Terrorism, political violence and organised crime - security policy challenges of non-state actors` use of violence - proceedings from an international seminar in Oslo

Abstract

This report contains five papers presented at the seminar Terrorism - Past, Present and Future (Oslo, September 2000). Annika Hansen discusses whether the use of force in peace operations leads to more international terrorism. She examines the case of Kosovo and concludes that the use of force has been accompanied by very few significant international terrorist attacks, but warns that the possibility of retaliatory terrorist action-outside of the conflict areapersists. Tore Bjørgo focuses on the violent and ideological dimensions of transnational right-wing extremism. Youth gangs play an important part in the violence of right-wing movements. Bjørgo suggests several strategies to reduce the size of these groups. Rolf-Inge Vogt Andrésen explores the role of Russian organised crime in the violence and terror that has afflicted Russia during the last decade. He concludes that the violence perpetrated by organised crime represents the far most common form of terrorist violence in the Russian Federation today. Bruce Hoffman stresses the duality of today’s terrorism - it reflects both enormous change and remarkable continuity. The new breed of terrorists may seem more fanatical or irrational than before, but they still seem to be operationally conservative. Future terrorist use of CBRN weapons to achieve mass casualties or destruction may be far less certain than is now commonly assumed. This should have implications for anti-terrorism policies. Brynjar Lia argues that the changes in societal conditions brought about by globalisation will effect the occurrence of terrorism. He explores different ways in which globalisation impacts on the causes of terrorism and presents three main forecasts for future terrorism