The ‘War on Terror’, State Crime & Radicalization: A Constitutive Theory of Radicalization (Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society)

This book examines the ‘war on terror’ and radicalization from an ontological, non-state centric perspective. Since 9/11, criminology has developed in its study of terrorism, utilising alternative non-state centric frameworks to uncover and make visible state-initiated harm. Although progress has been achieved, criminology has continued to privilege the state, thereby failing to uncover forms of state crime and how such crimes facilitate radicalization and terrorism. Ahmed aims to rectify this gap by demonstrating how crimes of the state have contributed to the existence of Islamist-inspired terrorism and the emergence of global Jihadist organisations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The ‘War on Terror’ abandons the dominant socially-constructed discourse and application of the ‘war on terror’ and instead favours a grounded approach whereby actors, actions and consequences are analysed according to the risk they represent. Ahmed achieves this groundedapproach through situating state practices in international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Through documenting the intersectionality of these practices with radicalization in the emergence of global Jihadist organisations, the book demonstrates how state crimes contribute to terrorism. Although the book sits at the intersections of critical criminology, state crime, international/transnational crime, it is relevant to all disciplines that are concerned with state crime, terrorism and radicalization. Preface Aims of This Book Acknowledgements Contents 1: State Crime, ‘Terrorism’ and Radicalization Aims of the Book Definitions of State Crime Definitions of Terrorism The Social Construction of State Crime and ‘Terrorism’ The Reflexive Turn The Theoretical Framework of the Book Constitutive Theory of Radicalization The Super Macro-Universal Level/Global and European Political Legal Order The Macro-National Level/State and Structural Political Legal Order The Meso-Societal Interpersonal Level/Community, Grassroot and Local Order The Micro-Individual-Emotional Level/Identity, Perceptions, Beliefs, Values and Feelings Internal Order References 2: Revisiting Theories of Radicalization References 3: The Emergence of the ‘War on Terror’ The Impact of the ‘War on Terror’ on Other States References 4: The Case of Al-Qaeda: From Allies to Enemies The Emergence of AI-Qaeda References 5: From the Humanitarian Crisis to a State of Emergency Terrorism as a State of Emergency? A Truly Global Destruction of the Universal to ‘Protect’ Humanity The Development of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) The Dehumanization of Outsiders for the Protection of Insiders References 6: ISIS: The Special Relationship Between the United States, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia Vested State Interests, Oil and Ideologies Wahhabism and Terrorism’s Shared Ideology Saudi Arabia’s Financing of ISIS Invasions of Iraq and Syria in the Emergence of ISIS Tacit Support of Terrorism References 7: State Crime, Radicalization and the ‘War on Terror‘ Super Macro-Universal Level: Universalism, Geo-politics and Securitization Self-defeating ‘War on Terror’ Belief in Humanity Macro-national Level: Invasions, Counter-terrorism Legislation and Statelessness Perpetuation of Discrimination and Legislation that Pre-disposes Religious and Ethnic Discrimination The Ideological Battle of the ‘War on Terror’ New Spaces of Exploitation Meso-Societal Level: Giving Terrorism Roots The Future of the ‘War on Terror’ A New Policy Agenda Cognitive and Violent Radicalization Acknowledging Grievances Tackling Terrorism Through Co-produced Approaches and Accepting Responsibility Show Alternatives Contributing as Part of Self-development Humanist Standpoint Tackling Terrorism Through Challenging Extremist Attitudes Role of Scholars Criminological Approaches to Terrorism and the ‘War on Terror’ References Index "This book examines the 'war on terror' and radicalisation from an ontological, non-state centric perspective. Since 9/11, criminology has developed in its study of terrorism, utilising alternative non-state centric frameworks to uncover and make visible state-initiated harm. Although progress has been achieved, criminology has continued to privilege the state, thereby failing to uncover forms of state crime and how such crimes facilitate radicalisation and terrorism. Ahmed aims to rectify this gap by demonstrating how crimes of the state have contributed to the existence of Islamist-inspired terrorism and the emergence of global Jihadist organisations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The 'war on terror' abandons the dominant socially-constructed discourse and application of the 'war on terror' and instead favours a grounded approach whereby actors, actions and consequences are analysed according to the risk they represent. Ahmed achieves this grounded approach through situating state practices in international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Through documenting the intersectionality of these practices with radicalisation in the emergence of global Jihadist organisations, the book demonstrates how state crimes contribute to terrorism. Although the book sits at the intersections of critical criminology, state crime, international/transnational crime, it is relevant to all disciplines that are concerned with state crime, terrorism and radicalisation"--Back cover This book examines the 'war on terror' and radicalization from an ontological, non-state centric perspective. Since 9/11, criminology has developed in its study of terrorism, utilising alternative non-state centric frameworks to uncover and make visible state-initiated harm. Although progress has been achieved, criminology has continued to privilege the state, thereby failing to uncover forms of state crime and how such crimes facilitate radicalization and terrorism. Ahmed aims to rectify this gap by demonstrating how crimes of the state have contributed to the existence of Islamist-inspired terrorism and the emergence of global Jihadist organisations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The 'War on Terror' abandons the dominant socially-constructed discourse and application of the 'war on terror' and instead favours a grounded approach whereby actors, actions and consequences are analysed according to the risk they represent. Ahmed achieves this grounded approach through situating state practices in international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Through documenting the intersectionality of these practices with radicalization in the emergence of global Jihadist organisations, the book demonstrates how state crimes contribute to terrorism. Although the book sits at the intersections of critical criminology, state crime, international/transnational crime, it is relevant to all disciplines that are concerned with state crime, terrorism and radicalization.