Introduction to Course

Terrorism, Peace, other Inconsistencies

Let’s start with the substance

• The turning point 
• PBS: Frontline - “Al Qaeda’s New Front”
     [video, 4 parts - Windows/RealPlayer
• BBC: “The Hunt for Al-Qaeda”
     [radio program aprox. 75min, 3 parts - requires RealPlayer
• PBS: Frontline - “Chasing the Sleeper Cell”
     [video, 4 parts - Windows/RealPlayer]
• The need for history
• NPR: “Drawing Parallels Between Ancient Rome and the US   Today”
     [radio program aprox. 8min - requires RealPlayer]

This course examines contemporary terrorism

• as it is
• as we (and others) debate what it really is
• as we debate the debates and try to decide how and what this terror really is and what it means
• in terms of contrasting policies that seek to end/control it
• with regard to how it has become the DOMINANT THEME IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, as well as DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY SINCE September 11, 2001 (9/11)

Since 9-11 we have a new formula for US National Security:

TERRORISM + WMD + ROGUE STATES  =  AN UNPRECEDENTED DANGER

Terrorism

There is a distinctively new form of terrorism, existent most pronouncedly in al-Qaeda, that is not ‘politics by other means’ or a form of bargaining that seeks political concessions or status. Instead, this new terrorism:

• it seeks elimination, death, destruction, and at its worst employs suicide methods. The spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) increases even more the threats posed by this trend.
• it achieves its strength and versatility through the toleration by some nations and the direct support of others.
• this terror is global in reach and seeks new allies aggressively. It is well financed.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

The Impact of the New Terrorism on US policy towards WMDs:

• There is a clear concern that global proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons was a threat to all, but especially to the US.
• The US will not permit any nation to develop these weapons which has not already done so.
• The level of commitment to this position is so strong, the US will engage in pre-emptive strikes or war to eliminate the threat of their spread to other states/non-state actors.

Resources:
US National Security Strategy (2006)
EU Strategy against the proliferation of WMD
Center on Global Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
APEC Counter Terrorism Task Force (Asia-Pacific)

The ‘state’ problem

• Failed state – has no central authority and thus terrorists and international criminals operate unchecked. 
    e.g.: Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq (?)
• Rogue state – has a demonstrated hostility to western international law and often its states. Seeks WMD acquisition. 
    e.g.: Libya, Iraq, Iran, Syria, N.Korea, Cuba.

Cultural & ‘Moral’ lessons of 9-11 and after - Bush Administration style:

• Unless you deal with them forcefully and finally,  ‘bad guys come back to bite you’
• And they don’t play according to any rules
• Our rules constrain us too much – we are too vulnerable
• Our friends may want us to stay within the rules, but the truth is that when we are done (with Saddam or whoever), they will all thank us
• Faced with such, the US can and will ‘go it alone’ as few are threatened as we are
• Military plan for such actions must be far ahead of the diplomatic one, because these are unprecedented military (and terrorist) threats

Morals translate to policy in the National Security Strategy of 2002 & 2006:

• Open-ended war on terror….over there
• Aggressive pursuit of those who seek to develop WMDs, whether state or non-state actors
• Cannot forgo advantages we have in technology and our own WMD (nuclear) development
• Cannot permit areas of instability to develop  - democratize the world to keep democracy safe at home
• Preventive action may be necessary …….doctrine of pre-emption

1. Where do you and other citizens fit in all of this ‘new and unprecedented’ global politics?
2. Does your position depend on
• where you live in the globe?
• whom you call your god? 
• what your experiences have been with the  US?
3. How do you feel about all of this?
4. What do you believe?
5. What do you know – in fact?

What does PEACE mean in an era of TERROR and COUNTER-terror?

• How different is the challenge of understanding and creating peace in an age of terror from other time periods, which were defined by different terror threats?
• Or, is the question whether there can ever be peace in an era of terror, as if peace and terror were incompatible and inconsistent with one another?
• Must we choose between global peace, or peace for others, and national security?

What does the course do with all of this?

• Start by exploring the ‘problematique’ at its face value and on its own terms
• Really try to struggle with the issues from the perspective of those
• highly nationalist, security focused and    aggressive militarily AND
• those who think that this approach is wrong   morally and/or politically
• Decompose the key parts of each to build a fuller and richer analysis & interject some history and more critical thinking

Also, we

• Explore what we knew and experienced about terrorism before 9-11
• Examine the extent of terror from al-Qaeda and others worldwide now
• Examine terror tactics and circumstances and our assessments of these
• Dissect the War on Terror and its extensions, with a special focus on counter-terrorism policy
• Search out the meaning of peace in these circumstances and ask if it can be accomplished

Investigate

• WMDs in a modest way
• Explore the case for going to war with Iraq, Iran and Syria
• Explore how and why we seldom deal with ‘state terror’ with special emphasis on Darfur (Sudan)
• Figure out how to live sanely, safely, and responsibly in a world of increased terrorism, and counter-terrorism

We have some behavioral goals:

• That you become more literate on these themes than 99% of the population
• That you have the ability to ‘speak’ your views as you see fit in the future (while hearing in the best sense the views of others
• That you are able to make linkages, explore varied other dimensions, and bring more complexity to analysis of these contemporary problems over time….and that you retain both a curiosity and an imagination for doing so.

What we expect of you:

• Lots of steady and excellent work, esp. reading
• Show up – movies, class, etc
• Deliver assignments on time – register for your choices and follow through on them
• Master 3 topics – three required; three elective
• Take some quizzes and a final

What could be wrong with this effort

• Terrorism and peace may actually be too inconsistent for our liking – both Gandhi & Machiavelli may be wrong
• The professor could pontificate