Abstract
While counterterrorism policy must be reactive to a degree, in that it must evolve in response to threat developments, it cannot be simply reactive. This is especially paramount given the change in the nature of terrorism over the last half century specifically the significant rise in deadly attacks committed by lone actors using readily available items as weapons who may have little to no discernible links to known terrorist organizations. This chapter will detail what counterterrorism is concerned with, provide a conceptual explanation of counterterrorism policy, outline counterterrorism policy at the international and regional levels, and describe counterterrorism policy at the national level using the United Kingdom as an example. This chapter will show through this examination at the various levels that there is a clear global consensus that counterterrorism policy needs to be intelligence-led, must respect the rule of law, and can benefit from being aided by military support to strengthen efforts and increase their effectiveness. It will demonstrate that, in order to be comprehensive, counterterrorism policy should consist of measures concerned with deterrence, prevention, mitigation, and response. It will highlight the importance of dialogue and cooperation at all levels regarding both the internal and external dimensions of counterterrorism policy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Abbreviations
- ACSA:
-
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
- CBRN:
-
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear.
- CVE:
-
Countering Violent Extremism.
- ECHR:
-
European Convention on Human Rights.
- EU:
-
European Union.
- GCTF:
-
Global Counterterrorism Forum.
- IRA:
-
Irish Republican Army.
- ISIL:
-
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
- NATO:
-
North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
- OSCE:
-
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
- RAN:
-
EU Radicalisation Awareness Network.
- UN:
-
United Nations.
- UNCCT:
-
United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre.
- UNCTITF:
-
United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.
- UNCED:
-
United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.
- UNCTC:
-
United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee.
- UNOCT:
-
United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
- US:
-
United States of America.
References
Bawer B (2006) While Europe slept: how radical Islam is destroying the west from within. Random House, New York
BBC News (2019) London Bridge attack: What happened. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40147164#:~:text=London%20Bridge%20attack%3A%20What%20happened%201%20Van%20driven,in%20the%20attack.%20…%204%20The%20attackers.%20 Accessed on 22/09/2020
BBC News (2020) France teacher attack: Seven charged over Samuel Paty’s killing. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54632353 Accessed on 02/12/2020
Clarke R (2004) Against all enemies: inside America’s war on terror. The Free Press, London
Clausewitz C (1976) On War edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Council of Europe (2013) European Convention on Human Rights. https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf Accessed 27/09/2020
Crelinstein R (2009) Counterterrorism. Polity, Cambridge
European Commission (n.d.1) About RAN. https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/about-ran_en Accessed on: 27/09/2020
GCTF. (2011). Political Declaration. https://www.thegctf.org/Portals/1/Documents/Foundational%20Documents/GCTF-Political-Declaration_ENG.pdf Accessed on 27/09/2020
GCTF (n.d.1.) GCTF – About us. https://www.thegctf.org/About-us/Background-and-Mission Accessed on 27/09/2020
Hewitt S (2008) The British war on terror: terrorism and counter-terrorism on the home front since 9/11. Continuum, New York
HM Government (2018) CONTEST The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/716907/140618_CCS207_CCS0218929798-1_CONTEST_3.0_WEB.pdf Accessed 29/08/2020
Hoffman B (1998) Inside Terrorism. Victor Gollancz, London
House of Lords (n.d.1) Delegated Powers and Deregulation – Twelfth Report. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/lddereg/57/5707.htm#:~:text=Lord%20Lloyd%20of%20Berwick%20concluded%20in%20Inquiry%20into,existing%20criminal%20ones%2C%20could%20breach%20human%20rights%20standards. Accessed: 08/09/2020
Jansen J (1997) The dual nature of Islamic fundamentalism. Cornell University Press, New York
Joint Committee on Human Rights (2004) Joint Committee on Human Rights – Eighteenth Report. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200304/jtselect/jtrights/158/15809.htm#:~:text=One%20criticism%20of%20ATCSA%2C%20presented%20by%20Amnesty%20International,asylum-seekers%20in%20the%20UK.%20%5B%20168%20%5D%20W Accessed on 27/09/2020
