Complexities in Terrorism

Terrorism Defined Define terrorism in your own words then exchange your definition with the person next to you. Challenge your definitions by finding potential loopholes in your definitions

Did your definition consider the following…

What counts? What does not? Generate a list of two items CountsDoes not Count

State sponsored or ordered by the government Hiroshima

Someone acting on their own Craig Hicks, 46, of Chapel Hill, was indicted on three counts of murder and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling in the Tuesday afternoon slayings of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his new wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her 19-year- old sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.

Conducted by two or more people

Kills one person for a stated political cause

Kills 100 people for a stated political cause

Is conducted online and causes no physical harm

FBI Definition "International terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics: Involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law; Appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and Occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.* "Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics: Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law; Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.

UN Definition 1996 General Assembly "Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them“ UN Definition 2004 Security Council "criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act, which constitute offences within the scope of and as defined in the international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, are under no circumstances justifiable by considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature,"

Historic Scenarios What about the following examples? What counts? What does not count? Apply the definition of terrorism to the event described. ½ Class=Defense½ Class=Prosecution

Directions: Complete the form as you read the slides

Name: John Brown 1856 Group: Abolitionists Goal: End slavery Act: Commanded his army in Bleeding Kansas attempt to end slavery. By force his supporters seized Harper’s Ferry a US government armory killing 4 wounding 9. Sentenced to death by hanging. What did he say on trial?

" [...] had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit; so let it be done!“ Verdict: Guilty or not guilty

Name: TE Lawrence Group: British Intelligence during WWI Goal: Form an alliance with the Arabs during WWI Act: Conduct railway demolition, blowing up places that store weapons and attack the Ottoman Empire Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: 16 th Street Baptist Church 1963 Group: KKK and Segregationists Goal: Make a point to civil rights leaders about protesting in Birmingham Act: Bombing of church which was a meeting place for SCLC Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: Sons of Liberty Group: 13 Colonies Goal: Protest unfair British policies Act: Targeting people loyal or loyalists to the British crown Verdict: Guilty or not guilty? 1774 British propaganda print referring to the tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs J ohn Malcolm four weeks after the Boston Tea Paty. The men also poured hot tea down Malcolm's throat; note the noose hanging on the Liberty Tree, and the Stamp Act posted upside-downJ ohn MalcolmLiberty TreeStamp Act

Name: Katniss Everdeen Group: Mockingjay Goal: Replace the capital Act: Revolotuion Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: Eric Robert Rudolph Group: Anti-Abortionist and Anti-Gay Movement Goal: The purpose of the attack on July 27 was to confound, anger and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand. The plan was to force the cancellation of the games, or at least create a state of insecurity to empty the streets around the venues and thereby eat into the vast amounts of money invested Act: 1996 Olympic Park Bombing (2 dead 111 wounded) Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: Unabomber or Ted Kaczynski Group: Goal: Anti-modern society as expressed in his manifesto Industrial Society and Its Future Act: Starting in 1978, he mailed or hand-delivered a series of increasingly sophisticated explosive devices that killed three people and injured 23 more. Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: Timothy McVeigh Group: Militia Movement in General Goal: Inspire a revolt against the US to bring the tyranny of US government down Act: Oklahoma City Bombing 168 Dead 600 Wounded Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Name: Unknown Group: Anonymous Goal: Various causes including free speech, government transparency killings by government Act: Numerous DoS attacks to bring down government websites like the FBI or see the wikipedia list ssociated_with_Anonymous ssociated_with_Anonymous Verdict: Guilty or not guilty?

Rank Your List Brown the Abolitionist TE Lawrence KKK Sons of Liberty Robert Rudolph Abortionist Unabomber Tim Mcveigh Anonymous

Final Thoughts Conclusion regarding the complexities of terrorism