– DMM 627 Principles of Terrorism (3-0-3)
– The types of terrorism, along with the social, political and psychological motivations and ramifications of terrorism are the focus of this course. Terrorism threat risk assessment and prevention strategies are also components.
– The required Textbooks for this course (please see the syllabus):
o Giduck, John, When Terror Returns: The History and Future of Terrorist Mass-Hostage Sieges, Archangel Group Ltd. (2011) (ISBN: 0-9767753-5-5)
o Gunaratna, Roham, Inside Al Qaeda, Columbia University Press (2002) (ISBN: 978-0231126922
o Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror, Random House (2004) (ISBN: 0-8129-6785-2)
o Reich, Walter, Origins of Terrorism, Woodrow Wilson Center Press (1998) ISBN: 978-0943875897
Additional assigned readings will be provided in Blackboard
– THE RESOURCES OF THIS WEEK (taken form the organizer I’ve already sent you) (PLEASE USE SOME OF THEM WHEN DOIN G THE ASSIGNMENT OF THIS WEEK):
– Giduck, When Terror Returns (2011), pp. 21-56.
Ken Booth and Tim Dunne, ed’s., Worlds in Collision: Terror and the Future of Global Order (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), Chapter Two, “History and September 11,” by Francis Fukuyama, pp. 27-36.
Laurent Murawiec, The Mind of Jihad (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press: 2008), pp. 1-58.
Bernard Lewis, The Crisis of Islam (New York: Random House: 2003), Introduction.
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– The assignment of this week, which will be answered in several paragraphs, is as follows:
To even begin to understand terrorism, therefore, the first question that must be asked – and answered – is “What is terrorism?” What makes some action an act of terrorism as opposed to a pedestrian level crime of the same behavior? If I kill someone, what makes it a terrorist assassination as opposed to a mere homicide? What makes the taking of another person a terrorist abduction as opposed to a kidnapping? Many definitions of terrorism, especially international terrorism, exist. The U.S. government alone has been credited with having at least a dozen different definitions espoused by various laws and government departments and agencies. From the definition of terrorism contained in the reading (Giduck) develop your own definition and explain why it is superior to that of the U.S. government. Your definition, while complete, must be as succinct as possible.
– Please follow ALL the previous instructions AND USE SOME THE REFERENCES ASSIIGNED for this week mentioned above.
– Please be informative and creative as usual!
– Best regards!
