This document discusses the major challenge of global terrorism. It begins with a definition of terrorism as the use of violence by sub-state groups to inspire fear and effect political change by attacking civilians or symbolic targets. The document then outlines how terrorism has evolved since 1968 due to factors like increased air travel, televised news coverage, and overlapping ideological interests among extremists. Samuel Huntington's theory of a clash of civilizations between Western and Islamic societies is discussed critically. The role of new technologies in enabling terrorists to communicate, coordinate attacks, spread propaganda, and become more lethal is also examined.

1. Theme “Major Challenges to Contemporary World”
April 9th, 2015
Anna A. Dekalchuk,
Lecturer at the Department of Applied Politics,
Higher School of Economics – St. Petersburg
DG 11.
Global terrorism

2. DG outline
1. 8-minute test
1. What is terrorism?
1. Terrorism evolving
1. Terrorism explained
1. Terrorism and technology

3. 1. Multiple Choice Test
8 minutes, 10 questions, only
one correct answer per question

4. 3. What is terrorism?
What is a common point of departure
when defining terrorism?
What are the major
disagreements about
when defining terrorism?
What is the difference between
terrorism and organized crime?
What is Just War (Bellum instum)? How is it linked to political
legitimacy of terrorism?

5. Can a state be a terrorist?

6. 3.
Terrorism is “the use of violence by sub-state groups to inspire fear,
by attacking civilians and/or symbolic targets, for purposes such as
drawing widespread attention to a grievance, provoking a severe
response, or wearing down their opponent’s moral resolve, to effect
political change”
(Kiras, 2011: 367)
How is it linked to globalization?
What is terrorism?

7. 4. Terrorism evolving
Why 1968 as a starting point?
Robert Kennedy
(1925 – 1968)
The expansion of
commercial air
travel
Televised
news coverage
Broad political and
ideological interests among
extremists that intersected
around c common cause
National Transnational Global
phenomenon

8. 5. Terrorism explained
Samuel Huntington
(1927-2008)
Culture: us vs. them (Self vs. Other)
Clash of Civilization (1993): major fault-
line is between the liberal Western
civilization and the Islamic one
What is Huntington criticized for?
Economy: global North vs. global South;
Western economic imperialism and global
capitalism + personal economic security
and migration
What is criticized for?
Religion: global Jihad and Just War. What is a political
goal of militant Islamists?
What is criticized for?

9. proselytize
through:
virtual presence,
propaganda materials
(both virtual & off-line),
video-shots,
role of media.
make attacks most
lethal
through:
WMD,
lethal bombs
triggered by remote
controls,
improvised explosive
devices (IEDs).
secure themselves
through:
clandestine & encrypted
communications,
mobility,
coordinated networks,
rerouted communications.
6.
coordinate actions
through:
handheld radios and cell
phones,
e-mails and Internet
forums.
Globalization and
technologies made it
easier for terrorists to:
Terrorism & technology
be mobile
through:
reduced size of personal
electronics,
well-developed infrastructure,
free circulation of goods,
capital and services.

10. proselytize
through:
virtual presence,
propaganda materials
(both virtual & off-line),
video-shots,
role of media.
make attacks most
lethal
through:
WMD,
lethal bombs
triggered by remote
controls,
improvised explosive
devices (IEDs).
secure themselves
through:
clandestine & encrypted
communications,
mobility,
coordinated networks,
rerouted communications.
6.
coordinate actions
through:
handheld radios and cell
phones,
e-mails and Internet
forums.
Globalization and
technologies made it
easier for terrorists to:
Terrorism & technology
be mobile
through:
reduced size of personal
electronics,
well-developed infrastructure,
free circulation of goods,
capital and services.