http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/terrorism Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:01:29 -0400 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:01:29 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1913/securitization-framing-and-the-threat-of-right-wing-militias-under-donald-trump By Mia Wolosky - This paper assesses the political preferences and ideologies of the Trump administration and how they influenced framing issues in a way that has underestimated the threats of right-wing militia groups in the United States. President Trump and officials within his administration used rhetoric to place emphasis on the security concerns associated with immigration and far left-wing groups, while failing to condemn violence coming from the right. This paper analyzes how framing, and the securitization of certain issues, downplayed and encouraged the persistent threat of far right-wing domestic terrorists... Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1913/securitization-framing-and-the-threat-of-right-wing-militias-under-donald-trump http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1648/the-next-frontline-of-the-battle-against-the-islamic-state-southeast-asia By Elani Owen - The global network of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh,2 is expanding rapidly. Southeast Asia is especially vulnerable because of its large Muslim population and its history of extremist groups. In fact, some experts predict that Daesh could establish a strong satellite presence in Southeast Asia within the next year, with dire consequences for the region.3 As the leader in the global fight against terror and in the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, the United States (U.S.) needs to increase its counter terrorism cooperation with the governments in Southeast Asia... Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1648/the-next-frontline-of-the-battle-against-the-islamic-state-southeast-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1646/the-red-army-faction-understanding-a-measured-government-response-to-an-adaptive-terrorist-threat By Ari Weil - The present article will analyze all three components of the West German counterterrorism strategy. The first section surveys the historical background of the RAF, with a particular focus on its organizational and ideological underpinnings to understand its critical strengths and weaknesses. Second is a brief overview of the various police, paramilitary, and legal measures put in place. The article then moves on to an examination of the effectiveness of each measure, the public perception of the policies put in place, and the role they each played in the downfall of the RAF. Finally, this article... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1646/the-red-army-faction-understanding-a-measured-government-response-to-an-adaptive-terrorist-threat http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1636/suicide-terrorism-as-a-tactic-how-dominant-yet-subtle-representations-form-identities-and-meanings By Frank Mariscal - Although terrorism has been present in the world for centuries, it is only since the 1980s that suicide terrorism has become an object of study for academics and an existing concern for government professionals. While discourses on suicide terrorism have evolved, and passed through small, but varied cycles of resurgences, one of the bigger revivals of suicide terrorism discourse appeared in 2001, after the horrific attacks of 9/11. This paper analyzes the two major discourses surrounding the motivations that terrorist organizations in the Middle East have for utilizing the tactic of suicide bombing... Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1636/suicide-terrorism-as-a-tactic-how-dominant-yet-subtle-representations-form-identities-and-meanings http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1504/artistic-expression-for-political-change-comedy-as-counter-terrorist-action By Zoe D. Fine - In March of 2015, National Public Radio published an online news story called “Egyptians Fight ISIS Fear-Mongering With Punchlines And Parody.” Author of the piece, Leila Fadel explains in the story that some individuals and organizations use comedy as a tool of subversion, as a means of defusing jihad and other terrorist acts (2015). Making themselves and others laugh serves to counter ISIS or ISIL, the violent extremist group famous for using weapons such as “highly-produced videos of brute violence” including recordings of a man being burned alive in a cage, Christians... Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:50 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1504/artistic-expression-for-political-change-comedy-as-counter-terrorist-action http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1516/lasting-and-expanding-an-analysis-of-the-islamic-states-incentive-system By Isabelle Canaan - In the past five years, millions of people have lost their homes, loved ones, and lives.2 The Syrian territory is now a battlefield, contested by multiple actors. The rise of the Islamic State underscores the hopeless nature of this bloody quagmire. The speed at which the Islamic State has captured and held territory, as well as the degree to which it has dominated the Western psyche and monopolized Western fears, has been met with both shock and panic. Newspapers headlines scream about the unique and terrifying threat of the Islamic State and the imminent destruction of the West at its hands.... