Terrorism and the EU Counter-Terrorism Policies

Au cours des dernières années, la France, à l’instar d’autres États européens et du monde, a été confrontée à une menace terroriste sans précédent. Dans ce contexte, la politique de lutte antiterroriste a connu de profondes et nécessaires transformations, dans le strict respect des principes fondateurs de l’État de droit. Cet ouvrage étudie la politique de lutte antiterroriste en France à travers l’évolution récente de l’ensemble de ses outils. Que ce soit dans le champ normatif ou institutionnel, de nouvelles orientations stratégiques ont été adoptées afin de faire face sur le long terme à une menace de plus en plus diffuse et protéiforme. Il permet au lecteur d’approfondir sa compréhension du phénomène terroriste, d’acquérir des connaissances techniques d’analyse de la politique de lutte antiterroriste et de disposer d’une connaissance plus fine du fonctionnement de l’appareil d’État.

In an effort to prevent a terrorist attack, legislators increasingly resort to criminal law measures at an early stage of the iter criminis. Although this pre-emptive turn is often criticized, a thorough assessment based upon the fundaments of the criminal justice system is largely absent in scholarly discourse. This book, therefore, subjects three types of terrorism-related offences (i.e. offences with an impact on expression, information and movement) in four Western-European countries (i.e. Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom) to a legitimacy test, based upon the principles of subsidiarity, proportionality and legality. Whilst subsidiarity primarily focusses on the grounds of criminalization (and more in particular the harm principle), proportionality and legality are reflected in a human rights assessment. The author examines the troublesome relationship between an efficient security policy and the value of well-established principles of substantive criminal law. She argues that lowering both the standards of actus reus and mens rea is a dangerous evolution which undermines the rule of law.

In the wake of major terrorist attacks, calls for ever more draconian policies to prevent further outrages are common. Such responses raise the pressing question: is it possible to effectively fight terrorism while respecting democratic values of equality and trust?   Examining recent examples of terrorist atrocities - from the murder of Muslims in New Zealand and Jews in Pittsburgh to the Charlie Hebdo attacks - Patti Tamara Lenard considers how democracies should tackle terrorism within the constraints imposed by democratic principles. For many, the tension between liberty and security necessarily means that the only way to protect security is to sacrifice liberty--but Lenard rejects this claim, and instead argues that security's goal should be to keep all citizens equally secure in the face of terrorist threats. Critiquing existing policies, from exile to racial profiling, she outlines what ethical counter-terrorism policies should look like, arguing for strategies that respect equality and thereby maintain trust among diverse communities in democratic states.   This erudite guide to how states might ethically fight terrorism will be essential reading for any student or scholar of public affairs, security, counter-terrorism, and democratic governance.

Known terrorists are often targeted for death by the governments of Israel and the United States. Several thousand have been killed by drones or by operatives on the ground in the last twenty years. Is this form of killing justified, when hundreds or thousands of lives are possibly at risk at the hands of a known terrorist? Is there anything about it that should disturb us? Ethically-sound and practical answers to these questions are more difficult to come by than it might seem. Renowned political theorists Jeremy Waldron and Tamar Meisels here defend two competing positions on the legitimacy of targeted killing as used in counterterrorism strategy in this riveting and essential for-and-against book. The volume begins with a joint introduction, briefly setting out the terms of discussion, and presenting a short historical overview of the practice: what targeted killing is, and how it has been used in which conflicts and by whom. It then hones in on killings themselves and the element of targeting. The authors tackle difficult and infinitely complex subjects, for example the similarities and differences between targeted killing of terrorists and ordinary killings in combat, and they ask whether targeted killing can be regarded as a law enforcement strategy, or as a hybrid between combat and law enforcement. They compare the practice of targeted killing with assassination and the use of death squads. And they consider the likelihood that targeted killing has been or will be abused against insurgents, criminals, or political opponents. Meisels analyzes the assassination by Israeli operatives of nuclear scientists working for regimes hostile to Israel. Meisels and Waldron carefully consider whether this sort of killing can ever be justified in terms of the danger it, in theory, averts. The conclusions drawn are at once as surprising as they are insightful, cautioning us against a world in which targeted killing is the norm as it proliferates rapidly. This is essential reading not only for students of political and war theory and military personnel, but for anyone interested in or concerned by the future of targeted killing.

This study analyses the modern EU counter-terrorism trends, focusing on two parallel axes: (a) the repressive one, where new criminal offences related to terrorist activity (receiving training for terrorism, terrorist financing, travelling and facilitating travelling for the purpose of terrorism) have been instituted, and (b) the preventive one, where establishing a framework of provisions aiming to deter terrorist financing prevails. After critically evaluating EU's interventions in both axes, the study concludes by noting a 'paradigm shift' between repression and prevention in the field of countering terrorism, while suggesting proposals on a transposition of Directive (EU) 2017/541 into national legislations that adheres to the fundamental EU law principles, and a preventive control over terrorist financing that abides by the rule of law.

Within the general framework of the European TRIVALENT project, the comparative analysis presented here focuses, alongside policy measures taken at EU level, on counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies implemented by five European countries; namely, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. These case studies with their peculiarities and differences offer insights into the role of long-term and structural factors in defining counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies, and highlight the influence that specific occurrences can have. The volume analyses different types of public policies, including repressive, preventive, legal and administrative measures, together with the role of civil society in preventing and mitigating radicalisation processes. The book offers an updated and critical assessment of the main anti-terrorism and anti-radicalisation policies of the five aforementioned countries, and their strengths and weaknesses, identifying possible evolutionary lines and proposing a series of recommendations.

