Growth of Terrorism Globally | NISSMAT

What this session covered

This session, part of a NISSMAT webinar series on homeland and internal security, brought together several speakers to examine the growth of terrorism as a global phenomenon. Much of the early discussion turned on the difficulty of defining terrorism itself. One speaker argued that the term is applied loosely across insurgents, separatists, militants and fundamentalists, and cautioned against the familiar formulation that treats one party's terrorist as another's freedom fighter. Terrorism was characterised in the discussion as politically motivated violence directed against non-combatants, and distinctions were drawn between terrorism and insurgency, and between the actions of non-state actors and the coercive power available to states.

The discussion considered the relationship between armed movements and state power, including the phenomenon of state-sponsored terrorism and the role of external support in sustaining such groups, with reference to organisations including the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Speakers questioned the extent to which online propaganda and small numbers of recruits amount to a functioning terrorist entity, and treated radicalisation as a social and psychological process rather than simply a product of unemployment or economic hardship. The rise of right-wing political mobilisation in some Western countries was raised as a feature of the contemporary security landscape, and speakers cautioned against sweeping generalisations about terrorism, stressing the need to understand the specific complexities of each conflict.

A substantial part of the session addressed Afghanistan following the withdrawal of United States forces and the return of the Taliban, including the country's long history of resisting external powers, the distinction between the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Pakistan's role in the region, and concern about the Islamic State's presence in Afghanistan and possible implications for India and Kashmir. Other contributions examined the motivation, leadership and resources that sustain recruitment into armed movements, and the processes by which individuals are radicalised and recruited. The session also discussed coordination between the police, central armed police forces and the army, the integration and sharing of intelligence, and the value of joint operations, drawing on experience from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

Key points raised

• The seminar examined the difficulty of defining terrorism, and distinguished it from insurgency and from the coercive power of states.
• Speakers discussed the role of state power and external support in sustaining armed groups, referring to organisations including the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
• Radicalisation was treated as a social and psychological process rather than simply a consequence of unemployment or economic deprivation.
• The rise of right-wing political mobilisation in some Western countries was raised as part of the contemporary security picture.
• A significant portion addressed Afghanistan after the United States withdrawal and the Taliban's return, Pakistan's role, and possible implications for India and Kashmir.
• The discussion stressed coordination between police, central armed police forces and the army, intelligence integration and joint operations, drawing on Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.