Terrorism as a global problem of our time. International terrorism is a global problem of our time Terrorism as a global problem

Introduction
Chapter 1. Terrorism as a phenomenon
1.1 The concepts of “terrorism” and “terror”
1.2 Conditions for the emergence of terrorism
1.3 Typology and classification
1.4 Forms and methods of terrorism
Chapter 2. Attitudes towards terrorism in society
2.1. Ethics of terrorism
2.2. Attitudes towards terrorism in society
2.3. International terrorism
Conclusion
List of sources used

Introduction

Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in its scale and intensity, in its inhumanity and cruelty, has now become one of the most acute and pressing problems of global significance.

The manifestation of terrorism entails massive human casualties, spiritual, material, and cultural values are destroyed, which cannot be recreated over centuries. It generates hatred and mistrust between social and national groups. Terrorist acts have led to the need to create an international system to combat it. For many people, groups, organizations, terrorism has become a way to solve problems: political, religious, national. Terrorism refers to those types of criminal violence that can target innocent people, anyone who has nothing to do with the conflict.

The scale and cruelty of modern terrorism, the need for a continuous fight against it, primarily through legal methods, confirms the relevance of this topic.

The works of such scientists as: the book of the Swiss researcher T. Deniker “Anti-Terror Strategy” are devoted to the study of the issue of international terrorism; the book of the French researcher Robert Salé “The Terrorist Challenge”, the book of the West German researcher I. Becker “Hitler’s Children”, the book of the Polish researcher A. Bernhard “Strategy of Terrorism”; the book of the Hungarian researcher E.Angel “Myths of the Shocked Creature” and a number of other authors.

However, terrorism global problem, requires constant attention and study and therefore represents a wide field for research with its subsequent practical application. The purpose of this work is to study and analyze the nature of terrorism, its negative consequences in the development of the world community, study the phenomenon of terrorism in international and national conflicts; and current state fight against terrorism in the international arena.

Chapter 1. Tterrorism as a phenomenon

1.1. The concepts of “terrorism” and “terror”

Terrorism(Terrorism) is one of the variants of political struggle tactics associated with the use of ideologically motivated violence.

The essence of terrorism is violence for the purpose of intimidation. The subject of terrorist violence is individuals or non-governmental organizations. The object of violence is the government represented by individual civil servants or society represented by individual citizens (including foreigners or civil servants of other states). In addition – private and public property, infrastructure, life support systems. The purpose of violence is to achieve the development of events desired by terrorists - revolution, destabilization of society, outbreak of war with a foreign state, gaining independence of a certain territory, a fall in the prestige of the authorities, political concessions on the part of the authorities, etc.

Defining terrorism appears to be a difficult task. The forms and methods of terrorist activity have changed significantly over time. This phenomenon has a stable negative assessment, which gives rise to arbitrary interpretation. On the one hand, there is a tendency for an unjustifiably expanded interpretation, when some political forces call their opponents terrorists without sufficient grounds. On the other hand, there is an unjustified narrowing. Terrorists themselves tend to call themselves soldiers, partisans, saboteurs behind enemy lines, etc. Hence the difficulties of both legal definitions and general theoretical understanding of terrorism.

Legislators different countries have not come to a common definition of terrorism. Investigating and summarizing the acts and elements of terrorist crimes recorded in the Criminal Codes of the CIS member states, V.P. Emelyanov constructs the following definition of terrorism: terrorism is publicly committed generally dangerous actions or threats thereof, aimed at intimidating the population or social groups, in for the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the adoption or refusal of any decision in the interests of terrorists.

Terrorism is associated with a more general, generic concept of terror. Terror is a way to control society through preventive intimidation. This method of political action can be resorted to by both the state and organizations (or forces) that set themselves political goals. For many years, the tactics of preventive intimidation, regardless of the nature of the subject of the terrorist action, were designated by the general concept of terror. In the 1970s–1980s, a terminological distinction between terror and terrorism emerged. Today, “terror” is interpreted as illegitimate violence by the state towards society as a whole or towards dissidents and opposition. “Terrorism” is the practice of illegitimate violence carried out by forces and organizations opposing the state.

Terror is based on violence and achieves its goals through demonstrative physical suppression of any active opponents in order to intimidate and deprive all potential opponents of power of the will to resist. It is important to emphasize that terror is a policy of preventive violence and this distinguishes it from the most severe repressions against lawbreakers. The government resorts to terror when it seeks to radically change the existing order of things. In such cases as foreign conquest, or social revolution, or the establishment of authoritarianism in a society with democratic traditions - that is, whenever political reality changes radically, and these changes inevitably provoke resistance from a large part of society - politics lies in the arsenal of political strategies of the new government terror.

A prerequisite for terrorism is the resonance of a terrorist action in society. Terrorism is fundamentally declarative. Widespread information about a terrorist attack, making it the most discussed event, is a key element of terrorist tactics. A terrorist attack that goes unnoticed or is classified loses all meaning.

This distinguishes a terrorist act from similar phenomena such as sabotage or political assassination. Sabotage is a forceful action of a subversive nature carried out by state intelligence services. Sabotage is valuable for its direct damage to the enemy; the public resonance of the operation is of no interest to the saboteur and is even dangerous. Ideally, sabotage imitates a man-made disaster, an accident, or an act of force committed by another force. The real perpetrators prefer to blame such sabotage as political murders committed by the special services on false perpetrators.

Terrorists need public response to a terrorist act to change public sentiment. Terrorist attacks affect mass psychology. Terrorist organizations demonstrate their strength and willingness to go to the end by sacrificing both with our own lives, and the lives of the victims. The terrorist loudly declares that in this society, in this world, there is a force that under no circumstances will accept the existing order of things and will fight it until victory, or until its end.

Terrorism is the most dangerous (according to the criterion of invested resources / results obtained) way of political destabilization of society. Such methods of destabilization as military intervention, uprising, unleashing civil war, mass unrest, general strike, etc. require significant resources and imply broad mass support for those forces that are interested in destabilization. To launch a campaign of terrorist acts, it is enough to support the terrorist cause from a relatively narrow layer of society, a small group of extreme radicals who agree to everything, and modest organizational and technical resources. Terrorism undermines power and destroys the political system of the state. Lawyers classify terrorist acts as “crimes against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.”

According to the general opinion of legal scholars, terrorism in any of its forms is the most socially dangerous of all crimes described by criminal law (the sanctions of articles providing for criminal liability for a crime of a terrorist nature must contain the most severe punishment of all types of punishment provided for by criminal law).

1.2. Uconditions for the emergence of terrorism

Terrorism is not a universal phenomenon. The use of these tactics presupposes a set of sociocultural and political characteristics of the society. If these characteristics are missing, terrorism tactics cannot be implemented.

A terrorist attack requires a national, and ideally global, audience. From this follows the first condition for the emergence of terrorism - the formation of an information society. In its modern forms, terrorism emerged in the 19th century. in Europe. That is, where a society arises that regularly reads newspapers. And further, the more powerful the means become mass media The more they permeate society, the higher their role in shaping public sentiment, the wider the wave of terrorism. As the habit of reading newspapers and magazines is supplemented by the habit of listening to the radio, watching TV, and surfing the Internet, the potential impact of terrorism on society is growing and its possibilities are expanding. Both technological and political prerequisites are significant here. Totalitarian regimes that have the technological aspects of the information society (fascist Germany, USSR, North Korea), but at the same time blocking the free exchange of information by police methods, are not so vulnerable to terrorism.

The second condition for the emergence of terrorism is related to the nature of technology and the laws of development of the technological environment of human existence. The essence of the matter is that as scientific and technological progress unfolds, the technogenic environment becomes more and more complex and vulnerable. The development of technology gives man the opportunity to specifically destroy the social, technological and natural environment.

To destroy any material object, energy is required that is equal to or comparable to the energy required to create this object. In ancient times, the destruction of a dam or a pyramid would require a significant number of people and a fairly long time, and such an action would not go unnoticed. The development of technology has made it possible to accumulate energy and use it pointwise to destroy the object or natural environment. The dagger and crossbow give way to dynamite, a rifle with optical sight, grenade launcher, compact surface-to-air missile, etc.

The technological environment is becoming denser and more vulnerable. The state’s ability to block the activities of terrorists at every point in social space at any arbitrary moment is lower than the ability of attackers to strike. IN modern world man-made disasters occur without any intervention from terrorists.

The third essential condition for the emergence of terrorism is related to the erosion traditional society and the formation of a modernized society oriented towards liberal values. Terrorism occurs when traditional culture is replaced by a society familiar with the concept of a social contract. Liberal values and ideas of a social contract give an idea of the security of human life and the responsibility of government to citizens.