This book examines the language of the European Union's response to the threat of terrorism. Since its re-emergence in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the 'fight against terrorism' has come to represent a priority area of action for the EU. Drawing on interpretive approaches to international relations, the book outlines a discourse theory of identity and counter-terrorism policy, showing how the 'fight against terrorism' structures the EU's response through the prism of identity, drawing our attention to the various 'others' that have come to form the target of counter-terrorism policy. Through an extensive analysis of the wider societal impact of the 'fight against terrorism' discourse, the various ways in which this policy is contributing to the 'securitisation' of social and political life within Europe are revealed.

Focusing on the phenomenon of terrorism in the age of ISIS/ISIL, Terrorism and Counterterrorism investigates this form of political violence in an international and American context and in light of new and historical trends. In this comprehensive and highly readable text, renowned expert Brigitte Nacos clearly defines terrorism's diverse causes, actors, and strategies; outlines anti- and counterterrorist responses; and highlights terrorism's relationship with the public and media. Terrorism and Counterterrorism introduces students to the field's main debates and helps them critically assess our understanding of, and our strategies for, addressing this complex and enduring issue. New to the Sixth Edition: Additions to terrorist developments since 2016, including the rise and decline of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. A significant expansion of the analysis of intelligence gathering and the growth of the U.S. intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. Discussion of increasing activities of extremist groups in the so-called alt-right and the ANTIFA movement in the U.S. and abroad. More explanations for the making of terrorists, including rational choice theory and new research revealing childhood trauma as a risk factor. An enlarged chapter on women and children in terrorism to include suicide missions as family projects. A new section on human rights violations in counterterrorism. athering and the growth of the U.S. intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. Discussion of increasing activities of extremist groups in the so-called alt-right and the ANTIFA movement in the U.S. and abroad. More explanations for the making of terrorists, including rational choice theory and new research revealing childhood trauma as a risk factor. An enlarged chapter on women and children in terrorism to include suicide missions as family projects. A new section on human rights violations in counterterrorism.

Captivating, concise, and current, Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies introduces readers to the modern landscape of domestic and international terrorism. The Fifth Edition of Gus Martin's renowned text covers key foundational topics and provides a framework for defining terrorism and exploring its history and causes, while also discussing terrorist environments, tactics, targets, and counterterrorism. This new edition includes information regarding intelligence, counterterrorism laws, and deprivation theory, as well as new and updated sections discussing mass violence in the United States, narco-terrorism, anti-state dissident terrorism, ISIS, and a new theoretical model for ending terrorist campaigns. The text also examines recent attacks and presents new data, case studies, and photos to show readers the state of terrorism across the globe today. SAGE edge FREE online resources for students that make learning easier. See how your students benefit.

This new Handbook provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and debates on terrorism and counterterrorism, as well as providing a benchmark for future research. The attacks of 9/11 and the ¿global war on terror¿ and its various legacies have dominated international politics in the opening decades of the 21st century. In response to the dramatic rise of terrorism, within the public eye and the academic world, the need for an accessible and comprehensive overview of these controversial issues remains profound. The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism seeks to fulfil this need. The volume is divided into two key parts: Part I: Terrorism: This section provides an overview of terrorism, covering the history of terrorism, its causes and characteristics, major tactics and strategies, major trends and critical contemporary issues such as radicalisation and cyber-terrorism. It concludes with a series of detailed case studies, including the IRA, Hamas and Islamic State. Part II: Counterterrorism: This part draws on the main themes and critical issues surrounding counterterrorism. It covers the major strategies and policies, key events and trends and the impact and effectiveness of different approaches. This section also concludes with a series of case studies focused on major counterterrorism campaigns. This book will be of great interest to all students of terrorism and counterterrorism, political violence, counter-insurgency, criminology, war and conflict studies, security studies and IR more generally.

Terrorism: Law and Policy provides a comprehensive socio-legal analysis of issues related to terrorist activity. Aimed at both undergraduate and postgraduate students, the book takes a comparative approach to the law related to terrorism in a number of states, mainly those in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Beginning with an examination of the background to various currently active terrorist groups, the book focuses on those groups which are currently active and which pose a threat to security, especially at the international level. The chapters take the reader through the legal definitions of terrorism contained in various states¿ statutory provisions and examine how the courts have interpreted terrorism in those states¿ jurisdictions. The main aim of any terrorist investigation is prevention and so the book examines the various statutory preventative measures that states have introduced and explores the legal issues surrounding surveillance, terrorism intelligence exchange, radicalisation, use of social media, quasi-criminal provisions, asset-freezing and the nexus between terrorist activity and organised crime. Bringing together a number of themes related to terrorism and security from a uniquely legal perspective, this book builds a comparative picture of the legal counter-terrorism interventions states are adopting to increase co-operation and adopt a more united approach in the face of the international terrorism threat.

For more than 150 years, Nationalist, Populist, Marxist and Islamist terrorists have all been remarkably consistent and explicit about their aims: Provoke the State into over-reacting to the threat they pose, then take advantage of the divisions in society that result. Faced with a major terrorist threat, States seem to reach instinctively for the most coercive tools in their arsenal and, in doing so, risk exacerbating the situation. This policy response seems to be driven in equal parts by a lack of understanding of the true nature of the threat, an exaggerated faith in the use of force, and a lack of faith that democratic values are sufficiently flexible to allow for an effective counter-terrorism response. Drawing on a wealth of data from both historical and contemporary sources, Avoiding the Terrorist Trap addresses common misconceptions underpinning flawed counter-terrorist policies, identifies the core strategies that guide terrorist operations, consolidates the latest research on the underlying drivers of terrorist violence, and demonstrates how a comprehensive and coherent counter-terrorism strategy grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law is the only truly effective approach to defeating terrorism.