Counterterrorism

Counterterrorism and Governmental Policy

“Counterterrorism” can also be used to describe a government's policies. Some governments outlaw terrorism as part of an overall policy. The United Kingdom outlawed terrorism in 1978 and renewed its decision in 1989 and then again in 1995, hoping to limit violence in Northern Ireland. Other governments make changes in their criminal justice systems as part of counterterrorist policies. Germany, for example, created a special prison system for terrorists in the course of dealing with the Red Army Faction (RAF) from 1967 to 1992.

Many counterterrorist policies or actions are highly controversial. For example, some governments torture suspected terrorists to gain information. Other nations punish entire groups of people for the actions of a few terrorists. Military forces have responded to terrorism with land and naval bombardments, individual assassinations, and cruise missile attacks. Some governments use mass arrests or mass executions to deal with terrorism. Critics claim that these actions are like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. Counterterrorist policies are controversial not only because they limit civil liberties and have life and death consequences, but because their effectiveness is unknown. The only counterterrorist tactic known to be effective is the infiltration of terrorist groups and the subsequent jailing of terrorist leaders.

Counterterrorist policies and actions usually develop as a response to a campaign of terrorism or a sudden increase in terrorist violence. In the latter part of the twentieth century, large terrorist groups were able to engage in long-term campaigns. The twenty-first century is bringing a wave of religious and quasireligious terrorism. These terrorists usually do not rely on large groups, and often they create only a single incident. Some analysts call these single incident terrorists “berserkers,” because their fanaticism drives them to a single violent act. Suicide bombing and shooting sprees are common tactics of berserkers.

With the exception of jailing terrorists, no single policy seems to be able to reduce terrorism, and even jailing terrorists does not work against all forms of terrorism. Since governments do not know how to prevent terrorism, when they attempt to formulate a policy of counterterrorism the debates are often based on emotional reactions and political ideologies. Many civil libertarians are reluctant to give the government too much power in curtailing individual freedoms, while those favoring more security are frustrated with the vulnerabilities that these freedoms engender. It is not easy to resolve these debates.

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