Terrorist attacks loudly proclaim that the government is unable to guarantee the life, health and peace of mind of citizens; therefore, the authorities are responsible for it. Here is the essence of the mechanism of political blackmail that terrorists use. If society does not react in any way to the actions of terrorists, or unites around the powers that be, then terrorism loses all effect.

The fourth condition of terrorism is the real problems that arise during historical development. They can have very different dimensions - political, cultural, social. In a prosperous country, single acts of mentally unstable outcasts are possible, but terrorism as a phenomenon is weakly expressed. The most common causes of terrorism are separatism and national liberation movements, as well as religious, ethnic, and ideological conflicts. Terrorism is a phenomenon inherent in the crisis stages of the modernization transition. It is characteristic that the completion of modernization reforms removes the grounds for terrorism.

Terrorism occurs at the boundaries of cultures and eras of historical development. The most striking example of this is the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, where the Islamic world is faced with the outpost of European civilization advanced deep into Asia, and the deeply traditional Palestinian society comes into contact with the modernized society of Israel. Culturally and historically homogeneous societies (Holland, Switzerland) are more protected from terrorism.

There is no terrorism, and cannot exist in totalitarian and authoritarian societies. There are no conditions for its occurrence, and any manifestations of anti-state activity are fraught with terror against entire regions, peoples, faiths or social categories. Equally, terrorism is not effective in collapsing countries where power has crumbled and does not control society - such as Somalia or Afghanistan.

Terrorism is possible provided that at least part of society sympathizes with the cause of terrorists. Unlike saboteurs - specially trained professionals who can work in a hostile environment - terrorists, like guerrillas, need support from the population. The loss of this support leads to the extinction of terrorist activity.

Terrorism is an indicator of crisis processes. This is an emergency feedback channel between society and government, between a separate part of society and society as a whole. It indicates acute disadvantage in a certain zone of social space. In this regard, terrorism does not have a purely forceful, police solution. Localizing and suppressing terrorists is only part of the fight against this evil. The other part involves political, social and cultural transformations that remove the grounds for radicalization of society and resort to terrorism.

1.3. Thypology and classification

Given the infinite variety, closure and interweaving various forms terrorism, its classification is not an easy task.

According to the nature of the subject of terrorist activity, terrorism is divided into:

1. Disorganized or individual.

In this case, a terrorist attack (more rarely, a series of terrorist attacks) is carried out by one or two people who are not backed by any organization. Individual terrorism is the rarest phenomenon in the modern world.

2. Organized, collective - terrorist activities are planned and implemented by a special organization. Organized terrorism is the most widespread in the modern world.

According to its goals, terrorism is divided into:

1. Nationalist - pursues separatist or national liberation goals.

2. Religious - associated either with the struggle of adherents of one religion with adherents of another, or pursues the goal of undermining secular power and establishing religious power.

3. Ideologically given, social – pursues the goal of a radical or partial change in the economic or political system countries. Sometimes this type of terrorism is called revolutionary. Examples of ideologically defined terrorism are anarchist, Socialist Revolutionary, fascist, European “leftist” terrorism, etc.

However, the goals pursued may be intertwined. Thus, using terrorist methods, the Kurdistan Workers' Party pursues the goal of creating nation state and at the same time – the social transformation of society in the spirit of Marxism.

In addition, there are movements that do not fit into the proposed classifications. For example, the terrorist group “We Who Built Sweden,” which protested against holding Olympic Games, carried out a series of explosions at sports facilities in 1997.

1.4. FForms and methods of terrorism

Analyzing the methods of terrorist activity, researchers identify:

Explosions of government, industrial, transport, military facilities, newspaper and magazine editorial offices, various offices, party committees, residential buildings, train stations, shops, theaters, restaurants, etc.
Individual terror or political assassinations - officials, public figures, bankers, law enforcement officers, etc.
Political abductions. As a rule, large ones are kidnapped statesmen, industrialists, journalists, military, foreign diplomats, etc. The purpose of the kidnapping is political blackmail (demands for fulfilling certain political conditions, release of accomplices from prison, ransom, etc.)
Seizure of institutions, buildings, banks, embassies, etc., accompanied by the taking of hostages. Most often, this is followed by negotiations with government officials, but history also knows examples of the destruction of hostages. Possessing hostages allows terrorists to negotiate “from a position of strength.” Today it is one of the most common forms of terrorism.
The hijacking of aircraft, ships or other vehicles, accompanied by the taking of hostages. This form of terrorist activity became widespread in the 1980s.
Bank robbery, jewelry stores, private individuals, taking hostages for ransom. Robbery is an auxiliary form of terrorist activity that provides terrorists with financial resources.
Non-fatal wounds, beatings, bullying. These forms of terrorist attacks pursue the goals of psychological pressure on the victim and at the same time are a form of so-called “propaganda by action.”
Biological terrorism. For example, sending letters with anthrax spores.
Use of toxic substances and radioactive isotopes.

The arsenal of methods and forms of terrorism is constantly expanding. Now they are already talking about computer terrorism. In principle, any infrastructure of society, any industrial facilities, technological structures, waste storage facilities, damage to which is fraught with environmental disasters, can become the target of a terrorist attack.

GChapter 2. Attitudes towards terrorism in society

2.1. Ethics of terrorism

The problem of ethics arises in the terrorist movement from the very beginning. At the time of the emergence of terrorism (the beginning of the 19th century), there was an ethical code of tyrant warfare, according to which a despot should be struck with a dagger, and the killer should not try to escape from the scene of the crime.

Among the main problems of the ethics of terrorism is the problem of justifying terror and the problem of criteria for the admissibility of terrorist attacks as a means of political struggle. The theorists and ideologists of terrorism proceeded from the tyrant-fighting attitude they inherited. They began with the premise that terror was acceptable in societies with tyrannical regimes that did not give their citizens the opportunity to fight through legal means (through the parliamentary process and democratic procedures) to assert their ideals and rebuild society. The logic of the historical evolution of terrorism led the ideologists of the movement to declare all and any governments, both authoritarian and democratic, satraps and bloody dictatorships. The principle of revolutionary necessity is affirmed, according to which all means are good if they serve the cause of overthrowing the “anti-people regime.”

No less significant is the problem of accidental victims of terrorist attacks. The practice of terrorism began with the desire to avoid and minimize accidental casualties. However, the logic of the terrorist struggle drove the militants towards ever greater casualties. Accordingly, the ideologists of terrorism began to develop the thesis about the admissibility and justification of any victims, including random ones. The latter are declared “bourgeois” (“infidels”, “foreigners”) or their “minions”. The winning idea is that everyone who tolerates this power is responsible for it. They are good taxpayers, this government exists with their consent and with their money, they are its servants, etc. There is another answer: the authorities, with whom the terrorists are fighting, are to blame for the deaths of random victims.

2.2. ABOUTattitude towards terrorism in society

The attitude towards terrorism depends on the degree of consolidation of society around the political goals of terrorists, on the rooting of liberal and humanistic values (the price of human life) in this society, on the level of legal consciousness.

If there is a real problem behind terrorism - social, cultural, political, then some segment of society that is sensitive to this problem will sympathize, if not with the methods of terrorists, then with the goals or ideas that they defend. Within this segment, terrorism finds support and recruits personnel. Without the support of at least part of society, terrorist movements fade away. Accordingly, the resolution of acute problems removes the split in society and deprives terrorist movements of the necessary social base.

A society faced with terrorism, as a rule, experiences an evolution in its attitude towards this phenomenon. The emergence of terrorism splits the population. Some reject terrorism completely and completely, others allow it in certain situations, others accept and justify it. As terrorism unfolds, society is faced with the consequences of acts of terror and sees the suffering of the victims. This information reinforces negative attitudes towards terrorism. The group of people who justify and tolerate terrorism is consistently narrowing. By the time the phenomenon ends, moral rejection of terrorism becomes absolutely dominant, the image of a terrorist becomes negative, and the circle of support becomes extremely narrow.

People's attitudes towards terrorism in any country in the world are influenced by the general historical evolution of the assessment of this phenomenon. Attitudes towards terrorism have also undergone changes within the framework of the world-historical process. Terrorism was born in Europe. In the first stages of its history, the image of a terrorist for a significant part of society merged with the image of a fighter for freedom, national independence, and social justice. At the beginning of the 20th century. government support for movements using terrorist tactics in countries of potential or actual adversaries was considered by many governments as normal practice. Then states committed to liberal values abandon this practice. In the interwar period and, especially, after the Second World War, the sponsorship of terrorism became the exclusive property of aggressive regimes preoccupied with the tasks of ideological and political expansion.

In the 1960–1970s, a system of international terrorism was formed. Since that time, the process of recognizing terrorism as an unconditional danger that threatens the foundations of international stability has unfolded. Accordingly, public sentiment changes. Today, in the information and cultural panorama of societies belonging to the Euro-Atlantic civilization, the justification of terrorism, the glorification of the image of a terrorist becomes a sign of extreme marginalism.

