New Terrorism Thesis

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Introduction
The concept of “new terrorism” was first introduced in the academic world during the 1990’s. It wasn’t until after the devastating attacks of 9/11, however, that the idea of a “new” and fundamentally different kind of terrorist threat began to get more traction and started to have an influence on policy. After the unparalleled horrors of 9/11, and the views they inescapably provoked, the “new terrorism” idea quickly became part of predominant popular ideas and imagery. Ever since, the issue of “old” v. “new” terrorism has been the subject of very intense debate. Proponents of the new terrorism thesis argue that terrorism has undergone a radical change of character, as it is more loosely organized than “traditional” terrorism; …show more content…

By “calling a problem ‘new’ [one is forced] to automatically buy into the belief that the appropriate solutions must also be new.” Indeed, the “new” terrorism thesis, which before the 9/11 attacks was only discussed in academics, provided a ready-to-go narrative for a new framework of policy and thought which placed the terrorism threat, and its securitization, at the center of security agendas on both sides of the Atlantic. President George W. Bush talked about “new realities and dangers posed by modern terrorists” , and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair warned the world of a “new global terrorism” which “was driven not by a set of negotiable political demands, but by religious fanaticism.” Crenshaw skillfully describes this shift of ideas from the academic world to policy-making, along with the accompanying process of securitizing the terrorist threat, by pointing out that classifying jihadist, religious terrorism as “new” is an effective method of framing a threat in order to mobilize both elite and public support for big changes in

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