Terrorism, Anti-Terrorism and the Globalization of Insecurity (Commentary‪)‬

Since September 11 terrorism and the 'war on terror' have dominated the world's headlines. Yet, heinous crimes though they were, the attacks on New York, Washington and Bali can hardly be classed among the more violent conflagrations of the last ten years. In the Rwandan genocide some 800,000 people were butchered in the space of ten to twelve weeks, to which could be added the tens of thousands killed in Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. Nor can it be argued that terrorism is a new phenomenon. The use of terror as a political instrument has a long history, and in its modern form can be traced back to the French Revolution. During le Regne de la Terreur (which introduced 'terror' into our political vocabulary) more than 300,000 suspects were arrested and more than 17,000 were executed. What is it, then, about these recent crimes that has captured the world's attention when greater crimes have failed to do so? To put it simply, what is the strategic significance of the latest wave of terrorism? The fact that in this case the primary targets are the United States and its allies is no doubt part of the answer, as is the Islamic affiliation of the perpetrators of these crimes. For all that, the war between the United States and militant Islam is hardly new. The record of the last twenty years makes this abundantly clear, and provides, therefore, essential context for the analysis that follows. Here it is enough to recall a few of the more dramatic episodes.