Nowadays, the centers of terrorism have shifted to non-European spaces. Eastern societies have yet to undergo an evolution in their attitude towards terrorism and recognize it as an absolutely criminal and immoral practice.

2.3. International terrorism

International terrorism is an essential element of the international criminal community. Like the criminal community, international terrorism is strong because it merges with the state. The difference is that the alliance between terrorists and the state is ensured not by corruption, but by the conscious political choice of the ruling regimes of state sponsors of terrorism.

The confrontation between the state and an individual terrorist organization is developing according to a certain scenario. In the second half of the 20th century. On average, 3–5 years pass between the emergence of an active terrorist organization and its defeat. In other words, the terrorist organization itself always loses to the state. If behind this organization there is a “liberated area” not under the control of the authorities and controlled by anti-government rebels, or another state, then terrorist activity can continue almost indefinitely.

Usually, a new terrorist organization is inevitably penetrated by intelligence agencies. Militants are arrested or killed during special operations. The average period of active activity of a terrorist is three years. Then he either dies or goes to prison. Significant organizational, technical and financial resources are needed for the constant reproduction of the destroyed structure of terrorism. Bases, instructors, weapons and other equipment, infiltration channels, false documents, intelligence data, etc. are needed. In short, effective terrorist activity today requires the full support of the sponsoring state.

Let us note that one state cannot contain the entire system of international terrorism. To reproduce the system of international terrorism, a coalition of several states (covering different continents, representing different races and civilizations) is necessary. Such a coalition emerged in the second half of the 20th century. A tactical alliance of sponsors of terrorism from socialist countries and authoritarian regimes in the Arab world ensured the unfolding of the global offensive of terrorism in the 1960s and 1970s.

To date, the range of state sponsors of terrorism has decreased in volume and changed significantly. After September 11, 2001, real preconditions arose for the formation of a global anti-terrorist coalition. The norm is being established before our eyes international relations, according to which proven sponsorship of terrorism is a sufficient basis for violent actions against the sponsoring country, up to and including the overthrow of the ruling regime. The destruction of the terrorism-state nexus is intended to solve the problem of international terrorism. Deprived of state resources and the support of special services, terrorists will not be able to continue their activities at the same level. Single terrorist attacks are apparently unavoidable. As for organized terrorism, without outside support it is possible only as one of the forms of civil war, as a harbinger of an unfolding revolution. In other words, in the case when a significant part of the population is behind the terrorists.

It can be noted that the history of the elimination of the slave trade unfolded in a similar way. At first, the slave trade was prohibited as an international practice. The leaders of the world community (in this case, Great Britain) imposed a ban on the slave trade on the rulers of traditional societies in the East. Having lost state support and the status of a legal activity, the slave trade was suppressed by police measures.

Zconclusion

International terrorism is one of the most dangerous threats to modern civilization. The ways to eradicate this phenomenon are still being determined by the international community, although much is already being done. The scale of the spread of terrorism has become such that no country in the world has a complete guarantee against the commission of terrorist acts on its territory. In this regard, along with the most effective internal measures aimed at preventing terrorist activities, it is necessary to consider this problem as having a global nature and accordingly build a strategy to combat it. Without the closest international cooperation aimed at a comprehensive, solidary response by all actors in international life to new threats and challenges, the future of humanity is unlikely to meet our expectations.

List of sources used

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2. Karmin A.S., Novikova E.S. “Culturology”. St. Petersburg, 2013.
3. Antonyan Yu.M. “Terrorism” M., 2013
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5. Lyakhov E.G. “Terrorism and Interstate Relations” 2011.
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Abstract on the topic “Terrorism is a global problem for humanity” updated: September 8, 2018 by: Scientific Articles.Ru

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Terrorism is a global problem of our time

Unfortunately, terrorism- this is part of our reality today. Terrorism is one of the most dangerous and difficult to predict phenomena of our time, which is acquiring increasingly diverse forms and threatening proportions. Terrorist acts most often cause massive human casualties, entail the destruction of material and spiritual values that sometimes cannot be restored, sow hostility between states, provoke wars, mistrust and hatred between social and national groups, which sometimes cannot be overcome within the life of an entire generation. The scale of terrorism is global.

The world community in the late 60s and early 70s. The twentieth century was faced with the need to intensify counteraction to acts of international terrorism. It was during this period that terrorist attacks began to be widely used as a means of political struggle and a method of influencing political processes occurring in society.

What used to be an exception has now become commonplace in many countries. The geographical scope of terrorist activity has expanded enormously, and has now spread to all regions. As a natural response, cooperation between states in the fight against terrorism has intensified.

After September 11, 2001, international terrorism can no longer be viewed as a tactical threat with no global implications. Now, more than ever, the process of globalization and the increasingly widespread internationalization of terrorism is becoming obvious, due to the expansion and globalization of international relations and interaction in various fields. Today, terrorism is becoming an independent factor in world politics, posing a potential threat to any state power, regardless of its legal form and political and ideological content.

To date, a system of international counter-terrorism has been formed, which includes cooperation at the global and regional levels, as well as on a bilateral basis. The fight against terrorism, which has unfolded on a global scale, has not only highlighted long-standing problems of international relations and international security, but also provides the world community with an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally approach issues of a new world order.

The concept and types of modern terrorism

Dictionaries define the concept of “terrorism” (from the Latin “terror” - fear, horror) as opposition activities of extremist organizations or individuals, the purpose of which is the systematic or isolated use of violence to intimidate the government and the population.

The development of the concept of terrorism is one of the most complex problems world science and practice of fighting crime. Terrorism as a phenomenon is considered by modern science in three aspects:

* as a criminal act;

* as terrorist groups;

* as terrorist doctrines.

Although terrorist attacks are not a new phenomenon, international law There is still no precise definition of what “terrorism” is. The UN General Assembly adopted about 10 resolutions on national, regional and international terrorism, but was never able to give it a more or less acceptable definition. As the Romans said: ignoratis terminis artis ignoratum et ars - if the terminology of an object is unknown, the object itself is unknown. To successfully fight terrorism, it is necessary to study it comprehensively, understand its motives, driving forces and define it terminologically.

Terrorism is a multi-objective crime. The object of the crime is public safety in in a broad sense this word. Additional objects can be property, life, human health, etc. Experts studying the phenomenon of terrorism identify 6 main types of modern terrorism:

1. Nationalist terrorism

Terrorists of this type usually aim to form a separate state for their ethnic group (“national liberation”). Typical examples are the Irish Republican Army, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Basque Homeland and Freedom, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

2. Religious terrorism

Religious terrorists use violence for purposes they believe are ordained by God. This type of terrorism is developing much more dynamically than others. This category of terrorists includes Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda, the Sunni Muslim group Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, and the Japanese cult Aum Senrike.

3. State-sponsored terrorism (state terrorism)

Some terrorist groups have been deliberately used by various governments as a cheap way to wage war. Among the well-known terrorist groups are following connections with governments: Hezbollah is supported by Iran, the Japanese Red Army is supported by Libya, al-Qaeda was closely associated with the Taliban when they were in power in Afghanistan.

4. Terrorism by left-wing extremists

The most radical left wants to destroy capitalism and replace it with a communist or socialist regime. Examples: German “Baader-Meinhof”, “Japanese Red Army”, Italian “Red Brigades”.

5. Terrorism by right-wing extremists

The task of right-wing extremists (according to the views of such groups, first of all, are racists and anti-Semites) is to fight democratic governments in order to replace them with fascist states.

6. Anarchist terrorism

Anarchist terrorists were a global phenomenon from the 1870s to the 1920s, but it is possible that modern anti-globalists could spawn a new wave of anarchist terrorism.

Terrorism is associated with a more general, generic concept of terror. Terror is a way of controlling society through preventive intimidation. In 1970-1980 a terminological distinction between terror and terrorism has emerged. Today, “terror” is interpreted as illegitimate violence by the state towards society as a whole or towards dissidents and opposition. “Terrorism” is the practice of illegitimate violence carried out by forces and organizations opposing the state.

The problem of distinguishing between international and domestic terrorism is important. If the fight against international terrorism is, from a legal point of view, an international legal problem, then the fight against terrorist acts of an intrastate nature falls exclusively within the internal competence of states.

The following main ones can be identified distinctive features namely international terrorism:

* targets declared by terrorists affect several countries;

* a crime begins in one country and ends in another;

* the funds on which this or that criminal group exists come from another country;

* citizens become victims of terrorist acts various countries and participants in events held by international organizations;

* the damage caused affects several countries or international organizations.

