Transnational Terrorism

Transnational terrorism, sometimes called international terrorism, has become a major issue in the 21st century as an expanded version of domestic terrorism. Transformation of domestic terrorism to transnational terrorism has been accelerated by factors such as globalization, religious extremism, and advanced communication tools. Remarkable and [Page 743]revolutionary political events also sped up this process. Transnational terrorism is distinguished from domestic terrorism by its more complex organizational structure, the involvement of several states, and its use of high technology. Therefore, it requires international cooperation to combat it.

Defining transnational terrorism is difficult owing to the lack of a consensus on the issue. Political interpretations of terrorist activities and ideological concerns make it hard to reach a common definition accepted by all countries. However, some key elements of transnational terrorism are identified in the literature. Using violence, targeting not only military forces but also civilians and government officials, and having a political aim such as to instill fear to reach political and social change are defined as the key elements of transnational terrorism. One addition to this definition is that it must affect at least two states and involve nonstate actors.

In the previous century, transnational terrorist groups operated mainly for three reasons: (1) to foster and support national liberation, (2) to achieve radical left-wing goals, and (3) to serve the purposes of marginal religious movements. These groups committed kidnappings, hijackings, bombings, including suicide bombings, assassinations, and, recently, cyberattacks to reach their objectives. In addition to the aforementioned purposes, several motives such as opposition to abortion, protecting animal rights, and protesting globalization resulted in the creation of different terrorist organizations. In the past decade, however, religiously exploited motivations have become a more decisive factor in transnational terrorist activities.