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ID:
189243
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Summary/Abstract |
What is the relationship between revolution and terrorism? Much of the time, terrorism and revolution are taken to be distinct forms of political contention. This article argues that, to the contrary, their relationship is much closer than is often imagined. We show that a range of contemporary terrorist groups contain revolutionary elements: they seek to capture and hold territory, and see themselves as part of movements where the goal is to transform international as well as domestic orders. This provides two points of distinction: first, between ‘order-maintaining’ and ‘order-transforming’ goals; and second, between ‘minimalist’ and ‘maximalist’ tactics. The result is a taxonomy of different types of ‘revolutionary terrorism’. This analytic is used to dig deeper into the parameters of revolutionary terrorism, using militant Salafism as an example of a maximalist, order-transforming movement. A focus on transnational, order-transforming revolutionary terrorism generates a range of insights into the violent strategies, international dynamics and organizational forms used by Islamic State, al-Qaeda and related groups. The resulting research agenda, the article concludes, is rich in possibilities.
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2 |
ID:
053912
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3 |
ID:
189339
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Summary/Abstract |
It is often stated that militant groups rely on terrorism following setbacks, but this article is the first test this idea empirically. A statistical study of 56 losing terrorist groups shows that, as they are defeated, a greater proportion of operational activity is directed against softer targets. I argue the shift is caused by a change in strategy to focus on mobilizing support, which creates a greater perceived utility for operations against civilians. Case studies of militant groups in Chechnya and Argentina show how the change in strategy interacts with other constraints to induce a greater focus on softer targets.
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