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1516/lasting-and-expanding-an-analysis-of-the-islamic-states-incentive-system http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1500/the-political-rationality-of-terror-understanding-terrorism-as-the-result-of-organizational-goal-seeking By Guy Lowicz - In the early 1990s, two terrorist organizations, Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), were using terrorism to promote their political plight of Palestinian self-determination. Although both organizations vowed to use armed struggles to promote the Palestinian plight, Fatah chose to desert violence in favor of legitimate political channels. In the beginning, terrorism proved to be effective for both groups in mobilizing popular support, legitimizing their cause, and raising capital. After years of armed tactics that proved fruitful, Yassir Arafat, Fatah’s leader... Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:50 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1500/the-political-rationality-of-terror-understanding-terrorism-as-the-result-of-organizational-goal-seeking http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1494/a-colonial-catalyst-reverberations-of-the-sykes-picot-agreement-in-the-rise-of-isis By Sumaia N. Masoom - The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (more commonly known as “ISIS,” but also referred to as the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” or simply “the Islamic State”) has been on a reign of terror in the Middle East for the past three years, and emerged seemingly out of nowhere. However, though its rise appeasr to be quite rapid and is often blamed on Islam or the Middle East itself, in reality, ISIS has its roots much deeper in history, as far back as the beginnings of Western colonialism and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the subsequent western affinity... Fri, 11 Nov 2016 11:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1494/a-colonial-catalyst-reverberations-of-the-sykes-picot-agreement-in-the-rise-of-isis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1463/anxieties-of-the-modern-world-assessing-the-risk-society-thesis By Nathanael Chouraqui - The core idea of this theory, which was first formulated by the sociologist Ulrich Beck in 1986, is that postmodern societies are oriented towards the idea of risk, defined as “a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced by modernisation itself” (Beck, 1992) and that risk management techniques pervade most spheres of today’s social and political activities. The idea of controlling the future is, therefore, inherent in the concept of risk. As a result of this necessarily vain attempt to control the uncontrollable, it is argued that anxiety... Wed, 19 Oct 2016 08:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1463/anxieties-of-the-modern-world-assessing-the-risk-society-thesis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1459/terror-and-torture-in-the-21st-century-reimagining-the-american-hero By Anthony R. Brunello - In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001 fear and anger shaped American attitudes in response to terrorism. Even so, this alone does not explain how Americans became open to the use of torture during the “Global War on Terror” that followed. By 2003 Americans were overwhelmingly supportive of war in the Middle East, not only in Afghanistan but also the invasion of Iraq. Enthusiasm for war only waned as the Iraq invasion became unpopular after 2006. During these years Americans were willing to accept the policy to use torture as a necessary tactic in the “War on Terror... Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:06 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1459/terror-and-torture-in-the-21st-century-reimagining-the-american-hero http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1452/defining-a-terrorist-a-critical-examination-of-the-discourse-of-terrorism By Kanar Talabani - Understanding the term 'terrorist' is a complex and controversial issue within both academic scholarship and mainstream literature. By adopting a post-structuralist approach to the study of 'terrorism,' we are able to dissect the terms and understand how and why they have become dominant in recent years. This involves an in depth critical analysis of the knowledge and understanding of the use of the term. This essay applies post-colonial theory in understanding the evolution of identity discourse and its application within the study of 'terrorism.' I focus on the Eurocentric approaches to defining... Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1452/defining-a-terrorist-a-critical-examination-of-the-discourse-of-terrorism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1441/should-governments-negotiate-with-terrorists By Bohdana Kurylo - In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin dismissed the possibility of negotiating with leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), claiming that there is no sense in talking to a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, as it later became known, secret negotiations to set conditions for the Oslo Accords agreement with the PLO leaders were, indeed, being conducted.1 A similar case was the maintenance of a secret back-channel between the British government and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1972 and 1990.2 These historical records exhibit that governments broke the taboo of talking... Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1441/should-governments-negotiate-with-terrorists http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1574/terrorist-divorce-examining-alliance-break-ups-and-the-al-qaedaisil-split By Vivian G. Hagerty - Though somewhat counterintuitive given terrorist organizations' clandestine nature, such organizations do engage in strategic alliances and partnerships with one another. A handful of scholars have grappled with terrorist alliances, but a gap in the literature remains when it comes to how these alliances end. This study will examine "terrorist divorce" – the point at which these alliances fall apart – by building a preliminary theoretical discussion and investigating the break-up of al Qaeda Core and The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (formerly al Qaeda in Iraq). The study finds... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1574/terrorist-divorce-examining-alliance-break-ups-and-the-al-qaedaisil-split http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1413/hearts-and-minds-a-comparison-of-counter-radicalization-strategies-in-britain-and-the-united-states By Adrienne Ou - Bataclan. San Bernadino. One need not read any further to understand how radicalization is crucial to counterterrorism and national security. Some states have implemented counter-radicalization strategies to cull terrorism at its root. These tactics fall within two broad groups: the North American method, which emphasizes behavioral radicalization, and the European method, which stresses cognitive radicalization. This paper compares the two methods by examining counter-radicalization strategies in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Case studies explain the social ramifications and the... Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1413/hearts-and-minds-a-comparison-of-counter-radicalization-strategies-in-britain-and-the-united-states http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1317/terrorism-and-the-infinite-bargaining-model By Alexander Farrow - From the Ku Klux Klan's lynchings to al Qaeda's World Trade Center attacks, terrorist organizations have historically exploited fear and destruction to achieve their end goals. Attacking both a nation's government and population, terrorist organizations inflict damage on their intended audiences, or targets.1 This paper explores how terrorist organizations interact with their targets. In my analysis, I assume complete rationality and build an infinite bargaining model of political concession between both actors. I claim that terrorist organizations bargain with targets in the long run by increasing... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1317/terrorism-and-the-infinite-bargaining-model http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1135/how-twitter-is-changing-narrative-storytelling-a-case-study-of-the-boston-marathon-bombings By Mary Kate Brogan - Understanding social media, an integral part of 21st century American life, is more important than ever. On the one-year anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, it is clear that Twitter was a primary source of information for many Americans, despite the vast inaccuracies tweeted by trusted sources throughout the days following the attack. This case study based on content analysis found that 10 authoritative organizations, including five news organizations, provided news and feature stories through their tweets – sometimes at the expense of accuracy to be first on their stories.... Sat, 30 May 2015 11:59 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1135/how-twitter-is-changing-narrative-storytelling-a-case-study-of-the-boston-marathon-bombings http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/996/zarb-e-azb-the-obama-administrations-response-to-the-haqqani-network-and-the-relationship-with-pakistan By Ryan H. Gordon - The Haqqani Network has proven itself to be one of the most deadly, daring and inventive terrorist organizations in modern times. Based in the Pakistani tribal lands of North Waziristan, the network has a deep relationship both with the Pakistani government as well as the United States. Pioneering the usage of foreign fighters, suicide bombing and target priorities, the Haqqani Network has become a leading organization in the global jihad. The Haqqani’s and their allies have been a priority of the United States in Pakistan and Afghanistan with a massive amount of resources going to fighting... Sun, 08 Feb 2015 11:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/996/zarb-e-azb-the-obama-administrations-response-to-the-haqqani-network-and-the-relationship-with-pakistan http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/916/social-movement-theory-and-terrorism-explaining-the-development-of-al-qaeda By T M - Since the attacks of September 11th, the Western world has labeled al-Qaeda and its leadership as suicidal and irrational terrorists hating the Western 'way of life'[2]. This justified the American "War on Terror" and led Margaret Thatcher to declare Islam the new Communism.