A Brief History of Terrorism

Any of the global problems currently threatening humans has existed in embryo for thousands of years. Terrorism is no exception. An example of an ancient terrorist organization is the sect of religious fanatics “Sicarii”, which in the 60-70s. AD used terror as a means of political struggle to overthrow Roman rule and restore the Jewish state. Thomas Aquinas and the Fathers christian church They also accepted the idea of killing a ruler who, in their opinion, was hostile to the people.

In the Middle Ages, representatives of the Muslim sect of the Assoshafins killed prefects and caliphs. At the same time, political terror was practiced by some secret societies in India and China. In the territories of modern Iran, Afghanistan and some other countries, the powerful Ismaili sect, one of the branches of Shiite Islam, instilled fear in their opponents from the Muslim Sunni nobility and rulers. The Ismailis played an important role in the socio-political conflicts and upheavals in medieval Islam, giving rise to the Fatimid, Assassin and Druze movements. The Inquisition, St. Bartholomew's Night, the French bourgeois revolution, the Paris Commune, and the “Red Terror” in Russia went down in history as symbols of cruelty.

The word “terror” first appeared in the political lexicon of Europe in the 14th century. In different historical eras, the meaning of this word was understood differently, but this word and what is understood by it today became popular during the Great French Revolution of 1789-1794. The doctrine of transforming terror into an instrument of power was developed by the Jacobins; They also developed the thesis that in order to gain or retain power by intimidating society, it is necessary to create a climate of mass hysteria.

Terrorism is becoming a constant factor public life from the second half of the 19th century. Its representatives are Russian populists, radical nationalists in Ireland, Macedonia, Serbia, anarchists in France, as well as similar movements in Italy, Spain, and the USA. The so-called “philosophy of the bomb” was developed in the 19th century by the German radical Karl Heinzgen and practically put into practice by the Russian anarchist revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin, who defended the idea of recognizing only one action - destruction.

The doctrine of “propaganda by action” was put forward by anarchists in the 70s of the 19th century. Its essence is that not words, but only terrorist actions can induce the masses to put pressure on the government. In the 20th century, terrorism was transferred to the state level.

Before the First World War, terrorism was considered a tool of the left. But, in essence, it was resorted to by individualists without political platforms, as well as by nationalists not only of left-wing, socialist orientations. With the end of the war, terrorism was adopted by the right - national separatists and fascist movements in Germany, France and Hungary, the “Iron Guard” in Romania; in fact, both were guided by the doctrines of the “philosophy of the bomb” and “propaganda by action.”

The Second World War marked another stage in the development of terrorism. In the post-war period, terrorism is growing almost all over the world and is experiencing another qualitative transformation. Before the war, the targets of terrorism were government agents, military personnel, and persons collaborating with the regime. The civilian population, not associated with the government, was not the primary target of terrorists. But the world war, the experience of the Holocaust and Hiroshima changed the attitude towards the price of human life on a global scale.

The conflict-generating potential of terrorism has especially grown since the 60s of the twentieth century. Now the subject of terrorism is a powerful professional organization, relying on the support of the state sponsor of terrorism. The direct targets of terrorist violence are citizens, foreigners, and diplomats. The terrorist attack turns out to be a mechanism of pressure on the authorities through public opinion and the international community.

Modern terrorism consists of powerful, ramified and well-equipped structures. Modern terrorism has one desired goal: the seizure of power. After the collapse of the USSR, in many regions and corners of the post-Soviet space, attempts were observed to achieve their goals by violence - let us remember the history of armed conflicts in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova, in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, etc. The examples of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kosovo, and Chechnya indicate that modern terrorism is capable of waging sabotage and terrorist wars and participating in armed conflicts.

Globalization and the increasingly widespread internationalization of terrorism is an indisputable fact. Among the features of modern terrorism one can also include its new organizational forms.

Terrorism of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century was characterized by the presence of clear connections between the victims and the perpetrators of terrorist attacks. In the second half of the twentieth century, a trend began to emerge, and has now taken shape, in which victims (including hostages) are not guilty of terrorists and have nothing to do with their demands. The life, health, and dignity of the victim are just an instrument of terrorist pressure on certain “third forces.”

Moreover, the demands and slogans proclaimed by the perpetrators are only a cover for the demands put forward by the organizers of the terrorist attacks. Both the perpetrators of terrorist attacks and their victims are “consumables” in the interaction between the organizers of terrorist attacks and the ruling groups. This trend requires a radical revision of criminal policy, a strategy not only to combat, but also to actually minimize the damage from terrorism.

Causes and trends in the development of terrorism

International organizations and terrorism scientists constantly pay attention to the problem of the causes of terrorism. Thus, the United Nations in resolution 40/61 noted that the roots of terrorism and acts of violence stem “from poverty, hopelessness, misfortune and despair, prompting some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own, in the pursuit of radical change.” Similar wording is given in subsequent UN conventions.

However, the reasons indicated in the UN documents are not only not the only ones, but not even the predominant ones. The “hopelessness and despair” referred to in the UN Convention gave rise to terrorism in the United States and was caused primarily by racial discrimination. But if we remember the terrorists from the well-known groups: “Red Brigades”, “Red Army Faction”, etc., then most of them belonged to the wealthy segments of the population. In closed, stagnant societies, such as the Bushmen South Africa or among the Maya Indians in Mexico, who are at extremely low levels of economic and social development, there is nothing like political extremism, much less terrorism. Thus, we can say that there is no direct correlation between terrorism and poverty or wealth.

At the level of society, ethnic and religious communities, manifestations of extremism increase during periods of begun but not completed historical changes and modernizations, when the so-called identity crisis associated with the difficulties of social and cultural self-determination of the individual is almost inevitable. The desire to overcome this crisis gives rise to a number of consequences that can act as prerequisites for political extremism, namely: people’s interest in consolidating in primary, natural communities (ethnic and religious) is being revived, and manifestations of xenophobia are intensifying.

Turning points also lay the groundwork for extremism by significantly increasing people’s interest in historical traditions. Traditionalism, taken to its logical conclusion, is the main prerequisite for various manifestations of such a radical ideological movement as fundamentalism. Almost always, political extremism arises during the period of nation-state building, if it is accompanied by the struggle of the central government against ethnic separatism.

The listed historical factors of extremism indicate the possibility of its manifestation to the greatest extent in zones of concentration of processes of incomplete modernization and cultural marginality. This can largely explain the outbreaks of extremism in the Islamic world.

Extremism and terrorism cannot be compared to a virus that humanity picked up from somewhere. This is his internal illness, generated mainly by disharmonious development in the social, political and cultural fields. However, the processes of incomplete modernization and marginalization themselves can only create the preconditions for extremism. Its transformation into a special ideology and political practice is always the work of specific people and groups.

According to typologies of motivations for terrorism, they can be

* political-ideological (achieving certain goals in the political struggle or in the struggle for some idea);

* selfish (desire to acquire material goods bypassing the existing order);

* emotional, psychopathological.

Political-ideological motivations, in turn, can be socio-political, national (separatist) and religious (fundamentalist).

Organized crime is a disease that affects all democratic societies. But the rise of terrorism over the past decade represents a new form of organized violence directed against democracy. This new type Violence is significantly different from other forms of organized crime, since its goal is to achieve political rather than financial benefits.

Organized crime does not aim to promote political ideas - it seeks to spread corruption through intimidation. Terrorism is the deliberate and systematic intimidation of civilians to achieve one's political goals. This distinguishes it from legitimate military actions, which are directed against enemy troops although they may inadvertently cause harm to civilians.

Terrorist act

* demonstrates to society the powerlessness of government;

* creates precedents of active disobedience and forceful opposition to power - “propaganda by action”;

* activates any forces and sentiments that oppose the authorities;

* hits the economy, reduces the investment attractiveness of the country, worsens its image, reduces the flow of international tourists;

* pushes the country towards radicalization of the political course, towards authoritarian forms of government.

Now a special one is appearing, new feature terrorist acts. Classic terrorism has always been a form of blackmailing the authorities or the world community and openly put forward its demands, for example, to pay a ransom, release like-minded people from prison, stop hostilities, etc. But lately, anonymous terrorist acts with ulterior motives have become increasingly common. One of them may be to unite or expand their own ranks in response to provoked acts of retaliation. In this case, the state (or a group of states), carrying out such actions, plays according to the scenario imposed on it (or them) by extremists.

The first condition for the emergence of terrorism is the formation of an information society. An act of terrorism requires a national, and ideally global, audience. The more powerful the media become, the higher their role in shaping public sentiment, the wider the wave of terrorism.

Modern terrorism is closely connected with modern means information that significantly increases the indirect impact of terrorist actions. The media create a “virtual space” for terrorism, in which real political and psychological effects can be achieved, while being accomplices in the terrorist attack. Totalitarian regimes that have the technological aspects of the information society, but at the same time block the free flow of information through police methods, are not so vulnerable to terrorism. Equally, terrorism is not effective in collapsing countries where the government does not control society.

