The Counter-Terrorism Puzzle: A Guide for Decision Makers by Boaz Ganor

Author:Boaz Ganor [Ganor, Boaz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Political Science, Terrorism, General
ISBN: 9781351484411
Google: JSEuDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 35865203
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2005-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

The Offensive Democratic Dilemma

The democratic dilemma is also reflected in another type of activity undertaken as part of a nation’s counter-terrorism strategy— offensive action; that is, action initiated by security forces against terrorist targets carried out in their staging areas and regions in which they live.

The issue of offensive action is liable to involve ethical-moral questions, and highlight the democratic dilemma particularly when damage to terrorist targets involves damage to those who are not directly involved in terrorism, when the offensive action infringes upon the sovereignty of a foreign nation, or when it involves the use of extreme force against terrorists in contravention to international charters and accepted rules of law:

Direct or indirect collateral damage to those not involved in terrorism (such as neighboring civilian populations, another country, passersby, etc.)—Most offensive actions, including air bombardment, artillery fire and the like, are—by their very nature—liable to harm people who are not involved in terrorism, particularly when the targets are located in populated areas, that is, when the terrorists themselves or their facilities are located near or within concentrations of civilian populations. The more collateral damage generated by the attack among the civilian population, the less legitimate it becomes. According to Turner, when counter-terrorism becomes more arbitrary and less selective, it assumes the characteristics of terrorism itself.310 This is precisely the reason many terrorist organizations locate their bases, explosives laboratories, and operational headquarters in populated areas, and the more death there is among this civilian population, the better. Refugee camps, schools, and hospitals are often chosen as proper cover for terrorist organizing and activity. Injury to civilians as a byproduct of offensive action is supposed to serve the goals of the terrorist organization by creating a negative image in international public opinion and could lead to censure of the attacking nation, perhaps even to the point of imposing sanctions against them; it demonizes the attacking nation among the terrorist organization’s native population, an audience that was never politically involved to begin with and at most, provided passive support for the organization; it generates controversy among the public of the attacking nation on the question of the legitimacy and effectiveness of such offensive measures, to the point of a political schism and undermining the belief in the reasoning behind the struggle.

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