[3] However, as is often pointed out, what is 'terrorism' in the view of one may be mere 'warfare' in the view of another. It is therefore important to avoid these terms and answer the question of cost-benefit rationality. Social movement theory provides a useful framework for interpreting al-Qaeda. Can social movement theory... Sun, 21 Sep 2014 12:10 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/916/social-movement-theory-and-terrorism-explaining-the-development-of-al-qaeda http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/906/the-arab-leagues-role-in-the-syrian-civil-war By T M - In March 2011 peaceful protests over the arrest and torture of young Syrians, themselves having drawn slogans refering to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia on walls in Syria’s Daraa, led to the killing of six civilians by Syrian police. The protests quickly spread, while the government response grew increasingly cruel. More than three years later, the death toll from Syria’s Civil War has reached over 150,000[2] and 6.5 - 7.6 million have become internally displaced (IDPs) according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).[3] Together with... Sun, 13 Jul 2014 04:33 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/906/the-arab-leagues-role-in-the-syrian-civil-war http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/886/talking-to-terrorists-facilitating-dialogue-with-the-afghan-taliban By T M - Section 2 analyses the current state of the conflict and places the conflict and its parties in the broader historical context. It explains Afghanistan’s lack of strong central government, and why areas beyond Kabul have traditionally been under the authority of local strongmen or tribes, who fought each other unless external threats existed.[3] We seek to evaluate whether the Taliban can be constructively involved instead of applying the ‘terrorist’ label.[4] Labeling this prominent insurgency group as such pre-emptively excludes such actors rather than seeing them as potential... Wed, 09 Apr 2014 01:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/886/talking-to-terrorists-facilitating-dialogue-with-the-afghan-taliban http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1085/international-cooperation-in-combating-threats-to-maritime-security-global-maritime-security-and-international-law By Stephanie Fitzgerald - Regardless of this debate, there is certainly evidence of some kind of duty to cooper ate under international law. Two of the purposes of the United Nations (UN ) mentioned in The Charter are to maintain international peace and security through collective action, and to achieve international cooperation in solving problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character.6 A 1970 UN General Assembly resolution recommends the codification of the duty to cooperate in accordance with the Charter and goes on to specify that this includes cooperation in the maintenance of international peace... Wed, 01 Jan 2014 07:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1085/international-cooperation-in-combating-threats-to-maritime-security-global-maritime-security-and-international-law http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1597/intent-to-harm-factors-influencing-target-selection-by-africa-islamist-militant-groups By Adam Cook - The rise of Islamist militant groups and their propensity towards violence has perplexed researchers and policy-makers and lead to debate about how to handle this evolving asymmetric threat. However the general focus of past research has been on groups in the Middle East and Central Asia, overlooking African Islamist extremist groups, which have attacked both local and international targets. This case study examines one possible explanation for these groups' target selection. The analysis indicates that government responses play a large role in determining the internationalization of targets by... Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1597/intent-to-harm-factors-influencing-target-selection-by-africa-islamist-militant-groups http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/785/caught-between-deradicalization-and-disengagement-clarifying-terms-in-the-discourse-of-terrorism By T M - Observations from the media and from public discourse on Islamist radicalization reveal that terms such as 'Islamist extremism,' 'terrorism,' and 'Islamism' are often used without a clear or common definition. The same can be said for the use of these terms in academic literature. As pointedly stated by various actors, including al-Qaeda's deceased ideologue and leader Osama bin Laden[1], “one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter,”[2] and whereas suicide bombers are seen as the epitome of so called 'Islamist extremism', various commentators have suggested recognizing them... Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/785/caught-between-deradicalization-and-disengagement-clarifying-terms-in-the-discourse-of-terrorism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/753/americas-misguided-war-on-terror-contrasting-samuel-huntingtons-clash-of-civilizations-with-ibn-khalduns-theory-of-social-solidarity By Aminata M. Kone - Islam has been under siege since 2001 and in today's political environment, Muslims are too often associated with terrorism. The heinous attacks of 9/11 were treated by the U.S. not as crimes – which would require criminal prosecution and law enforcement – but as a statement of war against Americans, freedom, democracy, and “the Western way of life” (Hossein-zadeh 2006: 91). From this standpoint, and viewing acts of terrorism as acts of war, a military response seemed appropriate. So far, however, the global war on terror has done little to eradicate terrorism. On the contrary... Mon, 02 Sep 2013 02:31 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/753/americas-misguided-war-on-terror-contrasting-samuel-huntingtons-clash-of-civilizations-with-ibn-khalduns-theory-of-social-solidarity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/749/the-military-industrial-complex-in-the-united-states-evolution-and-expansion-from-world-war-ii-to-the-war-on-terror