The second condition for the emergence of terrorism is related to the nature of technology and the laws of development of the technological environment of human existence. As scientific and technological progress develops, the technogenic environment becomes more complex and vulnerable. The state’s ability to block the activities of terrorists at every point in social space at any arbitrary moment is lower than the ability of attackers to strike.

The third condition for the emergence of terrorism is associated with the erosion of traditional society and the formation of a modernized society oriented towards liberal values. Terrorist attacks loudly proclaim that the government is unable to guarantee the life, health and peace of mind of citizens; therefore, the authorities are responsible for it. This is the essence of the mechanism of political blackmail that terrorists use.

The fourth condition for the emergence of terrorism is real problems that arise in the course of historical development. The most common causes of terrorism are separatism and national liberation movements, as well as religious, ethnic, and ideological conflicts. Terrorism occurs at the boundaries of cultures and eras of historical development. The most striking example of this is the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, where deeply traditional Palestinian society comes into contact with the modernized society of Israel.

Terrorism finds its most threatening expression in the context of the revival of Islamic fundamentalism. The rise of Islamic terrorism is qualitatively different from the terrorism we have had to deal with so far. It is born from an irrational cultural source - militant Islam, which strives for world domination and has millions of adherents. The spiritual and ideological void created by the collapse of communism opened the way for the triumphant march of militant Islam in many parts of the Middle East and other regions that had previously flirted with communism as an ideology worthy of understanding.

Militant Muslims place ideological zeal above life itself. An example is the increasingly frequent use of bomb explosions carried out by suicide terrorists (although this is typical mainly for Eastern terrorism.) Such crimes are not typical even for separatist (Basque, Corsican, etc.) and national-religious terrorism, since in Christian culture there is traditionally negative attitude towards suicide.

In the report "Cartography of the Future of the World", the US National Intelligence Council combined the forecasts of leading international experts and tried to look into the future 15 years, identifying new global trends that could affect events in the world. There are no signs that the key elements fueling international terrorism today will subside in the next 15 years, the report says, and terrorists are likely to try to take advantage of globalization to achieve their goals.

According to the report, many states and non-state actors (terrorists) can gain access to weapons of mass destruction. The apparent interest in acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons increases the risk of a major terrorist attack using such weapons. Radical Islam will pose a significant threat to global stability; the world expects the popularity of the ideology of jihad to grow.

Terrorist groups will continue to use conventional weapons and explosives in future attacks, adding new, more sophisticated destructive schemes. “It is likely that terrorists will be most original not in the technologies or weapons they use, but in their operational concepts, i.e. scale, structure or mechanisms for ensuring terrorist attacks,” the forecast says.

Recent scientific advances in the field of biology have made terrorist and undeclared military actions using biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD) a reality. The scale of such actions can be varied: from the destruction of key political figures to full-scale biological warfare, carried out by hidden methods and threatening the physical destruction of the population of any state in the world.

What makes biological weapons of mass destruction particularly dangerous is their relative availability. Today, the production of biological weapons of mass destruction is available to 120 countries of the world, 17 countries have programs related to bio-weapons. All aspects of possible bio-terrorism are dangerous for the world community: political, criminal, religious, as well as the actions of mentally unstable individuals. The intellectual barrier that complicates the use of bioweapons is constantly decreasing as relevant information appears in open sources, including electronic networks.

Terrorists can be expected to continue to launch cyberattacks designed to disrupt critical information networks such as computer systems and communication systems, and - with an even greater likelihood - causing physical damage to information systems, the authors of the report note. Information Technology, providing instant connection, communication and training, will allow the terrorist threat to become increasingly centralized, becoming a collection of groups, cells and individuals that do not require a fixed headquarters to plan and conduct operations. It is noted that the Internet in on a global scale will provide terrorists and their structures with a ready resource educational materials, goal guidance, weapons know-how and fundraising.

Facilitated by global communications, the revival of Muslim identity will provide the basis for the spread of radical Islamic ideology within and beyond the Middle East, including Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Western Europe. This revival will be accompanied by greater solidarity among Muslims caught up in national or regional secessionist conflicts such as those in Palestine, Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir, the Philippines and southern Thailand.

“Informal networks of charitable foundations, religious schools, informal banking systems and other mechanisms will continue to proliferate and be exploited by radical elements,” the report says. And alienation among unemployed youth will increase the ranks of those susceptible to terrorist recruitment.

Besides,

* There will apparently be a transformation of the terrorist’s personality and the mechanism of criminal behavior. First of all, this will probably be reflected in the professionalization, the transformation of terrorism into a permanent profession. The consequence of this may be a change in the nature of terrorism as a whole: the strengthening of well-organized, clandestine and extensive terrorist groups;

* the reaction of society, in all likelihood, will be passive in nature and reduced to gradual adaptation, adaptation to conditions of constant danger. In these conditions, the fight against terrorism will fall entirely on the intelligence services;

* terrorism is likely to be characterized by further sharp changes in quantitative and qualitative aspects. In all likelihood, the most common forms and methods of action by terrorist organizations will be aerial terrorism of all varieties, including the use of surface-to-air missiles, missile attacks on ground targets using remote-controlled launchers; poisoning of food, water sources and medicines; the use of methods from the arsenal of chemical and biological warfare; widespread use of booby traps; attempts to seize radioactive substances, nuclear, chemical, biological and other types of weapons of mass destruction or their components.

Internal armed conflicts and international terrorism and their relationship

terrorism armed conflict international cooperation

Such a problem as internal armed conflicts, the causes of their occurrence and their impact on the military-political situation in individual countries, regions and the world is extremely important, since in modern conditions it is internal armed conflicts that are increasingly becoming detonators of serious and dangerous geopolitical explosions. They very often come into contact with, and even merge with, the phenomenon of terrorism, which at this stage poses a threat to international peace and security.

Considering the problem of internal armed conflicts in their connection with international terrorism, it should be noted that this is not typical for all internal conflicts: it depends on the nature of the conflict that has arisen, its driving forces and the goals that its initiators and leaders set for themselves.

The international nature of people's lives, new means of communication and information, new types of weapons sharply reduce the importance of state borders and other means of protection against terrorism. The variety of terrorist activities is increasing, which is increasingly linked to national, religious, ethnic conflicts, separatist and liberation movements.

One of the problematic situations is the delimitation of terrorism from the liberation and national liberation struggles. Terrorism, as a rule, is not of a mass nature; it is self-contained. On the other hand, if the liberation struggle is based on the killing of innocent civilians, women and children, then it is no different from terrorism.

The difference between terrorism and other forms of political conflict (revolution, war, guerrilla warfare) consists of using tactics of indiscriminate and unlimited violence or the threat of its use against individuals or groups of the population who find themselves victims in most cases due to random circumstances, that is, who are not direct opponents of terrorists.

No matter how numerous and irreconcilable the various extremist groups and movements may be, without the support of their actions at the state and international levels, today they are not able to independently solve the tasks they have set for themselves. The support of a sovereign state is able to provide terrorists with ideological and material assistance, vocational training, diplomatic cover, financial and technical means. With the support of the state, terrorists become part of a social environment that encourages them. Examples are the contras in Nicaragua, dushmans in Afghanistan, militants in Kosovo and Chechnya.

Terrorism as a weapon to eliminate the enemy has transformed into a tool foreign policy. There was even a new term - “export of terrorism”. The Israeli experience best demonstrates the difference between domestic terrorism and the threat of foreign terrorism. Now there is practically no export of terrorism to Israel from neighboring Arab states, and, of course, not because they have special sympathy for Israel, but because they have been shown what the price of supporting or condoning terrorism is.

Interethnic armed conflicts or conflicts between official authorities and terrorist armed groups and organizations are effective method destabilization of the situation in a number of regions.

Over the course of a number of years, the epicenter of terrorist activity has shifted from Latin American countries to Japan, Germany, Turkey, Spain, and Italy. At the same time, terrorist actions by such organizations as the IRA in England and Northern Ireland and ETA in Spain were carried out with varying degrees of intensity. IN last years In the Middle East, Islamic paramilitary terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, Sikh terrorist movements and groups in India, Algerian and other terrorists developed great activity.

In the territory of the former USSR, in conditions of aggravation of social, political, interethnic and religious contradictions and conflicts, post-Soviet terrorism flourished in full bloom. Terrorist organizations have established close ties with each other on a common ideological, religious, military, commercial and other basis.

However, flirting with international terrorism and attempts to use it in one’s own interests are fraught with serious problems in the future. Internal armed conflicts will cease to be dangerous for countries and peoples only when the practice of using these conflicts by third countries to solve their geopolitical and other problems is ended.

Anti-terrorism legislation of states

A regulatory legal framework adequate to the realities of the time is of key importance in the fight against terrorism. Simultaneously with the start of work on creating anti-terrorism legislation in Western Europe and the United States, the so-called “new legal culture” began to take shape. The immediate problem of legislative regulation of countering terrorism, including international terrorism, can be divided into two large blocks.

