Course Syllabus

Terrorism and Counter-terrorism from a European Perspective

 

 

Semester & Location:	Fall 2017 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Århus, Denmark and Belfast/Brussels
Major Disciplines:	History, International Relations, Political Science
Faculty Members:	Martin Cleemann Rasmussen
Program Director:	Neringa B. Vendelbo (nb@dis.dk)
Time & Place:	Monday and Thursday 10.05-11.25, N7-B13

Description of Course

Terrorism and counter-terrorism has been on everybody’s mind and has been a top-priority security issue since 9/11. However, terrorism didn’t just appear out of the blue on that horrifying September day when the towers fell. It has been a part of European and world politics for decades and even centuries before.

This course is a study of terrorism - its causes, aims, and forms - and of counter-terrorism measures introduced by the international community and individual states. The course examines the implications of terrorism for international politics and the different approaches to countering it in the 20^th and 21^st century.

In order to better understand the concept and phenomenon of terrorism and the attempts to fight it as well as the many challenges faced, we will look at some of the many cases where the use of terror and attempts to deal with terrorism from a European perspective have been central elements.

It is both relevant and important to study terrorism from a European perspective, because (unfortunately) several European countries have a very long history of dealing with terrorism (e.g. Northern Ireland (IRA), Spain (ETA), Italy (Red Brigades), Germany (Red Army Faction), Russia (The People’s Will and The Black Widows) and in recent years also Belgium, France, and Denmark (Al Qaeda and IS)). At the same time, the actual use of terror, which is often not seen as such and in a different perspective by the terrorists themselves, gives an important perspective on why, how, and to what extent terror is useful as a military and political tool for achieving the aims of the terrorists.      

These perspectives will allow us to gain better insight as to why terrorism occurs, how terrorists organize and operate, experiences and problems of counter-terrorism, and the consequences of reacting in different ways to terrorism.

Learning objectives of the course:  By the end of this course students will be able to better understand why terrorism occurs, how terrorists organize and operate, aspects of counter-terrorism possibilities and limits, and what some of the consequences are of reacting in different ways to terrorism. Students will also have an understanding of a number of historical and contemporary European conflicts, where terror has been a key element, which will strengthen the student’s abilities to use comparative analysis.

Faculty Instructor

Martin Cleemann Rasmussen 

MA (Russian and History, University of Copenhagen 2004, graduated on Civil-Military relations in Russia, 1993-99). Associate professor at the Royal Danish Officer Academy (2011- ), Senior Advisor NordGEN at the Nordic Council of Ministers 2005-2009 on Russia and the CIS. Lectures to the general public on military and security affairs as well as used as analyst on Russian matters in Danish news media. With DIS since 2015.

Readings

Main books and articles used in this class (supplemented by a number of films, documentaries etc. )

• Coker, C. “Asymmetrical Warfare: Ends or Means?”, in John Olsen, ed., Asymmetric Warfare (Oslo: Norwegian Air Force Academy 2002
• Coll, Steve:  Ghost Wars – The secret history of the CIA….”. 2005
• Dolnik, Adam ”13 Years since Tokyo: Re-visiting the ”superterrorism” Debate”, Perspectives on Terrorism, Vol. II, 2008 
• Duyvesteyn, Isabelle “The Role of History and Continuity in Terrorism Research”, in Magnus Ranstorp, ed., Mapping Terrorism Research, London: Routledge 2007
• Jespersen, Knud “A history of Denmark”, 2011
• Elster, Jon “Motivations and Beliefs in Suicide Missions”, in Diego Ambetta, ed., Making Sense of Suicide Missions, Oxford: OUP 2005
• Gus Martin, ”Violence in the Name of Faith: Religious Terrorism”, in Understanding Terrorism: Challenges Perspectives, and Issues, Sage 4th ed., 2013
• Gurr, Ted: Why Men Rebel, Princeton, NJ: PUP 1970
• Hoffman, Bruce “Radicalization and Subversion: Al Qaeda and the 7 July 2005 Bombings and the 2006 Airline Bombing Plot”, in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, #32 2009
• Hong, Nathaniel “Occupied – Denmark’s Adaptation and Resistance to German Occupation 1940-1945”, 2011 
• Jackson Richard, Lee Jarvis, Jeroen Gunning, Marie Breen-Smyth,,”Conceptualizing Terrorism”, in Terrorism: A Critical Introduction, Palgrave 2011. 
• Lipman Report: “The Rising Tide of Cyberwarfare: Cyberterrorism and Cybercrime in a Climate of Heightened Global Risk and Economic Instability”, September 2009
• O´Brien, Brendan, “A pocket History of the IRA”, 1997
• Nacos, Brigitte L. ”Terrorist Propaganda and the Media”, in  Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding Threats and Responses in the Post-9/11 World (Pearson, 2nd ed. 2007.
• Obeidallah, Dean “Are all Terrorists Muslims? It’s not even close”,
• Powell, J. “Talking to terrorists – How to end armed conflict,” GB, Vintage, 2015.

