Causes of Terrorism Class Three - POLI 142L Review Definition of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Causes of Terrorism

Class Three - POLI 142L

Review

• Definition of Terrorism
• Goals of Terrorist Movements
• Characteristics of Terrorist Movements

Terrorism in History: Anarchist

Second Wave: Ethno-nationalist

Third Wave: Left-Wing

Fourth Wave: Religious/Islamist

Two ways of approaching causality

• Preconditions:

○ Set stage in long run, but don’t necessarily cause anything.

• Precipitants:

○ Direct causes of the activation of movements.

Crenshaw’s three causes...

Crenshaw’s three causes...

• Grievances.

○ i.e. discrimination ○ Not a necessary condition

• Lack of political opportunity

○ Paired with ineffective repression.

• Elite dissatisfaction

○ “Passive masses” ○ Terrorism to mobilize support.

Oppression is not needed for terrorism

• Groups mobilize

support through attacks.

• Attacks can lead

government to use repressive tactics.

○ This mobilizes more supporters.

Nationalism and Colonialism - Hoffman

• End of WWII generates

independence demands from British and French colonies.

• With no independence,

former fighters carry out attacks against colonizers

Three Examples

• Irgun in British Palestine
• FLN in French Algeria
• EOKA in British Cyprus

Tactics of Nationalist Terrorists

• Attack targets symbolic of

colonialism

• Provoke occupier into repression
• f civilian population.
• Assure negative public opinion

in home country.

Democracy and Terrorism

• Statistically, democracies experience more

terrorist attacks than non-democracies (Eubank and Weinberg 1994; 2001; Li 2005)

• Theoretical explanations crop up to explain.

What are some potential problems with that statistical conclusion?

Enders and Sandler (2006)

Characteristics of liberal democracies:

• Rule of Law
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Movement
• Electoral representation.

How do these apparently contribute to terrorism?

Democratic Dilemma

• Respond slowly and lose legitimacy, respond

too quickly and lose support.

• Violations of civil rights “needed” to fight

terrorism are domestically unpopular.

Terrorist Movements can use free media

Discussion: Is democratic dilemma credible? How does it speak to grievance or nationalism explanations?

Discussion II:

• What do you think leads to terrorism?

Political liberalism or political exclusion?

• Were colonial powers that were democracies

at home restrained in fighting terrorist movements abroad? Why might fighting domestic movements be different?

Case: Northern Ireland

The Troubles

Background: Ireland as part of UK

• Britain ruled Ireland for

centuries until the early 1900s.

• Catholics (75% of the

population) faced legal and then informal discrimination.

Easter Rising and Independence War

• 1916: Easter Rising against British Rule put

down.

• 1919-1921: War of Independence. IRA

secures home rule for Southern Ireland.

Northern Ireland remains part of UK

• Six northern counties don’t

secede.

• Populated by Protestant

loyalists to the crown.

○ Catholic minority.

• Retain self-government

through local parliament in Belfast.

NI society dominated by Protestants

• Catholics discriminated from

public housing, employment.

• RUC (police) dominated by

loyalists.

• Elections for local parliament

gerrymandered, malapportioned.

Civil rights movement in 1960s

• Catholics demand

political and social rights.

• Unionist terrorists

emerge to attack protesters.

Actors in the Troubles

Irish Republican Army and splinter groups Northern Ireland government British government Ulster Volunteer Force and splinters IRA foreign backers

Irish Republican Army

• Initially non-violent.
• Split between Provisional

and Official IRA in 1969.

• PIRA committed attacks on

loyalist and British military targets.

• Political wing: Sinn Fein

Party.

Northern Ireland Government

• Dominated by Unionists.

○ Especially Royal Ulster Constabulary (police force)

• Opposed settlement with

Catholics.

• Used repression against

peaceful protesters.

UK Government

• Initially militarily

intervene to restore

• rder.
• Target for both sides.
• Favor settlement

between Catholics and Protestants with NI remaining in UK

Ulster Unionist groups

• Carry out attacks on

Catholics suspected of ‘militant activity’

• Vehemently support

protestant rights.

• Political wing is

Democratic Unionist Party.

IRA Foreign Support

• Funding comes from

Irish diaspora, especially in US.

• Training from ETA and
• ther nationalists.
• Some weapons from

Gaddafi...

The Troubles

• Civil rights protests by

Catholics repressed by RUC and other loyalist groups.

• Ulster Volunteer Force

begins carrying out bombings in 1966 against Catholic targets.

Riots in 1969 and UK intervention

• Police brutality against

Catholics leads to riots in Belfast.

• Protestant and Catholic

supporters fight on the streets.

• British military intervenes

to calm violence.

Terrorism escalates from both sides

• PIRA targets loyalist and UK targets.
• UVF and other loyalist groups attack

Catholics.

○ i.e. Shankill Butchers.

• UK suspends NI Parliament in 1972.
• UK-brokered Sunningdale agreement fails in

1973 after loyalist opposition.

What do you think drove IRA terrorism? Loyalist terrorism?

What role did democracy play in the Troubles? Were liberal institutions a constraint or an

• pportunity?

Exam on Wednesday:

• Worth 0-15% of grade, depending on other

results.

• 5 short-answer questions: choose three.

Two essay questions: choose one.

○ Reflects discussion questions on syllabus.

• 50 minutes.