’s strength against the other’s weakness. An essential tenet is to avoid a confrontation which the larger party can win. As a result, no single engagement can be decisive, making terrorism a long-term strategy. Although strategy is unchanged, terrorist objectives and tactics have changed over time. How old is terrorism? As old as civilization. Remember, terrorism is an act, and those who perpetrate it are called terrorists. Some of the earliest recorded terrorists are the Zealots, Assassins, and Thugs. The Zealots were Jewish extremists who killed officials to try and force Rome from Judaea. The Assassins were Muslim extremists who killed officials to gain political or religious goals. The Thugs were Hindu extremists who killed just about anybody for criminal gain. The term “terrorism”, however, wasn’t coined until the French Revolution. In this case, terrorism referred to the violence employed by the small revolutionary government to keep the greater population from reverting to the monarchy they had overthrown. A wave of political assassinations in 19th century Czarist Russia transformed the meaning of “terrorism” making it a tool of dissidents instead of governments. Following World War II, terrorism was adopted by revolutionaries seeking independence in Western European colonies in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. In the second half of the 20th century, a wave of bombings and hijackings by pro-Palestinian movements again transformed the view of terrorism, linking it more closely to the Middle East. In this period, terrorist tactics were seen as limited, enough to raise sympathy but not invite scorn. But by the end of the 20th century, terrorist tactics became more violent and indiscriminate. The 1983 bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut was a harbinger of this trend. The willingness and ability to deploy WMD in the 1995 Tokyo Subway Attacks was a wake-up call. 9/11 affirmed terrorist intentions to employ whatever destruction necessary to achieve their aims. Following 9/11, the Bush Administration launched a Global War on Terrorism. Although GWOT hunted down those responsible for 9/11, it did not eradicate terrorism. Terrorism can never be completely eradicated. So long as there are disaffected elements of society, terrorism will remain a viable strategy.