Date Thesis Awarded

4-2016

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

International Relations

Advisor

Amy Oakes

Committee Members

Dennis Smith

Colleen Kennedy

Abstract

In the aftermath of terror attacks, international leaders have come to respond using war rhetoric and actions. Public addresses are broadcast on a loop around the world, spreading fear and outrage. This article examines whether a war approach to countering terrorism is successful in the long-term or should governments treat terrorists as criminals. Success is defined as the decrease in terrorist violence. Four case studies are used, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Each state’s counterterrorism policies are identified as either Criminal Justice or War Paradigm. Decreases and Increases of terror violence are then analyzed in the context of the counterterrorism policies to assess how each paradigm contributes to short-term and long-term counterterrorism success.

Recommended Citation

Galston, Arielle Lehner, "Declaring War or Sentencing Criminals? Assessing Short-Term and Long-Term Counterterrorism Success" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 943.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/943