What have we learnt in the past 150 years of terrorism and counter terrorism? Professor of Political Economy Nick Sitter talks about his new book about the history of terrorism:
Modern terrorism dates back to the mid-1800s, which saw revolutions, civil wars, radical ideologies, the invention of dynamite and a revolution in mass communications. All the four main varieties of terrorism – extreme left wing, right wing, nationalist and religious – have roots back to this period.
Although the terrorist groups that have shaken western states and empires over the last century have varied widely in terms of aims, organization, support and tactic, there are some important strategic elements that are common to almost all groups. The most important is that most terrorists try to provoke states to overreact.
The challenge for counter-terrorism policy is how avoid this "terrorism trap". The dilemma that faces democratically elected leaders is that they face pressure to act swiftly and decisively after attacks, whereas sound counter-terrorism policy usually requires more carefully considered responses.
