What Is the Right Response to Terrorism?

Matt Perri

Dr. C. Mensah

November 8th, 2005

What is the Right Response to Terrorism?

Introduction

Causes of Terrorism (general)

- definition

- different types

Causes of Terrorism (IRA)

- oppression/occupation of British

- catholic vs protestant

Causes of Terrorism (Al-Qaeda)

- U.S. presence in middle-east

- religion (Islam)

- political

Response to Terrorism (General)

- possible steps

- passive vs. aggressive

Response to Terrorism (IRA)

- New Ireland Forum Report

- Anglo-Irish Agreement

Response to Terrorism (Al-Qaeda)

- Afghanistan

- Iraq

Potential Threat to Civil Liberties

- FISA

- Patriot Act

Conclusion

What is the Right Response to Terrorism?

In an age of increasing awareness of terrorist activities, it is important to look to the past to determine what course of action must be taken. While it may seem like terrorism is a contemporary concept, terrorist ideals and actions have been carried out forever. It was the September 11th, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks however, when terrorism was really brought into the public's view as an important danger that everyone faces. It has drastically changed U.S. foreign policy, and has led to implementation of the Patriot Act, which draws much critique for its ignorance of civil rights; the "war on terror", that U.S. President George Bush maintains as a necessity to withhold liberty and freedom in the world; and the actual physical war in Iraq, that eliminated the Saddam Hussein regime that was horrible to the Iraqi people, but also killed many innocent Iraqi civilians in the process. Much like the Al-Qaeda attacks, the Irish independence organization, the "Irish Republican Army" has been fighting against the British occupation of Northern Ireland for centuries. In the twentieth century however, there were series of violent terrorist acts involving bombings, assassinations, and car-bombs that have killed hundreds and hundreds of people. The two cases can be compared to learn more about the growing threat that terrorism involves today.

CAUSES OF TERRORISM

The United States State Department defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." Moreover, Paul Pillar, former deputy chief of the U.S. CIA's Counterterrorist Center, says that there are 4 elements to terrorism:

1. It is pre-meditated.

2. It is political (not criminal).

3. It is targeted at civilians.

4. It is not carried out by a country, but rather subnational groups that may or may not operate within a county, or internationally.

Terrorist motivations can stem from many issues. They may be (1) religion based, (2) nationalist motivated, or (3) political / social causes. Al-Qaeda and the IRA both have motivations in all of these possibilities. (1) Religious based terrorism seeks to use violence to maintain strict religious law that they view as divine command. The major strength of religious terrorism is that because it is usually based on the idea of a pay-off in the afterlife, some religious fanatics are willing to die for their cause, which can result in even more vicious attacks, like suicide bombings. (2) Nationalistic terrorism, involves a group within a nation, that wishes to separate itself from the larger state through violent means. The violent behaviour is often