Terrorismens historie
Lessons from 150 years of Terrorism and Counter-terrorism. Open lecture by Nick Sitter, Department of Law at BI Norwegian Business School.
Hovedinnhold
Nick Sitter
Professor
Department of Law, BI Norwegian Business School
Modern terrorism dates back to the 1850s. A combination of radical ideologies, revolutions and civil wars, the invention of dynamite and a revolution in mass communications made terrorism an attractive option for some groups.
The four main varieties of contemporary terrorism - from the extreme left wing, right wing, nationalist and religious groups - all developed during the second half of the 19th century.
Despite the considerable variation across space, time and ideology, a number of important themes are repeated through the history of terrorism. One of the most important of these is about the strategy and tactics of terrorism: most terrorists try to provoke states to overreact.
The challenge for counter-terrorism policy - then as now - is how not to walk into the "terrorism trap". The dilemma that faces democratically elected and accountable leaders is that they face pressure to act swiftly and decisively, whereas sound counter-terrorism policy usually requires more carefully considered responses.
All are welcome!