Terrorism: causes, impacts, and counterterrorism strategies

Terrorism, during its long violent history, has been used as a means of intimidation and aggression. In its narrow definition only violent acts (or threats of violent acts) committed by nongovernmental groups or individuals are considered to be terrorism, but in the broader context governments have been known to commit terrorism as well

Terrorism may include political assassinations, violent political revolutions, hijackings, skyjackings, and bombings. When such acts are perpetrated within a country's borders, it is known as domestic terrorism, while global or international terrorism knows no such boundaries. The causes of terrorism are varied and have been committed in the past due to historical, cultural, political, social, psychological, economic, or religious reasons (or a combination of these reasons).

The purpose of my current research is to explore the causes behind the spate of global terrorism, specifically Islamic terrorism that has swept many regions of the world during the past few years and continues to pose a potent threat to the civilized world. By researching and analyzing the possible causes of such terrorism, I also expect to uncover the appropriate response to tackle the problem, i.e., whether the hard-line approach such as the one adopted by the Israeli government or the present U.S. administration (through 'War on Terrorism') is the suitable way to combat terrorism.

2. Justification of my Choice

The issue of terrorism has occupied the center stage of global politics ever since the stunning terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The U.S. government has declared a "War on Terror" under the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive strikes that has led to regime change in Afghanistan and the invasion and occupation of Iraq. There is considerable debate about why terrorism has escalated in recent times and what is the most appropriate way to tackle the problem? All sorts of arguments have been forwarded for the reasons behind Islamic terrorism: ranging from the teachings about violence in the Qu'ran; the grievances of the Palestinians over the creation of Israel on Palestinian territory; the one-sided U.S. support for Israel; the prevalence of authoritarian regimes and the lack of democracy in the Middle East to the excessive socio-economic inequality and sense of deprivation among large sections of the population around the world. It is important to look at various points-of-view regarding the causes behind terrorism in order to arrive at the appropriate solutions for the problem. I have selected the topic of terrorism for research because of its current relevance and burning importance.

3. A Preliminary Bibliography

A lot of literature is available on the subject on the Internet as well as in libraries. It is, however, necessary not to be overwhelmed by 'information overload' while researching the topic. I have, therefore, selected only a limited number of books, journal articles, and web sources as a preliminary bibliography for my research. While doing so, I have kept in mind the basic objective of my research, i.e., to explore a wide range of opinion about the possible causes of terrorism in general and Islamic terrorism in particular. The following books / articles shall tentatively form the bibliography of my research:

"Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction" by Charles Townshend (Book)

"Understanding, Responding to and Preventing Terrorism" by Marjorie Cohn (Journal article)

"The Holy Qu'ran" Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (Book)

"Analysis: Who is a Terrorist?" By Alan Little (Website Article)

(Detailed bibliography is provided in the "Works Cited" page at the end of this proposal.)

4. Methodology of Research

In order to get a preliminary "feel" about the general topic of terrorism, I intend to browse a few articles on terrorism in encyclopedias such as the Microsoft Encarta and the Britannica. I shall then get to the "meat" of my research by reading the books and articles on terrorism that I have listed in the preliminary bibliography in order to identify the portions that relate directly to my topic of research, i.e., the causes of terrorism -- particularly the ones behind Islamic terrorism and investigate whether any passages in the Qu'ran support terrorism or violence. By this time, hopefully, I shall be able to draw certain conclusions about the best way to tackle terrorism. Next, I would create an outline of my research paper and gradually refine it to arrive at the final version of my research paper.