| dc.description.abstract | The present report provides an overview over different strategies of combating terrorism. It serves to clarify the
conceptual basis for analyses in the TeTe2 project and can be used as a reference document that provides a brief
introduction to various anti- and counterterrorism tools. The report outlines major traits of the so-called ‘new’ terrorism,
before discussing means of combating it. At present, the main terrorist threat emerges from radical militant Islamism
and has been dominated by the al-Qaida group. While one of the threat’s defining features is a global ideology and
concomitant network, it has strong local determinants, where conflict, oppression and marginalisation play critical roles.
Terrorism is combated by the following means: political measures, multilateral efforts, military force, intelligence, law
enforcement and socio-economic development assistance. Among the multilateral efforts those directed towards nonproliferation
of weapons of mass destruction are of particular importance.
The report assesses the means in accordance with the degree to which they meet the following objectives: combating
terrorist groups, preventing attacks, preventing recruitment and countering supporters of terrorism. The main avenues
that can mitigate the threat are reducing the terrorists capabilities, their motivation and the target’s vulnerability. The
conclusions point to the prevalence of intelligence and law enforcement, with limited military support, when it comes to
short-term measures, but to the primacy of multilateral political campaigns as well as development and security
assistance to address long-term causes of terrorism. | en_GB |