Domestic or International Terrorism? A Dysfunctional Dialogue
Abstract
In this presentation, the author claims that most American dialogue about terrorism with Africans is dysfunctional. Americans focus on acts of international terrorism while Africans are more concerned about cases of domestic terrorism that rarely reach the pages of major American newspapers. The problem begins with lack of an agreed-upon definition of terrorism. The African Union's Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism contains a long, complex, and confusing definition of a terrorist act that is unlike the definition contained in Title 22 of the U.S. Code. In essence, the United States has a different understanding of the definition of terrorism than do member nations of the African Union. This disconnect becomes evident in "Patterns of Global Terrorism." The chronology of significant international terrorist incidents in the 2003 edition explains that the incident must result in loss of life or serious injury to persons, major property damage, and/or is an act or attempt that could reasonably be expected to create these conditions. It identifies 175 incidents worldwide in 2003; only 15 of them occurred in Africa. According to the author, in 2003 there were actually hundreds of terrorist acts against civilians in the eastern Congo, northern Uganda, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Burundi, etc. Most took place as a result of civil conflict. The 15 international incidents in Africa identified in "Patterns of Global Terrorism" do not even come close to cataloging all the cases of terrorism on the continent in 2003. In recent years, far more African civilians have been killed by extremists and terrorists in internal conflicts than by persons motivated by international causes. The paper also discusses factors that impede or enhance extremism and terrorism; religion, extremism, and terrorism; transnational threats; ungoverned territories and porous borders; and developing African capabilities for countering terrorism and extremism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 15, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA441210
Entities
People
- David H. Shinn
Organizations
- National Defense University