The logic of ethnic terrorism

“Kill Them All—Old and Young, Girls and Women and Little Children”: An Examination of the Organizational Choice of Targeting Civilians

“…As mentioned above, the organizational causes that have been posited for the targeting of civilians, including mistreatment by the government (Crenshaw 1981;Ross 1993;Byman 1998;Feldmann and Perala 2004;Turk 2004), ideology (Drake 1998b;Laqueur 1999;Enders and Sandler 2000;Sharpe 2000;Wilkinson 2001), capabilities (Weinstein 2007; Sánchez-Cuenca and De la Calle 2009) and weak organizational support (Carr 1997;Blomberg, Hess and Weerapana 2004;Engene 2004), have also been identified as being causes of violence in general (Zimmerman 1987;Lia and Skjolberg 2004). As Lia and Skjolberg (2004) point out, research on the causes of terrorism has demonstrated that causal relationships between economic and political conditions and terrorism are quite similar to those previously found in civil war studies.…”

“…Many identify the targeting of civilians as a key factor that delineates terrorism from other forms of political violence, like civil war or insurgency (Lia and Skjolberg 2004a;LaFree and Ackerman 2009). Although this is a controversial position, and is contested by those who think states should be exempted from being classified as terrorists (Hoffman 1998;Byman 2005) and those who focus on the symbolic characteristics of terrorism (Crenshaw 1981), among others, the targeting of civilians is one of the most widely accepted criteria for distinguishing terrorism from other types of violence. Moreover, even when targeting civilians is not singled out as the primary characteristic of terrorism, it is frequently identified as one attribute of terrorism.…”

http://defenceandstrategy.eu/cs/aktualni-cislo-2-2008/clanky/conceptualizing-and-countering-the-movement-for-the-emancipation-of-the-niger-delta.html

“…Public campaign against ethnic terrorism only highlights its cause -trial gives the accused the opportunity to draw attention and perhaps to win the minds of moderates. 78 The detention of Dokubo Asari, Dieprey Alamieyeseigh validates this point. Even that they were accused of money defraudation and tax dodges they were seen as heroes at least in some part of the Ijaw community .…”

“…He defines ethnic terrorism as: "deliberate violence used by subnational ethnic group to advance its cause ". 58 Every feature in this definition has its relevance to MEND.…”

The Origin of Terrorist Threats: Religious, Separatist, or Something Else?

“…Ethno-national terrorism is about (i) selfdetermination, and (ii) identity formation (building or reinforcing the self-image of the group as distinct, separate, and legitimate via the identity of another group). 37 Right-Wing and Religious terrorist groups express a core philosophy entrenched in counter-enlightenment ideas that society is in a general state of moral decay, and has drifted from its core values and morals that undergird all society. Action (terrorist or otherwise) will invoke some prophecy like bringing forth a messiah, or usher in a new millennium that reflects the values of the group.…”