Dr. Joshua B. Rubongoya

Office: West Hall 119

Time :  10-12:30 Monday-Friday

Office Hours: 12:30-1:30pm Wed and Fri

 

E-mail: rubongoy@roanoke.edu

 

Intensive Learning 277: Antecedents of International Terrorism

 

May 2005

 

SYLLABUS

 

Background:

 

September 11, 2001 was not the first major incident of terrorism in world history.  It was symbolic of a shift in terrorist tactics, methods and ruthlessness.  It was also the first major terrorist attack on an American target in the United States.  This precedent has moved terrorism to the top of most states’ foreign policy agendas.  Thus, security planning in the 21st century is now first and foremost anti-terrorist and only secondarily  about economics and/or social issues. 

 

Course Objectives:

 

  1. To allow students to develop and utilize thinking, oral communication, and writing skills to demonstrate understanding of the nature and dynamics of international relations.
  2. To equip students with the skills needed to comprehend and explain the relationship of specific behavior(s) and issues to systemic patterns.
  3. To provide students with some understanding of the complex factors shaping policy and the constraints that policy makers face in their day to day work.

 

To meet these objectives topical emphasis will be on how terrorism reflects and impacts the changing dynamics of the international system.  The course will engage students in an intensive study of the history, causes, dynamics and impact of terrorism and the policy responses at the state and international level. In the first week students will attend lectures from policy makers and terrorism experts in Washington DC.

 

Required Readings:

 

Bradey Thomas.  Violence and Terrorism. Mcgraw-Hill, 2004.

 

Howard, Russell D., and Reid L. Sawyer. Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment.  McGraw-Hill Companies, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended Reading:

 

White, Jonathan R.  Terrorism:  An Introduction.  Wadsworth, 2002.

 

Reich, Walter (ed.)  Origins of Terrorism. Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998.

 

Crenshaw, Martha.  Terrorism in Context.  Pennsylvania State University, 1995.

 

Kegley, Charles, Jr.  The New Global Terrorism Causes, Characteristics, Controls.  Prentice Hall, 2003.

 

 

Grading:

 

Reaction Paper            20%

Presentation                              15 %

Exam I                                     20%

Exam II                                    20%

Washington Report                   15%

Class Participation                    10%

 

 

 

 

 

Course Outline:

 

Week 1           Day 1:   May 9

 

Introduction—Defining Terrorism

                      

 

·        The Politics of International Terrorism

                              Discuss: Defining Terrorism. The Definitional Dilemma.  International

                        terrorism as a strategic choice; future trends

 

                        Readings : Annual Editions Unit 1; Howard & Sawyer Chapt. 1

                                                Presenters: Sult and Stanfill

3pm

Talk by Mr. Michael Smith (Dept of Defense/USIS): Security sector reform in a Post Conflict Environment).

                       

                       

 

Day 2:  May 10

 

·        International Terrorism: Causes, Characteristics, Trends and Typologies

                         

                        Readings: Annual Editions Unit 2; Howard and Sawyer Ch 2,3,&4.

                                                Presenters: Mcnown and Harrrison

 

                        1:30pm

Tour of Capitol Hill

                       

 

                        Day 3 May 11

 

·        International Terrorism: Strategies and tactics of terrorism

                       

                        Readings: Annual Editions Unit 3 & 4

                                                Presenters: Batka and Lockett

 

 

                        1pm

Talk by Dr. Kamal A. Beyoghlow (Counter-terrorism Chair: Africa Center for Strategic Studies—National Defense University)

 

                        Day 4 May 12

                                               

9 am Talk by Dr Ibrahim Wani (Regional Representative: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office—Addis Ababa

 

·        International Terrorism and Terrorism in America

Discuss: The nature and character of international terrorism at both levels

 

                                                Readings: Annual Editions Unit 5& 6

                                                Presenters: Zackiye and Kurtz

 

 

                       

                        Day 5 May 13

 

Possible tour of the Pentagon?

 

·        Terrorism and Religion

Discuss: The role and logic of religion  

                       

Readings: Annual Editions Unit 8 and Howard and Sawyer Chapt. 4 

                  Presenters: Ringstaff & Ulmann

 

                       

                       

 

Week 2           Day 6 May 16

 

Washington report is due at beginning of class

 

·        State Sponsored Terrorism

Readings: Annual Editions Unit 4

Discuss: The state-sponsored violence.

 

·        The Middle East

                                Discuss: Understanding Islam; The rise of extremist violence in Egypt;               

                        Islam and the West--Similar Values-Conflicting Ideologies? 

                        Video:  The Sword of Islam: Part I 

 

                        Day 7 May 17

 

 

                Day 8 May 18

 

            Test I

                       

                        Day 9 May 19

 

 

                        Day 10            May 20         

 

 

                       

 

 

Week 3            Focus on Counter-terrorism

 

                        Readings: Annual Editions Unit 10; Howard and Sawyer Chapt. 7, 8 & 9.

                        Final Exam May 26th

Since active participation is crucial to the success of the course and since this is an intensive study there should be no absences from sessions.  Thus any unexcused absence will result in a deduction of 2 points from your overall course grade; any unexcused absence when an individual’s oral presentation or discussion is due will result in a deduction of 5 points from the overall course grade.  Students who believe they have a valid reason for missing a course session must obtain prior approval to do so from the instructor.

 

Academic integrity is expected and required.  Enrollment constitutes acknowledgement of the rules and standards pertaining to academic integrity at Roanoke College.  Students are expected to read and be aware of the principles and rules in the College Academic Integrity Handbook.

 

 

Presentations:

 

The purpose of the project presentation is to both inform the other seminar participants of the specific findings of your own research beyond the discussions that take place in the classroom.  The class will be divided into groups of three.  Presentations will not consist of the reading of formal papers.  Rather, each group will be expected to orally, logically and concisely present analyses and conclusions from their research work.

 

Each group will be charged with a 30-minute presentation.  Non-presenting class members are expected to read the appropriate assignments in the text and any other source and to contribute to class discussion following the 30 minute presentation.

 

Pre-presentations group meetings with the Professor will be limited to only two.  Presentations are expected to be student research findings and not regurgitations of the instructors views.

 

 

 

Reaction  Papers:

 

Each group member student is expected to write a 6-8 page double-spaced, typed paper due by the end of the first two weeks.  The paper is an individual (not group) project.  It is expected that each paper will integrate comments and suggestions from each group presentation together with further research. Papers must have as their objective, a focus on the history, causes, impact and policy implications of terrorism. 

 

Papers do not need to address all these areas but they are expected to purposefully select any two or three areas of emphasis.  However, each paper project should be a response to the discussions and readings as outlined in the course outline.

 

The format of the paper, textnotes, and bibliography should conform to those found in the Cuba text.  The Fintel Library provides guidelines for the citation of on-line resource materials.  All work must be original for this seminar.  Failure to meet the paper guidelines or to follow proper quotation and citation procedures will constitute a violation of  academic integrity. 

Your paper and presentation will be graded on the following criteria:

  1. The presence/articulation of a clearly stated thesis that is developed and demonstrated throughout the paper/presentation.

  2. Thoughtful application of the course material, particularly, empirical and theoretical constructs, historical precedents, regimes, etc.
    Organization of the paper/presentation, and

  3. Grammar, spelling and overall presentation and flow of the paper/presentation.