Citation

Lloyd P. Br. J. Soc. Work 2006; 36(7): 1254-1255.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjsw/bcl328

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The primary focus of attention in this handbook is the Israeli and American experience of terrorism, although Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Bali are also discussed. There is a tendency to conflate 9/11 with the Israeli experience, blurring the line between 'tactical' and 'strategic' terrorism (Picco, pp. 71-8). Indeed, it is at the point of definition in the first few articles that this collection is most problematic. Tactical terrorism is something Hezbollah or Hamas practice; it has an objective. Strategic terrorism, as practised by Al Qaeda, attempts to provoke a clash of civilizations. Pico's argument is that tactical terrorism seeks negotiations while strategic terrorism does not. The point is that solutions could be found to the Israeli problem while the world has yet to fully digest the political meaning of 9/11. Failing to recognize this difference is a political act--one that denies possible solutions that run counter to established interests. Badiou (2005) makes the point that 'terrorism' as a term originated in the French revolution and was a weapon used by the state; this is in contrast to terrorism today, which is usually constructed as acts of violence performed by stateless organizations.