Insurgency and Terrorism Series: Avoiding the Terrorist Trap (ePub)

For more than 150 years, Nationalist, Populist, Marxist and Islamist terrorists have all been remarkably consistent and explicit about their aims: Provoke the State into over-reacting to the threat they pose, then take advantage of the divisions in society that result.

Faced with a major terrorist threat, States seem to reach instinctively for the most coercive tools in their arsenal and, in doing so, risk exacerbating the situation. This policy response seems to be driven in equal parts by a lack of understanding of the true nature of the threat, an exaggerated faith in the use of force, and a lack of faith that democratic values are sufficiently flexible to allow for an effective counter-terrorism response.

Drawing on a wealth of data from both historical and contemporary sources, Avoiding the Terrorist Trap addresses common misconceptions underpinning flawed counter-terrorist policies, identifies the core strategies that guide terrorist operations, consolidates the latest research on the underlying drivers of terrorist violence, and demonstrates how a comprehensive and coherent counter-terrorism strategy grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law is the only truly effective approach to defeating terrorism.

• Introduction
• A Not-So-Secret Formula:
  • Asymmetrical Warfare
  • Attrition
  • Propaganda by Deed
  • The Revolutionary Prototype
  • The Concept of Martyrdom
  • Provoking an Overreaction
  • Polarization
  • Building Legitimacy
  • The Centrality of Popular Support
  • Conclusion
• Social Science and Violent Extremism:
  • Empathy
  • Dehumanization
  • Backlash
  • Self-Actualization
  • Youth Bulge
  • Burn Out
  • Social Networks
  • Socialization
  • Framing Narratives
  • Poverty
  • Relative Deprivation and Social Exclusion
  • Political Opportunity
  • Government Aggression
  • Micromobilization
  • Precipitating Incidents
  • Conclusion
• Countering Terrorism Within a Human Rights Framework:
  • Terrorism and International Law
  • Defining Terrorism in International Law
  • Terrorism and International Human Rights Law
  • Non-State Actors and Human Rights
  • Putting Human Rights at the Heart of Counter-Terrorism
  • Community Engagement
  • Community-Oriented Policing
  • Early Intervention Programs
  • Proscribing Hate Speech and Extremist Organizations
  • Special Investigation Techniques
  • The Right to Privacy
  • Human Intelligence Operations
  • Surveillance Operations
  • Investigative Interviewing
  • The Presumption of Innocence
  • Human Rights Compliant interviews
  • Torture
  • Detention Regimes
  • The Right to Liberty and Due Process
  • The Humane Treatment of Prisoners
  • Prisoners of War and Enemy Combatants
  • Deradicalization Programs
  • Using Force
  • Maintaining Public Order
  • The Right to Life
  • Targeted Killing
  • Conclusion
• Final Thoughts

• Examines 150 years of terrorist literature to identify terrorist tactics common across all major terrorist groups
• Explores the international legal regimes covering the major counter-terrorism tools from detention to the use of force and then compares the efficacy of these regimes to real world case studies
• Blends historical case studies, social science insights and international jurisprudence in a unique multidisciplinary approach to what works and what does not in counter-terrorism