The first is the adoption of legislative acts necessary for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies to increase the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism.

The second is the creation of conditions for improving the quality of international cooperation between intelligence services to counter terrorism. At the same time, the priority efforts of legislators should be aimed at developing legal measures to eliminate the material basis of terrorism.

Leading Western states: Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and the USA not only made structural changes in the current legislation, but also adopted a number of special anti-terrorism laws. In the last quarter of the 20th century, the main international conventions were adopted, that is, the improvement of domestic and international legislation was carried out in parallel.

Although the definition of terrorism varies from state to state, terrorism is considered a purely criminal offense in the domestic criminal law of most countries. In the anti-terrorism legislation of countries Western Europe and the United States, common trends prevail, which legal scholars call a “legal repressive strategy.” The main directions of this strategy include:

* participation in conspiracies aimed at committing acts of terrorism itself should be considered as an already committed crime;

* automatic increase in sentence if it is established that the crime was committed for the purposes of terrorist activities;

* criminal liability for persons belonging to any of the prohibited organizations, inducing other persons to do so, or participating in a meeting of prohibited organizations;

* guilt of belonging to terrorism of any person who finances terrorist activities or induces other persons to do so;

* simplification of the procedure for considering cases related to terrorism;

* the possibility of bringing to justice persons suspected of having links with terrorists, the right to search and arrest without presenting a warrant;

* deportation of foreign citizens suspected of having links with terrorists, refusal to issue entry visas to citizens of states that support terrorism, as well as to all persons suspected of terrorism;

* increasing the terms of preventive detention of persons suspected of terrorism and limiting their rights to appeal to the authorities;

* a legislative ban on the collection, storage, publication and transmission of information relating to the police, security forces, court officials and prosecutors, employees of the penitentiary system, which may be useful to terrorists;

* criminal liability for concealing information that could be useful for preventing terrorist acts.

National organizations fighting international terrorism

From the middle of the twentieth century to armed forces Special anti-terrorist units for special purposes began to appear in different countries. The creation of such units is dictated by the need to carry out anti-terrorist measures in connection with the unprecedented increase in terrorist activity in the world.

Israel has been the target of extremist activities for more than 50 years. The modern stage of the fight against terrorism began in Israel in 1972, when a group of Arab extremists from the Black September organization captured several Israeli athletes in the Olympic village in Munich. From that moment on, both in Israel and in a number of other countries, special anti-terrorist units began to be created.

Currently, the fight against terrorism in Israel is headed by an operational headquarters, which includes representatives of the armed forces, police and intelligence services, including representatives of the Mossad intelligence service. Its tactics are based on delivering preventive strikes against terrorists, including by obtaining advance information from agents operating among them; carrying out retaliatory strikes against the organizers and perpetrators of terrorist acts that could not be prevented.

The intelligence group of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense "Saeret Matkal" was created in 1957 as an intelligence special unit, since 1968 switched to anti-terrorism activities. Considered the best anti-terrorism unit in the world. "YAMAM" is a unit of the Israeli police. Created in 1974 as a special service responsible for anti-terrorist actions exclusively within Israel.

Germany. The “Federal Border Protection Group” GSG-9 was created after the Munich Olympic tragedy in 1972. Today, this group not only fights terrorists, but also provides security for diplomats during trips to the Near and Middle East. Helps German counterintelligence by organizing surveillance of terrorists. The GSG-9 special group is considered the most effective among other European special forces in carrying out combat anti-terrorist operations.

USA. The main task of the FBI (the leading structure in the fight against terrorism), the CIA and other intelligence services included in the US intelligence community is to quickly monitor the situation at home and abroad through interaction, conducting intelligence work against terrorist organizations, improving technical means and information technology. analytical bodies. Within the structure of the joint center for combating terrorism, which includes specialists from various ministries and departments, a special group has been created to prevent terrorist acts against citizens of the United States and allied states, as well as important military and government facilities. Accepted special program, aimed at preventing incidents in the United States similar to the incident in the Tokyo subway, the implementation of which is the responsibility of the US Army Chemical and Biological Defense Command.

Each of the 59 FBI directorates created at least one combat unit Counter-Terrorism (SWAT), numerous teams have been created to investigate and prevent terrorist bombings. Unlike European countries The United States did not create a special unified anti-terrorist unit. Its function is performed primarily by the FBI's domestic terrorism unit (including Delta Force).

Delta Squad is a special forces task force of the American Army created in 1976. The main anti-terrorist unit of the United States. Engaged in the release of American hostages abroad.

NYPD Emergency Service Unit (ESU).

LAPD Squad (SWAT). Created in 1965. An elite unit used both within the country and abroad.

Naval Special Purpose Group (NSWDG). The service was founded in 1980. Responsible for US anti-terrorist actions on the water. These soldiers are trained throughout the United States. Joint exercises are also taking place with more experienced teams such as the German GSG-9 and English SAS-22.

Great Britain. Most countries have come to the conclusion that a special organization should be involved in the fight against terrorism. Great Britain was one of the first to follow this path, creating the special service SAS-22 in 1941 as an elite, highly professional anti-terrorist organization. Today, SAS-22 focuses on combating terrorists of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a Catholic paramilitary group that advocates the reunification of the British province of Ulster with Ireland. In terms of combat training, SAS-22 is comparable only to Israeli counter-terrorist units, but surpasses them in armament.

France. Created in 1991, the government's anti-terrorism program, Vigipirate, is still in effect today. Vigipirate Plan is in the Top 40 possible measures, provided by the French government in case of various kinds of critical situations.

"National Gendarmerie Intervention Group" (GIGN). Created in March 1974 to combat Arab terrorism in France. The “BRI” (search and destroy) units, which have exclusive powers, are also fighting terrorists.

Russia. Directorate “A” of the FSB Department for Combating Terrorism is a special unit. At first it was Detachment 7 of the KGB Alpha Directorate, created in 1974.

Directorate “B” of the FSB Special Forces Center. In 1981, under the management of “S2” of the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, the Vympel group was created. Very quickly it became one of the best special forces units in the world. In 1994, within the FSB, the Vympel group turned into the B division (Vega).

Australia - Tactical Assault Group (TAG), Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). The Australian SASR was formed in 1957. Today the SASR is one of the groups responsible for fighting terrorism in Australia. Australian officers of the group constantly cooperate with the British SAS, the New Zealand SAS, and the German GSG-9.

Spain. In Spain, a special operations group (SEO) has been formed as a police anti-terrorism unit, which includes the best specialists from the country's special services.

The annual report of the US State Department, “Currents in Global Terrorism,” provides global statistics on the activity of global terrorist organizations. Since 2001, when the September 11 attacks occurred in the United States, terrorist activity has fallen by 45 percent. The State Department believes that this situation is a consequence of strengthened ties between the community of nations, which in recent years have joined forces in the fight against extremists who use terrorism to achieve their goals. An example of such cooperation is the Program of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States to combat international terrorism and other manifestations of extremism.

In particular, this program provides for generalizing and disseminating positive experience in conducting anti-terrorist measures, the practice of investigating acts of terrorism and other manifestations of extremism; conduct joint command post and operational-tactical anti-terrorism exercises in the format of interested parties; expand and improve contacts and cooperation with international centers and organizations involved in the fight against international terrorism, as well as with their relevant specialized structures.

Legal regulation of international cooperation

International means used in the fight against terrorism include some international bodies and organizations: UN, Interpol, international expert organizations. Within certain limits, the institution of extradition of persons who have committed an act of international terrorism operates; it is widely discussed in UN bodies and other international organizations, among scientists and politicians, the question of the international criminal court as a means of combating international terrorism.

Over the past decades, a significant legal framework has been created in the form of numerous international conventions to combat terrorism. The UN position in the fight against international terrorism is reflected in 12 international conventions and 46 UN Security Council resolutions. They provide for mutual obligations of states to counteract various types and forms of terrorist activity. In particular, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1373.

Resolution 1373 (28 September 2001) imposes the following obligations on UN member states:

* introduce criminal liability for financing terrorism;

* immediately block any funds related to persons who commit terrorist acts;

* ban all types of financial support to terrorist groups;

* deny terrorists shelter, livelihood or other support;

* exchange information with other governments about any groups committing or planning terrorist attacks;

* cooperate with other governments in the investigation, identification, arrest, extradition and prosecution of persons involved in such acts;

* introduce criminal liability in accordance with domestic laws for active or passive support of terrorism and bring violators of these laws to justice;

* become a party to the relevant international conventions and protocols on counter-terrorism as soon as possible.