Field Studies

FS 1: Wednesday, 27th of September  13.00-17.00, “Fighting terrorism - Interrelationship between police and military"". Major Steen Kærgaard, DIIS. 

FS 2: Wednesday, 8th of November 08.30-12.30  "Designing manual simulations - a practical approach". 

Guest Lecturers

• GL 1 (Date and title TBA) Guest Lecture: "Fighting terrorism in a changing environment - lessons (not) learnt" by Major Niels Vistisen, Danish Defence Academy.
• GL 2 (Date TBA): Propaganda as a tool of radicalization – Jon Kyst, EEAS (European External Action Service)

Approach to Teaching

This course will be a combination of lectures and a discussion-based course using case studies, manual simulations as well as group-work. 

Expectations of the students: 

As the course is partly a discussion-based course, case studies and manual simulations, a high degree of student participation, preparation and engagement is required. Throughout the course, you will also have to develop and practice your own critical thinking by analyzing texts, concepts as well as specific cases to understand the complexity of the field of terrorism and counter-terrorism.

Manual simulations: This class will use a number of manual simulations, which aims to increase the students’ awareness and understanding of issues, dilemmas and decisions involved in terrorism and counter-terrorism. Manual simulations include elements from leadership training, role-playing and crisis management. All students are expected to prepare VERY THOROUGHLY for each of the simulations and it is expected, that students actively engage in all simulations and indulge in the roles assigned. Manual simulations constitute 20% of the overall grade.

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Participation and engagement	20%
Manual simulations	20%
Midterm exam	20%
Final paper/project thesis	10%
Final Paper/project	20%
Study tour work and activities	10%

 

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Policies

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes, guest lectures, workshops and field studies. If you must miss a class for religious holidays, medical reasons, or other valid reasons, you must let us know as far in advance as possible of the absence and obtain information about the work you must do to keep up in class. If you miss a class for any other reason (sudden illness, family emergency, etc.), you should get in touch with us as soon as possible and arrange to make up the work missed.

It is crucial for your learning that you stay on task and hand in assignments on or before the due date. All work– including in-class projects – have to be completed in order to pass the class. Late papers or projects will be marked down with 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late.

Al papers are to be delivered in 1 hard copy and 1 electronic version (to be uploaded to canvas by the student). Late papers are not accepted. 

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others.   Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software.  See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Class Representatives: Class representatives will be elected at the beginning of the semester. Please communicate your feedback on the course to the two representatives. 

Laptops in class: You may use your laptop for note-taking or fact and background checking in my class. Usage not related to the class or our subject is unacceptable for the purpose of this class. Students should also refrain from any activity/behavior that may be disturbing to other students who are making the effort to be attentive. I am relying on your integrity and your respect for our objectives. If you are using your laptop for reasons not related to class, I will reduce your class participation grade significantly.

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISaborad.org