4.2 Key actors and issues in terrorism

When examining terrorism within international relations, several key actors play critical roles and various issues emerge. When considering which actors are important in the ‘war on terror’, terrorist groups, the networks they have developed, and the states and militaries opposing them are the most obvious.

Actors

• Militaries: States are key actors in international relations, with their militaries tasked to safeguard national security. States use their militaries to ensure national security, and respond to threats like terrorism. For example, US and UK militaries led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq during the ‘war on terror’.
• Violent non-state actors: These are individuals or groups that use violence but are not state actors. These may include terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda, IS, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
• Networks: Networks represent the tangible and intangible connections that bring individuals, groups, states and international organisations together to pursue shared objectives. Examples include transnational advocacy networks, which are nonviolent groups pushing for global change; dark networks, which are covert groups enabling illegal activities like terrorism and trafficking; coalitions, including state alliances formed to address security threats. An example of a coalition is the ‘coalition of the willing’, which referred to the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003.
• Security and intelligence agencies: Agencies like the CIA and Interpol enforce security policies and protect national and international security, especially during the war on terror.
• Insurgent groups: Unlike terrorists, insurgents aim to overthrow governments or disrupt political systems. For example, IS acted as both an insurgent group and de facto state, controlling territory in Iraq and Syria.
• Private Military Contractors (PMCs): Not all non-state violent actors act in opposition to the state. Mercenary organisations offer military capabilities for profit, and sometimes act in alignment with states. For example, Russia’s Wagner Group is seen to act as a proxy for the Russian state.

In summary, there are various important actors when examining the world of international relations through the lens of the ‘war on terror’. At the same time, terrorism raises a wide range of important issues in international relations, including military-security, political-legal as well as some broader concerns.

Issues

• Military-security issues: Terrorist attacks by groups like Al-Qaeda and IS and the military responses to them have had significant impacts on a global scale. Such responses have disrupted entire regions, strained diplomatic relationships, and resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, injuries, and forced displacement of people. Various questions emerge, such as, how should states take action against terrorism and who is responsible for assisting displaced populations?
• Political and legal issues: The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan highlighted tensions between state sovereignty, international law, and human rights. For example, the Iraq invasion lacked UN approval, raising questions about the legitimacy of interventions. Questions arising include, when is it legitimate to intervene in another state’s affairs and how bound are powerful states by international legal frameworks?
• Broader implications: Terrorism and counter-terrorism measures often destabilise regions, by also affecting neighbouring counties and global politics. Also, attempts to create liberal democracies in conflict zones have often failed. For example, in the case of Afghanistan, following the withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban regained control of the country, leading to questions as to whether the project to develop a liberal democracy in Afghanistan was the most suitable course of action.

Overall, the military-security and political-legal dimensions are the most pressing issues related to terrorism, but they are not exhaustive. These challenges continue to raise debates about how best to address terrorism while respecting human rights, international law and global stability.