Cooperation in the fight against terrorism was formalized by convention within the framework of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Organization of American States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

At a meeting on the fight against terrorism (Paris, July 30, 1996), the ministers of the G8 (Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Canada, USA, France, Japan, Russia) adopted a final document in which they declared their determination to give priority attention to fight against terrorism, reviewed trends in the development of terrorism in the world. The forum participants presented at the final press conference a list of 25 measures to combat terrorism, which they agreed upon, a significant part of which relates to the national competence of states.

The document obliges the signatory countries to renounce any passive or active support for terrorists; strengthen legal measures for prosecution of terrorist activities; bring to trial any person accused of committing, preparing, or assisting in carrying out terrorist acts.

The success of the fight against terrorism directly depends on real operational cooperation between intelligence agencies. The significance of the conference held in Paris also lies in the fact that it contributed to overcoming a serious psychological barrier that traditionally divides representatives of this profession. The leading countries of the world have come to the realization that the criminal world united much earlier than their law enforcement agencies, and the understanding has strengthened that terrorism can only be defeated through joint efforts.

Actions against the threat of international terrorism must be bilateral in nature: international and domestic. Measures taken at the international level will prevent its domestic manifestations, and vice versa. All states must adhere to the same rules, terrorism must be declared a crime against humanity.

Necessary:

* review laws on international trade and adopt a number of amendments to them that limit trade in gas centrifuges, enriched uranium and other dangerous “components” of weapons of mass destruction;

* subject terrorist states, which for the most part have a monocultural, resource-based economy and therefore may feel the consequences of economic sanctions, to diplomatic, economic and military sanctions;

* neutralize terrorist enclaves: terrorists cannot be allowed to penetrate into areas that are not independent states, but serve as terrorist shelter and support zones (for example, the Hezbollah enclave in southern Lebanon);

* freeze the financial assets of terrorist regimes and organizations in Western banks;

* develop cooperation international services security, overcome mutual suspicion, coordinate actions between the intelligence services of all free countries;

* review legislation to take action against countries that incite violence;

* introduce restrictions on the ownership of weapons, their mandatory registration, as well as strengthen control over weapons;

* tighten immigration laws;-

* actively pursue and eliminate terrorist groups;

* refrain from releasing from prison persons found guilty of committing terrorist acts;

* train strength special purpose to combat terrorism, as well as train police in special techniques and tactics for suppressing terrorists;

* conduct educational work, explain to the broad masses of the population the program of combating terrorism.

A comprehensive approach to the eradication of international terrorism involves the use of the entire range of measures of a political, economic, financial, and humanitarian nature. The UN and leading financial and economic organizations and institutions are developing programs to ensure more balanced, non-discriminatory conditions for global socio-economic development.

It would be an unforgivable mistake to identify terrorism with any religion, nationality or culture. It is necessary to establish dialogue and mutual understanding between different civilizations based on the common values of protecting human life and dignity.

Sources of terrorist financing

According to the latest data, there are more than 500 terrorist organizations and movements in the world. Most of them have the character of international, carefully clandestine communities of like-minded fanatics with iron discipline, extensive connections and powerful financial support. Along with a large number of terrorist organizations and groups, there is an equally large number of various structures supporting them, including state sponsors of terrorism.

One fact that has long been obvious, but not discussed for diplomatic reasons: without support sovereign states the existence of modern terrorism is impossible. According to studies, the total budget in the field of terrorism ranges from 5 to 20 billion dollars annually. The “quantity” of terrorism gave rise to its new quality, and technological progress, giving it new opportunities, potentially made it equal to entire states.

Terrorist states and terrorist organizations together form a terrorist network, the components of which support each other not only politically, but also operationally. Therefore, it is not enough to destroy terrorists - the entire terrorist network must be dismantled. Severe political, economic and military sanctions must be applied to regimes that support and finance terrorism.

The fight against international crime and terrorism must be built systematically with the goal of limiting their containment. A comprehensive approach is required, including freezing the assets, accounts of any corporation, individual or charity if they have ties to terrorists. Forceful actions against radical terrorists must be preceded by in-depth financial intelligence.

True independence of the terrorist environment appears when, due to the initial financial support of supporters and sponsors, a system of basing and training is created and self-financing is ensured. The main way of self-financing is criminal activity. Today, the main sources of financing terrorism are control of the drug business, racketeering, prostitution, arms trafficking, smuggling, gambling, etc.

“Economically established” terrorism is capable of serious independent activity, and not only on the scale of “their” country. However, today the deployment of such activities is possible only if there are structures for money laundering - in the form of controlled banks, firms, and manufacturing enterprises. The terrorist environment creates such an economic sector, now called the “gray economy.”

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Introduction

The 20th century became a time of terror unheard of in history - state, political, national, religious. Totalitarian tyrants, political adventurers, religious fanatics, nationalist separatists, insane and half-insane “correctors” of sinful humanity and simply scoundrels became the culprits of the death of millions of innocent victims. And now the world community is shuddering at reports of ever new terrorist acts.

Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in its scale and intensity, in its inhumanity and cruelty, has now become one of the most acute and pressing problems of global significance.

The emergence of terrorism entails massive human casualties and the destruction of spiritual, material, and cultural values. It generates hatred and mistrust between social and national groups. Terrorist acts have led to the need to create an international system to combat it. For many people, groups, organizations, terrorism has become a way to solve problems: political, religious, national. Terrorism refers to those types of criminal violence that can target innocent people, anyone who has nothing to do with the conflict.

Recently, the number of terrorist attacks has increased significantly. According to some data, if in the early 90s the probability of becoming a victim of a terrorist attack was estimated as 1:10000000, now this probability has increased by 20-30 times! It is very scary that for many people, groups and organizations, terrorism has become just a way to solve their problems: political, national, religious. It is now especially often resorted to by those who otherwise cannot achieve success in open battle, political competition, and the implementation of their delusional ideas of reorganizing the world and universal happiness.

The scale and cruelty of modern terrorism, the need for a continuous fight against it, primarily through legal methods, confirms the relevance of the chosen topic.

However, terrorism, as a global problem, requires constant attention and study and therefore represents a wide field for research with subsequent practical application. We, ordinary people, can do the only thing in our power – to protect ourselves and our loved ones. We must know our enemy by sight, which is why I took on this essay.

I. Terrorism is intimidation

First of all, it is necessary to say what terrorism is, what its goals, essence, meaning are, what it represents as a means.

Instilling terror is the main feature of terrorism, its specificity, which makes it possible to separate it from related and very similar crimes. Terrorism acts as a way to weaken the enemy through both physical change of some object (objects) of the crime and mental influence on the opposing side.

Terrorism in no case can be reduced only to the murders of leading government officials, just as armed robbery attacks by revolutionaries in order to seize material assets for their party should not be considered terrorism. So, this crime is not the actions of a group of militants led by Stalin and Kamo, who on June 13, 1907. in Tiflis, on Yerevan Square, the famous expropriation was carried out. On that day, militants bombed a convoy escorting a collection carriage with money from the State Bank, and seized, according to various estimates, from 250 to 341 thousand rubles. Dozens of people were killed and wounded during this “execution.” The money was delivered to Bolshevik leaders abroad. Here there is robbery and murder, but not terrorism, since the meaning of the latter is intimidation, instilling terror in order to achieve certain goals, mainly psychological and political.

Perhaps such actions of the “existists” frightened the authorities, but this was only a side effect. And in the modern world there are many common criminal groups that, while committing banal robbery, will hide behind revolutionary and political phrases, without setting themselves goals that can be achieved through intimidation.

We can say that terrorism is violence that contains the threat of other, no less brutal violence, in order for military and public order, instill fear, force the enemy to make the desired decision, cause political and other changes. Apparently, this is the intimidation of death.

1. Definition of terrorism in the Criminal Law.

For law enforcement practice, the only definition of terrorism, which is given in the criminal law (Article 205): “... committing an explosion, arson or other actions that create a danger of death, causing significant property damage or causing other socially dangerous consequences, if these actions are committed in for the purpose of violating public safety, intimidating the population, or to influence decision-making by government authorities, as well as the threat of committing these actions for the same purposes.” In addition, the law defines a terrorist act (Article 277): “An attack on the life of a state or public figure, committed in order to stop his state or other political activities, or out of revenge for such activities...”.

In addition, the Russian Criminal Code provides for criminal liability for “a knowingly false report about an act of terrorism”, “a knowingly false report about an impending explosion, arson or other actions that create a danger of death or other socially dangerous consequences” (Article 207).

Nowadays, in journalism and the media, terrorism is often used as a term to designate extremist, well-organized, trained and clandestine groups of criminals who commit the most dangerous crimes, usually murder. In the practice of recent decades, such criminals are often Arab terrorists. Such an expanded or shifted understanding of terrorism is acceptable, but it must be remembered that it does not correspond to the criminal law of Russia and many other countries.

