"the use of violence for political ends...any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public in fear"
UK Prevention of Terrorism Act 1976,s,14 (1)

"They say that terrorism is the resort of despotic governments. Is our government then like despotism ? Yes, as the sword flashes in the hand of the hero of liberty is like that with which the satellites of tyranny are armed."

Robespierre: cited in Scruton R: 1996

 

Effect on Capitalism

Without question terrorism has been a determining factor against Capitalism, from the sveldt of the Boer War in 1902, to the Irish Republican Army attacks at the heart of UK finances at Canary Wharf. Here in Britain it involves higher insurance premiums to set up businesses in high risk areas, a greater difficulty in attracting staff, and security procedures on a daily basis, sufficient to encourage many to move.

Effect on Democracy

In democratic terms though terrorism is the projection of fear on the majority by usually the minority of individuals or small groups (UK Prevention of Terrorism Act). Alternatively, it is a state which inflicts fear and oppression upon its citizens, for example in Stalinist Russia, in the claim of a "common good."

In his paper The U.S. Response to Terrorism: A Policy Dilemma , Brian M. Jenkins of The Rand Corporation noted:

"A growing number of governments themselves are using terrorist tactics, employing terrorist groups, or exploiting terrorist incidents as a mode of surrogate warfare. These governments see in terrorism a useful capability, a Weapons system, a cheap means of waging war. Terrorists fill a need. Modern conventional war is increasingly impractical. It is too destructive. It is too expensive. World and sometimes domestic opinion imposes constraints. Terrorists offer a possible alternative to open armed conflict. For some nations unable to mount a conventional military challenge, terrorism is an 'equalizer.'

"As we began to perceive 10 years ago, we may be on the threshold of an era of armed conflict in which limited conventional warfare, classic guerrilla warfare, and international terrorism will coexist, with both government and subnational entities employing them individually, interchangeably, sequentially, or simultaneously, as well as being required to combat them."

"Warfare in the future may be less destructive than that in the first half of the twentieth century, but also less coherent. Warfare will cease to be finite. The distinction between war and peace will dissolve. Armed conflict will not be confined by national frontiers. Local belligerents will mobilize foreign patrons. Terrorists will attack foreign targets both at home and abroad. The U.S. will have to develop capabilities to deal with all three modes of armed conflict."

Whichever minority you favour, according to country specifics, either an individual, group or small executive imposition, it is a simple fact that nobody enjoys living in a state of fear, as those that lived under the Stasi regime will testify. Secondly is to recognise there are different types of terrorism; militaristic, economic, legal etc. and recognise the features. Thirdly one should investigate ones own rules and regulations, to determine if the minority has a good case to argue, can a simple law or procedural change make life simpler to accommodate the aggrieved. Lastly are there sufficient grievance and redress systems, to allow the aggrieved to take a legal challenge to arbitration, for an independent ruling.

Summary

We can therefore define terrorism as:

Deeds or intent to provide the imposition of fear by an individual, group or state, for the purpose of political, economic, legal or social gain.

We must further recognise the undemocratic accountability of such parties to be inadequate at all levels, however, based upon the fact that it is hard to criticise member states for their shortfalls in Human Rights etc, when the alleged "mother of democracy" the UN, has little or no real delivery system for dealing with the accountability of terrorism. In the first instance then it becomes critical to recognise the difficulties of terrorism; to co-ordinate an agreed international legal definition, an enforcement application, an examination of current rules and regulations, and a fair grievance and redress system, and last but not least the removal of the root cause.

Copyright S Coleman 2001 30 November 2001

Scruton.R (1996) A Dictionary of Political Thought Macmillans London POLICY DOCUMENT REFERENCES