By Aminata M. Kone - After World War II, the United States military gradually came into a position of overwhelming dominance in the world. Military spending in the United States far outpaces that of other countries, with their world share of military expenditures at 41% in 2011, followed by Russia and China with only eight and four percent respectively (SIPRI 2012). This has been the case since the Second World War and has been justified in different ways over time. The arguments for continued military dominance have ranged from “long-term economic gains” at the start of the war (Shoup and Murray 1977,... Mon, 26 Aug 2013 08:50 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/749/the-military-industrial-complex-in-the-united-states-evolution-and-expansion-from-world-war-ii-to-the-war-on-terror http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/737/the-oklahoma-city-bombing-and-bill-clintons-eulogy-to-bombing-victims By Sujay Kulshrestha - On Wednesday, April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh detonated a bomb at the base of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. For the 168 individuals who lost their lives and the countless more injured and affected by the tragedy, otherwise going about their daily business, the bombing represented one of the most devastating acts of domestic terrorism. Roughly 90 minutes after the bombing, a state trooper arrested McVeigh on weapons charges and he was linked to the bombing the day after. With justice seemingly obtained, the question that then remained by that weekend’s memorial service was not &ldquo... Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:59 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/737/the-oklahoma-city-bombing-and-bill-clintons-eulogy-to-bombing-victims http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1201/barack-benghazi-and-bungles-tracing-the-obama-administrations-handling-of-the-benghazi-attacks By Paul Baumgardner - The anti-Muslim video, entitled Innocence of Muslims, had incensed multitudes worldwide, but was met with a particularly virulent response in the Middle East. Even a cursory review of recent Libyan history makes the administration's initial stance on Benghazi appear reasonable. In the years leading up to the Benghazi attacks, perceived slights against Islam had spurred several instances of violence in Libya: "a 2006 assault by local Islamists that had destroyed an Italian diplomatic mission in Benghazi over a perceived insult to the prophet… In June, the group [Ansar al-Sharia] staged a... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1201/barack-benghazi-and-bungles-tracing-the-obama-administrations-handling-of-the-benghazi-attacks http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/709/diverging-discontent-examining-the-patriot-acts-passage-in-congress-under-the-bush-administration By Alexander E. Hopkins - On October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Act, by Congress just six weeks after the attacks with virtually no public debate, greatly-expanded the executive branch’s power to investigate possible domestic terrorism (Cheney, 2005, p. 1717; Chang, 2001). Rather than create new laws, existing laws were strengthened. However, members of Congress were still alarmed at possible civil liberties violations (Cheney, 2005, p. 1717; Seamon & Gardner, 2005, p. 321). Like many war-time Presidents, such as Woodrow... Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/709/diverging-discontent-examining-the-patriot-acts-passage-in-congress-under-the-bush-administration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/629/cracking-the-digital-vault-a-study-of-cyber-espionage By Constantine J. Petallides - The Internet originated with research funding provided by the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to establish a military network. As its use expanded, a civilian segment evolved with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other science agencies.[3] While wired connections between mainframes at certain bases existed as early as the late 1950s,[4] these rudimentary links had very limited functionality. The connection was usually unreliable, and in some cases could only transmit small bundles of data in one direction. While it is true that these connections... Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/629/cracking-the-digital-vault-a-study-of-cyber-espionage http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/627/cyber-terrorism-and-ir-theory-realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-in-the-new-security-threat By Constantine J. Petallides - This level of exposure and uncertainty creates a new security dilemma faced by all states. In his article “Virtual Defense,” James Adams adopts a strict neorealist approach to dealing with issues of cyber terrorism and security, and while he does lessen the security dilemma, he creates a tense, distrustful, and ultimately unsustainable international system. I argue along with Johan Eriksson and Giampiero Giocomello that to deal with these security threats, the Internet must be viewed as having its own customs and states must come together to promote its continued development and ensure... Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/627/cyber-terrorism-and-ir-theory-realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-in-the-new-security-threat