International Definitions of Terrorism

Terrorism

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks marked a moment in history that will forever change the way the world views terrorism. Because of the attacks, if one is labeled a terrorist in the present day, or is accused of an act of terrorism, these words carry far more severe consequences than it would have in the past. Along with altered responses to terrorism, domestic and international law has altered policy towards terrorism, leading to an evolution of antiterrorism efforts. But what defines a terrorist in the eyes of the world? What types of terrorism exist? Ultimately there are general causes and effects of terrorism. This essay hopes to understand such things and recognize terrorist activity in the present day. Research will also highlight past and will help shed light on whether or not international response is necessary. Since terrorism is a global concern, international response may be crucial to resolving such a troubling issue.

When looking to define terrorism internationally, it is important to see how countries define their own counterterrorism laws. India, the United Kingdom, and the United States have definitions of terrorism that fall under several domestic laws. These laws were repurposed from a legislative framework to another and expanded through application post 9/11. This means that the definition of terrorism within the law may be seen with instances of overreaching in relating the label of terrorist or terrorism to a person or activity (Smith, 2015).

One of the reasons it may be difficult to find a set international definition of terrorism is because of the inability of the United Nations to properly define terrorism in a comprehensive way. What is clear however, are the various consequences of labeling someone a terrorist. Once a person is labeled a terrorist, in America as well as other countries, there are severe consequences ranging from trial to restrictions on freedom of expression. While the U.N. has not provided a clear definition of a terrorist, it has provided the framework from which countries must respond when faced with terrorist activities or suspected terrorists. "After the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, even countries that generally treated acts of terrorism as ordinary criminal matters were moved to define terrorism, if only to comply with Resolution 1373's mandate" (Setty, 2011, p. 3).

Resolution 1373 has forced countries to strengthen their counterterrorism efforts. Countries like India, the United States, and England/UK, have altered their policies in order to adapt to the number of growing terrorist threats in recent years. However, because there is no global comprehensive definition of terrorism, the world can't act in unity against terrorism. Numerous scholars suggest the lack of universal definition hinder counterterrorist operations, limiting the effectiveness of both domestic and international lawmaking efforts to counter any kind of terrorist activity, at the same time fulfilling human rights duties (Saul, 2012, p. 38).

Some of the reasons international definition of terrorism has reached a standstill is because some countries want to exempt colonial uprisings and freedom fighting from terrorism as well as state-sponsored actions. With no universal definition of terrorism, the UN passed Security Council Resolution 1566 in 2004 that provides general acts and descriptions of what may fall under terrorist activity. Resolution 1566 attempts to give a partial definition of terrorism. " ... 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 of compel a government" (Setty, 2011, p. 16). This is thus far the best internationally accepted definition of terrorism.

While there is no international definition of terrorism, there are clearly defined types of terrorism. The first is state terrorism. States may threaten force or use force without declaration of war, terrorizing citizens in order to achieve a political objective. A good example of this was German's Nazi rule during World War II. Another type of terrorism is bioterrorism which refers to the intentional release of any toxic biological agent to terrorize and harm civilians for a political or other cause. Biological attacks could include anthrax, the Plague, Smallpox. A third type of terrorism is cyber terrorism. Cyberterrorists utilize data technology to draw attention to their cause and attack civilians. They may use telecommunications, computer systems, and so forth as a tool to plan and orchestrate a traditional attack.

The other type of terrorism is ecoterrorism where extremists inflict economic damage or sabotage property on actors or industries they see as harming the natural environment or animals. Types of industries attacked are fur companies and animal research laboratories. The next type is nuclear terrorism and it refers to the various ways of exploiting nuclear materials as a terrorist tactic. This includes buying or building nuclear weapons. The last type is narcoterrorism and has several meaning since it first came up in 1983. Essentially narcoterrorism means terrorist groups using drug trafficking in order to fund their operations.

There are certain causes and effects of terrorism are numerous. However, a main cause appears to be religion. Islam is the religion of most Muslims and has created a need for some Islamic Fundamentalists to attempt to change things in their countries and internationally in order to create an environment that promotes their ideals (Coolsaet, 2011, p. 45). The effects of terrorism can be seen in the tourism sector. Tourism has decreased in certain parts of the world for fear of potential terrorist activity (Kucukaltan, 2006, p. 38).

While bomb making and suicide bombers have been widely used tactics of terrorists, recent trends point to attacks on surface transportation. In a 2015 article, the authors state security experts see trends in terrorism due to the expansion of al Qaeda allies and affiliates across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Conflicts in Iraq and Syria will also continue to be a source of terrorism globally with conflicts spreading out to Jordan, Egypt, and Libya. Potential spread could reach to the Gulf and Saudi Arabia monarchies. ISIL's declaration of an Islamic State emboldened and excited Islamist extremists internationally making it a pressing need for international response to commence.