88069 - Terrorism And Counter-Terrorism

Learning outcomes

The objective of the course is to study terrorism, its aims and forms, with a particular focus on counter-terrorism and the measures implemented by the international community and individual states. Students will examine classic and current research on terrorism and counterterrorism, and explore many of the research puzzles that remain unanswered. Specifically, guided by the existing debate among scholars of terrorism, from traditional to critical positions, students will approach: the spectrum of terrorist motivations, strategies, and operations; the socio-political, economic and other factors that can create enabling environments for terrorist group activities; and finally, the means by which governments (especially liberal democratic states) reacted to contemporary forms of terrorist violence in different regions of the world. This comparative analysis will help students develop a complex understanding of historical trends, meanings, contemporary dilemmas and challenges related to this form of political violence.

Course contents

Readings/Bibliography

Useful Textbooks

• Pisou and Jackson (2018) Contemporary Debates on Terrorism, Routledge
• Erica Chenoweth, Richard English, Andreas Gofas, and Stathis N. Kalyvas (2019) The Oxford
• Handbook of Terrorism
• Silke (2019) Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism.
• Daniela Pisoiu (2018) Theories of Terrorism: An Introduction, Routledge.

  Bibliography for students not attending classes:

• all the readings mentioned in the Programma/Schedule (see below) and additionally the following book Pisou and Jackson (2018) Contemporary Debates on Terrorism, Routledge
• Please contact the Professor to discuss the assessment modalities

1 Introduction, Class overview and the definition of Terrorism

• Richards, A. and Bryan, D. (2018) Is terrorism still a useful analytical term, or should it be abandoned? Yes and NO, Chapter 1, in Pisou and Jackson (2018), Contemporary Debates on Terrorism.
• Stathis Kalyvas (2018) The Landscape of Political Violence, Chapter 2, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism
  

  2 International Relations and Terrorism: theoretical approaches and gaps
  

• D’Amato, Silvia (2019) Introduction Chapter 1, in Cultures of Counterterrorism, Routledge
• Colin Wight (2009) Theorising Terrorism: The State, Structure and History. International Relations, 23(1), 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117808100615

  3 Politics and Terror: an historical background
  

  
  Martin A. Miller (2018) European Political Violence During the Long 19th Century, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism
• Rapoport D. C (2004) "The Four Waves of Modern Terrorism" In A. K. Cronin and J. M. Ludes (eds.) Attacking terrorism. Elements of a Grand Strategy. Washington, DC, Georgetown University Press: 46-73
  
  

  4 History of Terrorism: case studies and class discussion
  

• Falciola, L.(2015). "A Bloodless Guerilla Warfare: Why the US White Leftist renounced Violence Against People During the 1970s" Terrorism and Political Violence, DOI: 10.1080/09546553.2014.982862

• Sànchez-Cuenza, I. (2007). "The Dynamics of Nationalist Terrorism: ETA and the IRA," Terrorism and Political Violence, 19: 289-306. DOI: 10.1080/09546550701246981
  

  5 Causes of Terrorism and Dynamics of Radicalisation
  

• Jeff Goodwin (2018) The Causes of Terrorism, Chapter 17, in Gofas et al. (2018), The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism

• Jeroen Gunning & Richard Jackson (2011) What's so ‘religious’ about ‘religious terrorism’?, Critical Studies on Terrorism, 4:3, 369-388, DOI:10.1080/17539153.2011.62340
  

• 6 Causes, Drivers and Patterns of Extremism and Terrorism: case studies and class discussion
  

• Heath-Kelly, C. (2019). “Drivers of Extremism: Global Political Antagonisms reproduced in Cypriot and Italian Insurgencies”

• Bures, O. (2016). "Terrorism and Counterterrorism", In Routledge Handbook of Security Studies: Second Edition: 139-149. DOI: 10.4324/9781315753393

7 International and Domestic Issues: freedom/liberty vs. security

• Jesse, P. Lehrke and Greenberg, I. (2018). "Is mass surveillance a useful tool in the fight against terrorism? Yes & No", Chapter 15, In Pisou, D. and Jackson, R. (2018). Contemporary Debates on Terrorism.

• Neal, A. (2009). "The liberty/security discourse and the problem of the exception", In Exceptionalism and the Politics of Counter-Terrorism, Liberty, Security and the War on Terror
  

  8 Terrorism, Civil Wars and Insurgency
  

• Kalyvas, S. (2004). The Paradox of Terrorism in Civil War. The Journal of Ethics,8(1), 97-138. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115783

• Zambernardi Lorenzo (2010) “Counterinsurgency Impossible Trilemma”, Washington Quarterly, pp. 21-34.
  

  9 Terrorism, Counterterrorism and International Interventions
  

• Readings tbc
  

  10 Issues abroad in Counter-Terrorism: Targeted Killings, Drones, and Torture
  

• Film excerpt: Unmanned: America's Drone Wars (2013). Robert Greenwald (15 minutes to be screened and discussed in class).
  

• Rory Finegan and Christine Sixta Rinehart (2018). "Are drones a useful counterterrorism tool? Yes & No" chapter 15, In Pisou, D. and Jackson, R. (2018). Contemporary Debates on Terrorism

• Finegan, R. (2018). Targeted Killings: perpetual war for perpetual peace? Chapter 41, In Silke, A., Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism
  

  11 Mid-Term

12 Foreign fighters, lone wolves, & transnational alliances

• Malet, D. (2019). Foreign fighters and Terrorism", In Silke, A. Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism

• German, M. (2020). "Hidden in Plain Sight: Racism, White Supremacy and Far-Right Militancy in Law Enforcement." Brennan Center for Justice, 27 August 2020

13 Geographical Focus: Terrorism, Foreign Fighters and Transnational alliances along the Caucasus. Guest Lecture

• Readings tbc

14 Supranational Approaches: UN, counterterrorism and PVE

• Karlsrud, J. (2017). Towards UN counter-terrorism operations?", Third World Quarterly, 38(6): 1215-1231, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1268907
  

• Bianchi, A. (2019). Counterterrorism and International Law. In the Oxford Handbook of Terrorism. Oxford University Press

15 Geographical Focus; Transnational Terrorism and Counterterrorism in the Sahara-Sahel region. Guest Lecture

• Readings tbc

16 Supranational Approaches: EU and the shift from counterterrorism to counter-radicalization

• Argomaniz, J., Bures, O. and Kaunert, C. (2015). A Decade of EU Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence: A Critical Assessment, Intelligence and National Security, 30:(2-3): 191-206, DOI: 10.1080/02684527.2014.988445

• Monar, J. (2015). "The EU as an International Counter-terrorism Actor: Progress and Constraints, Intelligence and National Security, 30(2-3): 333-356. DOI: 10.1080/02684527.2014.988448

17 Societal effects of counter-radicalization

• Ragazzi, F. (2016). "Suspect community or suspect category? The impact of counter-terrorism as 'policed multiculturalism'," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 42(5): 724-741. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2015.1121807

• Koehler, D. and Heath-Kelly, C. (2018). "Are counter-radicalisation approaches an effective counterterrorist tool? YEs & NO", Chapter 14, In Pisou, D. and Jackson, R. Contemporary Debates on Terorrism

18 Documentary and Discussion

19 Recap and Discussion: Take Away

20 Final Exam

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, class discussion, presentations and guest lectures

Assessment methods

Class Participation and Presentations: 30%

Mid-term: 30%

Final exam: 40%

Teaching tools

Power point, videos, documentaries

Office hours

See the website of Ervjola Selenica