Over the years, the UN General Assembly adopted about 10 resolutions on national, regional and international terrorism, but was never able to give a more or less acceptable definition of this phenomenon. This is not easy to do due to the multifaceted nature of terrorism, but in order to understand it, it is necessary to identify the meaning of terrorism, i.e. that is what terrorist acts are committed for, not any criminal violence.

The object of terrorist attacks is, on the one hand, the people who are victims of such attacks, and on the other, the existing order, including the order of government, territorial integrity, the administration of justice, political structure, etc.

The issue of methods of terrorism requires special attention, the criminal legal, criminological, criminalistic (search) and moral significance of which is difficult to overestimate. Russian criminal law speaks of “committing an explosion, arson and other actions.” As it should be assumed, other actions may include all kinds of poisoning, the spread of epidemics and epizootics, infections, capture, and the use of firearms. There are a lot of such examples that can be cited, since the world does not stand still, society develops, and with it, unfortunately, more and more new murder weapons come into use.

Some 20-25 years ago, radioactive substances were almost never used for murder. Now there is a real threat that such substances could be used on a fairly large scale by terrorists. Attacks on power plants and the use of chemical and bacteriological weapons are possible. In 1995, in Japan, terrorists from the sectarian organization “AUM-Senrike” launched a gas attack on the subway, which injured hundreds of people. Also recently in America, recipients received letters in which anthrax spores were discovered.

2. Terrorist.

….Terrorists own modern weapons, communications, modern computer and other equipment, publish their own literature, newspapers, magazines and leaflets, they are supported by some totalitarian states, they have allies in the highest echelons of power.

How do terrorists create fear in people?

weapons of mass destruction . It has good reasons: firstly, from a technical point of view, making such a weapon is not difficult in our time. Secondly, neo-fascist states, for example, North Korea, Libya, Iraq, could supply terrorists with similar weapons;

explosions . In the XIX-XX centuries. terrorists very often resorted to explosions, which led to numerous casualties. But sometimes they can just be warnings. In general, explosions, due to their nature, have a significant psychological impact on people, giving them fear and panic;

hostage taking . This also largely affects the human psyche when terrorists begin to kill in order to achieve their goal. However, this interpretation of terrorism does not correspond to Russian criminal law, which identifies hostage-taking as an independent crime.

The danger of terrorism is not connected with the number of its victims today - the total number of terrorist murders throughout the world cannot be compared with ordinary murders, of which there are immeasurably more. But nevertheless, terrorism, in particular international terrorism, can be placed next to the nuclear radiation threat and the economic crisis, since, firstly, terrorists can, as has been repeatedly noted, use nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and cause significant damage to the natural environment; secondly, terrorists inspire not only horror and unequivocal condemnation, but also curiosity and admiration, and, therefore, are capable of attracting a lot of people; thirdly, the scale of terrorism in individual countries, its tendency to spread to national borders and especially the rampant transnational international organizations pose the threat of provoking serious military conflicts and even wars; fourthly, the dangerous feature of terrorism is that very often its meaning is not to improve, but to worsen the socio-political and economic situation in a given country or region of the world in order to achieve narrowly selfish desires, demonstrations of the strength of one’s group, self-affirmation of leaders, ensuring the triumph of their ideas or teachings, etc.

Experts believe that terrorists are now using tougher, more sophisticated methods of carrying out terrorist attacks, at a higher level of technology. Modern technical means and special technology make it possible to make a professional terrorist the same sniper shot what a professional counter-terrorist can do. If at the beginning of the 20th century, terrorist revolutionaries generally did not have special military training, learned everything through experience, and actually did not have a training base or training program, then representatives of modern groups have their own bases both in their own country and abroad, and special technology , qualified instructors, many of whom underwent terrorist training comparable to the training of special forces or secret services. They study intelligence and counterintelligence, external surveillance and countersurveillance, and the use of special means for this.

The subject of terrorism can be the state, its higher and local bodies, its military units and punitive institutions, parties and movements and their “combat” units, partisan formations, individual groups, including secret societies, and finally, individuals.

The breeding ground for the emergence of these armed organizations is intranational or international conflicts; in the latter case, the corresponding groups are created on the initiative or with the participation of the state. They can significantly influence the solution of political, national, religious and other problems, for example, in matters of national self-determination. However, their role should not be exaggerated and it should not be assumed that new states can even emerge as a result of their criminal actions alone.

Types of Terrorist Movements

Terrorist groups may be extended branches or links of organized crime groups, or may associate with and interact with such groups. If such a group arises at the initiative of the state or is supported by it, then if it fails, the state will most likely disown it.

P. Wilkinson rightly notes that terrorism should not be equated with violence in general, that terrorism is a specific form of violence (“coercive intimidation”); At the same time, he believes that active terrorist movements are largely related to the ideas of Marxism. He identifies 4 types of terrorist movements:

a) movements of nationalist, autonomist and ethnic minorities;

b) ideological groups or secret societies seeking various forms of “Revolutionary” justice or social liberation;

c) a group of emigrants or exiles with separatist or revolutionary aspirations regarding their homeland;

d) transnational gangs that enjoy the support of some countries and act in the name of world revolution.

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The systematic and coordinated use of violence by organized groups on an international scale, as well as the threat of such violence. The goal of international terrorism is to destabilize the situation in a large region or the world as a whole, sow panic among the population and ensure that the states that are the targets of the attack comply with the terrorists’ demands.
International terrorism is the reaction of certain social, religious and ethnic groups to the processes of globalization. As a result of the contact of civilizations and the modernization of traditional (pre-industrial) societies, these groups, for one reason or another, feel infringed on their rights. Lacking the strength to fight for their interests by legal means, they resort to terrorism as a strategy for the struggle of the weak against the strong. What is important for terrorism is not violence itself, but the feeling of horror and helplessness that arises in society after another terrorist act.
Terrorism is blackmail, the object of which is the governments of democratic countries (elected by the population and therefore directly dependent on public opinion).

The media, which have proliferated as a result of the information revolution, have provided terrorists with an excellent way to influence the societies of developed countries. The degree of coverage of a terrorist act in the media determines its impact on society. An unknown terrorist act becomes meaningless (this distinguishes it from sabotage or political murder).
With the development of high technologies, the emergence of new energy sources ( nuclear power plants) and means of information transmission (global navigation and communication systems), humanity is becoming increasingly vulnerable even to targeted terrorist attacks. The destruction or damage of a key facility (within a technological complex) has catastrophic consequences for a large region or the planet as a whole. The number of such objects is constantly increasing, and the ability of states to ensure their adequate protection is correspondingly decreasing. This makes even the threat of a terrorist attack more significant. Thus, thanks to the development of modern types of weapons, a small professional organization with a minimum of financial and material resources can cause enormous damage to a powerful state.

International terrorism arose when regional terrorist organizations realized the unity of current (tactical) goals (destabilization of the situation in developed capitalist countries), began to exchange information, weapons, technologies (since the 1960s), conduct joint training of militants (since the 1970s .), coordinate their actions (since the 1980s) and jointly carry out a series of terrorist attacks in different parts of the world (since the 1990s).
The grounds for regional terrorism are usually separatism and the national liberation struggle, political, religious, ethnic and/or ideological confrontation, and criminal interests. Regional terrorism can only exist if part of society supports the goals and methods of terrorists.

International terrorism does not need such support. It relies on hidden assistance from certain states and financial structures interested in destabilizing the situation on the territory of an enemy state or in obtaining excess profits as a result of a sharp change in world prices (for example, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack against the World Trade Center in New York and The Pentagon led to a collapse in the shares of the largest transnational corporations; world oil prices are sensitive to major terrorist attacks).
The greatest threat today is posed by the so-called. Islamic terrorism of a confessional nature. This segment of international terrorism is based on the idea of jihad, interpreted (contrary to the generally accepted teachings of Islam) as an uncompromising “holy war” with any non-believers. The leader of international terrorism is considered to be Osama Bin Laden, the sponsors are some states (Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, etc.) and financial structures of the Arab East, individuals, enterprises of the legal and shadow economy (including drug trafficking, in this case a merging international terrorism and organized crime).

The connection between regional terrorist organizations, and especially the connection between terrorists and those who finance their activities, is carefully disguised. Identifying the links in this chain and preventing another terrorist attack is the main task special services states. The implementation of anti-terrorist measures may be accompanied by restrictions on the rights and freedoms of citizens (subjects).
After September 11, 2001, an anti-terrorist coalition of states emerged (led by the United States), international terrorism was declared the most terrible threat to world civilization, the fight against it was declared as one of the most important tasks of any democratic state. Support of terrorism by any state becomes the basis for an economic blockade and even forceful actions by the world community against this country.

Terrorism as a global problem of our time. International terrorism is a global problem of our time Terrorism as a global problem

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Introduction

I. Terrorism is intimidation