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 to garner the attention of the world to their cause. (3) Terrorism involving specific political or social causes include extremist groups with extreme right or left wing ideologies, anarchists, anti-abortionists, etc. Violence is used to attract attention to their specific cause (whatever it may be) in hopes of obtaining it.

As stated above, the IRA could be placed in any of those 3 categories. (1) The IRA was largely made up of Catholics, fighting against the Protestant British citizens in the northern region of Ireland. (2) But even though the Catholic south did not appreciate a Protestant influence in Ireland, the main concern of the republicans was to gain complete control of all of Ireland for national reasons. They do not view themselves as a part of the United Kingdom, and wish to obtain complete independence from the British crown. (3) They may also, in a much smaller sense, wish to rid Ireland of British social policy. The main causes of the IRA's discontent with the British originates centuries ago. While Britain began it's occupation or Ireland in the 17th century, modern frustration began when in 1920, Britain divided Ireland in two. The predominantly Catholic south was given independence, while Britain maintained control of a much smaller north-eastern section called Ulster, that had a Protestant majority. Since then, Catholics in Ulster who felt oppressed by the protestant majority have been fighting for Irish control of the northern region, and the Protestants, or "unionists", have stayed true to the British Crown. Britain refuses to give Ireland the northern chunk, as over time it was inhabited by British and Scottish settlers, and they now make up the majority of the Ulster. After many violent terrorist acts carried out by the IRA through the 60s and 70s, the 80s saw an increased attempt at compromise. The IRA was still not satisfied however, and terrorist activity carried on into the early 90s. These were the important