PS 379 Terrorism and United States
Security Policy W. Wesley McDonald
W 6:30-9:15 PM
Office phone: 361-1306
Room N 203 Office N
223
Homepage: http://users.etown.edu/m/mcdonaldw/ Email:mailto:mcdonaldw@etown.edu
Course Description
This course surveys the evolution of the phenomenon of terrorism. It places the problem of terrorism within an historical perspective, examining the development of major campaigns of terrorism since the late nineteenth century. Next it turns to American policy and evaluates the government’s response to terrorist events, including the tragedy of September 11, 2001 It concludes with an analysis of U.S. policy toward international terrorism over the past thirty years. It employs an interdisciplinary approach, linking history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. The instructor will discuss the following topics: types of terrorism, the importance of the intelligence function, the analysis of the terrorists: motivation, leadership and group dynamics. Alternative responses by public authorities - strategic and tactical considerations, negotiation techniques, hostage behavior and personal security measures - will be presented. The course will include an assessment of future trends in terrorism: tactics, strategy, field of operations and capabilities. Evaluations of counter terrorism policies in the domestic, regional and international arenas will be subject to inquiry.
Texts.
Walter Lacquer, A History of Terrorism (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2002)
Terrorism and
9/11: A Reader (New York:
Houghton, Mifflin Company, 2002)
Requirements
Students are expected to prepare for class
discussions by doing all reading thoroughly and in advance. It is essential that students be well informed
about current events, preferably by reading The New York Times daily.
You can register for The New York Times daily headline service at their
web site: http://www.nytimes.com. Also, students will be expected to register
at http://www.memri.org to receive
translations of Middle Eastern media. The
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit
organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East.
Research Paper
You are to imagine that you are an analyst
for the State Department who has been assigned the task by the President of the
United States of preparing a brief policy paper (approximately 10 pages)
describing and evaluating current US policy regarding an actual or potential
terrorist threat to American interests.
One of the following topics will be assigned to you:
Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines
Afghanistan
The al-Qaeda
organization
American
Neo-Nazi and other right wing “hate” groups
Columbian
drug cartel
Egypt
Hamas,
Hezbollah and other Palestinian terrorist organizations
Iran
Iraq
Northern
Ireland and the IRA
Saudi
Arabia
Yemen, Kuwait and United Arab
Emirates
Yasser
Arafat and the PLO
Your brief should address the following
issues:
1.
Discuss and describe current US policy regarding this nation or
terrorist organization. What has been
its recent history?
2.
What is the actual and potential terrorist threat against U.S. interests
posed by this nation or organization?
Describe and assess their ideological goals and military
capabilities. Are their ideological
realistic given their resources?
3.
Based on your analysis, what proposals would you make for improving US
policy regarding this threat?
You should thoroughly document your
analysis by consulting reliable scholarly and governmental sources. Extensive library research will be
expected. All writing assignments
should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides, and use
twelve-point font. The format must conform
to the University of Çhicago Manual of Style. A précis of the Manual is available in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers (Chicago: University
of Chicago Press). Pages should be numbered and
stapled together. Citations to
references should be clear, consistent, and comprehensive. Also, the student should realize that
copying is plagiarism. The written
project must be in the student’s own words.
A verbatim transcription of the words of others is unacceptable
even if the sources are cited. All
papers are due November 13.
During the last two weeks of class, the
briefs will be presented orally in class.
After each presentation, the class will question the presenter. Examples:
Are the arguments in the brief persuasive? If you were the President would you adopt them? Why or why not?
Grading
The final grade will be based upon:
Final examination . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 35 points
Mid-term examination . . . . . . . .
. . . 25 points
Policy Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 points
Class participation & Attendance
. . . 10 points
Oral presentation . . . . . . . . .
. . . 05 points
Attendance:
The student
will be held responsible on the examination for all lectures and classroom
discussions. In addition, unexcused
class absences will result in a reduction in the class participation
grade.
Examinations:
Examinations
will be solely composed of short answer, identification and essay
questions. Examination questions will
be designed to test the student’s comprehension of the assigned readings and class
discussions. If the student should miss
the mid-term examination, there will be NO
make-ups. The final examination will be
counted automatically as a double grade.
It is suggested that the student not test the tolerance of the
instructor by failing to show for the final examination. Only the most extraordinary excuse will be
considered unless the instructor is consulted before the date of the
examination.
Modern Definitions
of Old Concepts
Crucial components of Political violence
Typologies of
Violence and Terrorism
Film viewed in class: “100 Years of Terror: A Legacy of Violence”
9/4 Origins of Terrorism
Assignments: Laqueur, Chapter 1
Reader, pp. 1-4
Film viewed in class: “100 Years of Terror: The War Against Colonialism”
9/11 International
Terrorism
Assignments: Laqueur, Chapter 2
Film viewed in class: “100 Years of
Terror: Terror Goes International”
9/18 Terrorism
since 1970
Assignments: Laqueur, Chapter 3.
Film viewed in class: “100 Years of Terror: The Fright Decades”
9/25 National
Intelligence in the Fight Against Terror
Rear Admiral P. Michael Ratliff (USN, Ret.) will address the class. Admiral Ratliff was the former Director of Naval Intelligence. He retired after 30 years of service.
Assignments: Laqueur, Chapter 4
10/2 The IRA
Example and The New Face of Terrorism
Assignments: Laqueur, Chapter 5
Dr. Ronald J. McAllister, Provost of the College, will speak on terrorism in Ireland.
Film viewed in class: “New Face of Terrorism”
10/9 The Algerian Example
The pseudo docu-drama depicts the struggle of
the Algerians against French colonial rule from 1954 to 1962
Assignments: Bruce Hoffman, “A Nasty Business,” The Atlanic Monthly (January 2002)
Film viewed in class: “The Battle of Algiers” (1966)
10/6 Mid-Term
Examination
10/23 The Roots of Islamic Fundamentalism
Assignments: Reader, pp. 5-20
David N. Boosie and Christopher M. Gray, “Bin Laden’s Rage: Why He and His Followers Hate the United States,” Citizens Public Policy Review Vol. II, Issue 1.
W. Wesley McDonald, “Osama Bin Laden’s Forerunner,” The World & I (June 2002), 295-303
Film viewed in class: “Khartoum” (1966)
10/30 The Roots of Islamic Fundamentalism, Continued
Assignments: Meyrav Wurmser, “The Roots of Islamic Radicalism,” American Outlook Magazine (Fall 2001)
Thomas A. W. Miller and Geoffrey D. Feinberg, “Culture Clash,” Public Perspective (March/April 2002)
Film viewed in class: TV interview with American Muslims
11/6. Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism
Prof. Bob Wheelersburg, Assoc. Prof. of Sociology and Department of Defense Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer at FEMA Region in Philadelphia. Activated after 9/11. Prof. Wheelersburg will present general information on how the government responds to a terrorist incident.
Assignments: Reader, pp. 98-103, 110-125
Angelo M. Codevilla, “Victory: What It Will Take to Win,” Claremont Review, (Fall 2001), 12-17.
James Kurth, “The War and the West,” Foreign Policy Research Institute (Feb. 2002)
11/13 American Policy: Overview and The Future of Terrorism
Prof. Wheelersburg will conduct a class simulation, “Terrorism Exercise 02.”
Assignments: Reader, pp. 85-97, 126-143.
Policy
Papers due!
11/20 Class Presentations
12/4 Class Presentations
12/11 Final Examination