Browsing by Subject "Terrorism--Prevention--International cooperation."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Changing alliance and cooperation dynamics : globalization, nation-state and the threat
(2010) Çağlar, Barış
This dissertation is a study about the form and dynamics of inter-state cooperation and alignment against transnational terrorism epitomized by Al-Qaeda. Since international security is traditionally regarded as the parcel of nation-states, transnational terrorism is a conceptual new-comer to the playground of politics. Its scale of operations occurs in a security environment structurally different from that of the Cold War. The recurrent reason given for debating the role and relevance of alliances in regard to counterterrorism is discussed in the literature to be a systemic change in world affairs marked by the end of the Cold War and globalization. The latter must be disaggregated to determine the essential elements and features of the systemic differences and related threats. Does contemporary inter-state cooperation and alignment against transnational terrorism correspond to the previous alignment behaviors of states that were conducted against other states? Analyzing the evolving forms of cooperation in general and the form of cooperation in alliances is the aim of the study. Through a three-pronged analytical discussion based on the factors of globalization, unit-level preferences and the features of the threat itself, the study concludes that cooperation form in general and in alliances in particular - including the form of cooperation in NATO- is experiencing a shift from a ‘defensive nature’ to a ‘security nature’. Coalitions of the Willing type of cooperation appears to be the re-emergent form of inter-state security cooperation, especially against ambiguous threats such as transnational terrorism that erodes the distinction between internal and external threats.
Open Access
Transformation of NATO in the face of transnational terrorism
(2009) Bulduk, Sebahat
Transnational terrorism with special reference to the September 11 attacks in 2001 on the territory of the United States has significant impacts on NATO’s approach to terrorism at rhetorical, practical and institutional levels. This thesis describes and explains the role of transnational terrorism on NATO’s transformation process, which intensified with the end of Cold War era. The Alliance’s 1991 and 1999 Strategic Concepts already defined terrorism as one of the risks to the Allies’ security. However, NATO began to actively engage in fighting against terrorism after the September 11 attacks. Just after 9/11, NATO for the first time in its history invoked Article 5, which is the collective defense clause of the Washington Treaty. Particularly, the Prague Summit held in 2002 has been catalyst for the transformation of Alliance into an organization that is more adaptive to the new security environment where the threats are less likely to be state-centric. In the assessment, until September 11, 2001, terrorism did not have a priority on the NATO’s agenda. Then, after the dramatic assaults, almost every step in the Alliance has been taken in the name of fighting against terrorism. The creation of the NATO Response Force, Terrorist Threat Intelligence Unit and further a new “Allied Command Transformation” are several examples in this regard. Basically, 9/11 demonstrated that transnational terrorism constitutes a very serious threat even for a super power, nobody is immune from terrorism and the approach to terrorism as a domestic threat is no longer applicable.
Open Access
Understanding the role of sub-state entities in countering transnational terrorism : the case of transnational police cooperation practices
(2010) Yön, Hasan
This dissertation is an analysis of the role of sub-state entities in countering transnational terrorism especially in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, which emerged as an alternative option to the traditional security understanding basically shaped by nation states. Emerging practices and roles of sub-state entities in countering terrorism has been investigated to understand both their roles in the counterterrorrism field and their influence on nation states. Examination of a plethora of existing and newly emerging sub-state practices reveals that such entities have been taking growing roles in the counter-terrorism field, which were previously believed to belong solely to nation states and their relevant international instruments. More importantly, this dissertation proposes that nation states are also trying to adapt themselves to this new emerging counter-terrorism environment enriched by substate entities. In that regard, emerging new cooperative police initiatives present valuable examples.