The dynamics of the modern age have unleashed nuanced challenges and opportunities. The profusion of information and connectivity has not been limited to just the innovators and creators. Rather, it has also provided a platform to the ‘losers of modernity’, who are expressing their ecstasy and anxiety in the form of terrorist activities. The deterritorialized global space has become an equalizer in the asymmetry of the global power structures. However, it has not challenged the preponderant role of power but has provided novel avenues for its exercise and distribution, bringing forth new national security concerns.
Terrorism has been a rampant phenomenon for long. However, its proliferation and frequency have been accentuated since the rise of the digital age. The rise of the net space after the turn of the 20th century has been a landmark phenomenon. Alongside this, it has brought forward new avenues of terror financing, propaganda, networking and inspirations for the practitioners of leaderless resistance. Nonetheless, as the digital space is expanding, a peculiar dipping trend of terrorist attacks to nearly 52% have been recorded by the Global Terrorism Index report of 2019. Such a decline in terrorist activities can not be solely equated vis-a-vis the counter-terrorism strategies. But, there are other variables which are contributing to a remarkable shift in both the nature and frequency of terrorist activities. The process seems to shift from mastering the territorial space to the digital space. Globalization has not just affected the flattening of the world but has created an equalizing force between states and non-state actors. This phenomenon has become an eerie explanation of the current trends of security dilemma among states which are preserving their immunity by sponsoring attacks with the aid of non-state actors. The notorious ‘Stuxnet Worm’ is thus an apt reflection. Thus, unlike working together the states are pitted against one another with the use of these actors which in turn backstab the states.
The rise of virtuality, interdependence and information warfare have brought the terrorist perspectives to the fora inculcating the excessive securitization of terrorism which provides the legitimacy to preemptively counter it. And that too raises the bar of discontent among these groups. Thus, making this strategic counterproductive. Initially, the foreign policy took states as the central actors to international relations however, this centrality has been challenged by the new normal of multiple actors beyond the realm of the states. The Spatio-temporal compression has made the territorial phenomenon irrelevant, a global war on terrorism has been waged, were states; which defined power traditionally, are fighting against the non-state actors; the new shareholders of power.
Furthermore, the new and old terrorism debate also holds significance to better gauge the altering trends of terrorism and the modes of responding to it. The old terrorist campaigns were called a theatrical exercise. However, a case study of 125 substate attacks on civilians shows that governments avoid compliance after civilian attacks thus, making it less effective. In the contemporary debates on new terrorism, the change in degree rather than the kind of terrorism is crucial. There has been a rampant rise in the one-wolf phenomenon indicating that modernization is not a monolithic and homogenous juggernaut of progress and development, terrorism and its ramifications too have become significant benefitted and obstructors to of the digital age and information revolution.
The new age of terrorism which the states face can be categorized through five factors; i.e. the organizational structure of terrorist organizations; the sui generis organizational structures and the rise of leaderless resistance shed light upon how globalization has made the terrorists self-sufficient to exercising their agenda and expanding their propaganda, the recruitment mechanism; a study by Institute for Economic Peace (IEP) presents the case of 32 right-wing terrorist attacks since 2011 and third of those attackers were self-radicalized through the internet, ideological propagation; With a 320% rise (GTI 2019) in such right-wing terrorism in the West, social media is playing a crucial role as a platform for sharing manifesto and even live streaming of attacks, terror financing; and its diversification and transnational nature and nature of attacks; which The Anto Phishing Working Group (APWG) 2019 report indicates an upward trend in phishing attacks over the years. In addition to that, Al Qaeda’s media outlet Al Shabab in 2011 was observed to be propagating the concept of E-Jihad against all those corporations, organizations and governments which oppose their stance.
Thus, the current trends in both globalization and terrorism require a paradigmatic shift for its understanding in order to aptly control and thus counter it. The rise of cyberspace is redefining statehood as it holds its trickle-down impact within the state and a domino effect among the states affected by cyberterrorism. Henceforth, there resort to cyber-terrorism can be a plausible cause for the dwindling number of terrorist activities on the ground. However, the states stand highly vulnerable to cyber-terrorism and attacks as compared to conventional terrorist activities. The states have to coordinate, share information and devise strategies at the local, regional and global levels to curb the dominance of cyber-terrorism and cyberspace by the terrorists and hate-mongers. The task of the foreign policy of states should now focus attention on blocking globalization of terrorism alongside keeping productive globalization intact rather than raising the walls of division, propagating xenophobia and identity thinking, which is though a colossal challenge for the state and society but crucial to maintain the Wilsonian Peace.
The writer is a student of the School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad