INTRODUCTION

• The September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center, New York, shocked not only the Americans but also people worldwide.

• The attacks signaled that states are no longer impermeable, and even a superpower like the United States of America can become a victim of attacks.

• These attacks were launched not by states but by invisible actors, with terrorism being one of the most dangerous forces at work globally.

TERRORISM: A THREAT TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

• The terms terrorism and terrorist originated during the French Revolution, with the 1798 Dictionnaire of the Académie Française defining terrorism as système, régime de la terreur referring to the Reign of Terror between 1793-1794.

• The term terrorism later acquired a broader meaning, and one of the early attempts to define it was by Hardman in the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences (1930s), describing terrorism as a method to achieve goals through systematic violence, including acts like assassinations, bombings, hostage-taking, and plane hijacking.

• Terrorism became globalized, with countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, Myanmar, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, USA, India, Indonesia, Italy, and others suffering from terrorist attacks.

• Terrorist organizations include groups like the Ejercito Revolutionary del pueblo (Argentina), Quebec Liberation Front (Canada), Baader Meinhoff Group (Germany), Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and United Liberation Front of Assam (India), Provisional Irish Republican Army (Ireland), Red Brigades (Italy), Japanese Red Army (Japan), Palestinian Liberation Movement, and Black September Organisation (Palestine).

• After the 9/11 tragedy, Al-Qaeda became the new epicenter of terror, with Osama bin Laden being a key figure.

• Improvements in telecommunications, transportation, and technology have connected terrorist organizations globally through finances, training, or common enemies, leading to transnational terrorism.

• International terrorism made its debut in the 1970s, particularly with the Lod airport assault in Israel (1972), marking the global nature of terrorism.

• International terrorism is described as warfare without territory, where attacks occur worldwide with no civilian bystanders.

• It involves terrorist outfits operating outside their country of origin, targeting diplomats, foreign corporations, and international flights.

• Key criteria of terrorism include target, objective, motive, perpetrator, and illegitimacy.

• Acts of terrorism often involve:

  1. Use of Violence: Aimed at creating shock and fear, as seen in the Mumbai siege of 26/11.

  2. Psychological Impact and Fear: Terrorists aim to break the morale of people, targeting national symbols like the World Trade Center.

  3. Political Goal: Terrorism often serves a political purpose, applying pressure on governments.

  4. Targeting Non-Combatants: Civilians are often targeted to instill fear and achieve political goals.

  5. Use of Disguise: Terrorists hide among non-combatants, as seen in the Mumbai siege (2008).

  6. Unlawfulness: Terrorism is often characterized by its illegitimacy, although state-sponsored terrorism complicates this definition.