NATO (2011) Briefing to the UN Counter Terrorism Committee by Ambassador Gabar Iklody, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges in New York. 8th September 2011. NATO – Opinion: Briefing to the UN Counter Terrorism Committee by Ambassador Gábor Iklódy, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges in New York, 08-Sep.-2011 Accessed: 08/09/2020
NATO (2012) NATO’s Policy Guidelines on Counter-Terrorism. https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2015_11/20151105_151105-ct-policy-guidelines.pdf Accessed: 08/09/2020
NATO (2016) NATO Counter-Terrorism Cooperation with Partners (Factsheet). https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2016_12/20161025_CounterTerrCoop_eng.pdf Accessed: 08/09/2020
NATO (2019) Countering Terrorism. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_77646.htm Accessed: 08/09/2020
Schmid AP, Jongman AJ (2017) Political terrorism: a new guide to actors, authors, concepts, databases, Theories & Literature. Routledge, London
Sinclair A (2003) An anatomy of terrorism: a history of terrorism. Macmillan, London
UN (2010) UN rights expert says Security Council’s counter-terrorism measures lack legal basis. https://news.un.org/en/story/2010/10/357182-un-rights-expert-says-security-councils-counter-terrorism-measures-lack-legal Accessed on 27/09/2020
UN (2018) Secretary-General Signs United Nations Coordination Compact with 36 entities to End Terrorism, Violent Extremism Worldwide. https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sgsm18907.doc.htm Accessed on 27/09/2020
UN (n.d.-a1) Office of Counter-Terrorism https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/about Accessed on 27/09/2020
UN (n.d.-b2) United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) About Us. https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ctc_cted_fact_sheet_25_june_2018_designed.pdf Accessed on 27/09/2020
UN (n.d.-c3) United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Research. https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ctc_cted_fact_sheet_designed_research_december_2018.pdf Accessed on 27/09/2020
UN. A/RES/3034(XXVII). General Assembly Resolution 3034 (XXVII). Measures to prevent international terrorism which endangers or takes innocent human lives or jeopardizes fundamental freedoms, and study of the underlying causes of those forms of terrorism and acts of violence which lie in misery, frustration, grievance and despair and which cause some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own, in an attempt to effect radical changes of 18 December 1972
UN. A/RES/38/130. General Assembly Resolution 38/130. Measures to prevent international terrorism which endangers or takes innocent human lives or jeopardizes fundamental freedoms, and study of the underlying causes of those forms of terrorism and acts of violence which lie in misery, frustration, grievance and despair and which cause some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own, in an attempt to effect radical changes of 19 December 1983
UN. A/RES/40/61. General Assembly Resolution 40/61 Measures to prevent international terrorism which endangers or takes innocent human lives or jeopardizes fundamental freedoms, and study of the underlying causes of those forms of terrorism and acts of violence which lie in misery, frustration, grievance and despair and which cause some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own, in an attempt to effect radical changes of 9 December 1985
UN. A/RES/60/288. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 8 September 2006. 60/288. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
UN. S/RES/1566 (2004). United Nations Security Council Resolution 1566 (2004). Adopted by the Security Council at its 5053rd meeting, on 8 October 2004
United Kingdom (2000) The Terrorism Act 2000, Chapter 11. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/pdfs/ukpga_20000011_en.pdf Accessed 22/11/2020
United Kingdom (2001) The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, Chapter 24. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/24/notes Accessed 26/11/2020
United Kingdom (2005) Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, Chapter 2. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/2/enacted/data.pdf Accessed 22/11/2020
Wilkinson P (2006) Terrorism versus democracy: the Liberal state response. Routledge, London
Wilkinson P (2007) Homeland security in the UK: future preparedness for terrorist attack since 9/11. Routledge, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Callander, B.E. (2021). Counterterrorism Policy. In: Masys, A.J. (eds) Handbook of Security Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51761-2_9-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51761-2_9-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51761-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51761-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics