NCJ Number
206800
Date Published
2004
Length
150 pages
Annotation
This report considers the threat that transnational terrorism poses to Australia.
Abstract
Chapter 1 explores the changing nature of modern terrorism and considers how it affects Australia’s security environment. Australia’s response to terrorism must be broad-spectrum in order to combat an enemy that has the capacity to inflict harm disproportionately and without restraint or warning. Chapter 2 discusses terrorism as a form of asymmetric warfare in which terrorists use non-traditional methods to counter the target’s superior but conventional military power. The extreme ideology underpinning terrorist acts is examined and the features of terrorist networks are explored. The various tactics terrorists employ to attack targets are described and include suicide tactics and the use of non-conventional weapons, such as chemical and biological weapons. Chapter 3 examines the evolution of the terrorist network al-Qaida and explores its influence in transnational terrorism. al-Qaida has provided the fanatical ideology, the operational example, and the management model for the new terrorist threat. The philosophy of al-Qaida is contrasted to the ideology underpinning mainstream Islam. The influences that have informed Muslim extremism are described, as is al-Qaida’s fanatical interpretation of Islam. Al-Qaida’s primary goal is the recovery of all former Muslim holy lands and the establishment of regimes in these holy lands that reflect al-Qaida’s interpretation of Islam. Chapter 4 explores the evolution of transnational extremist-Muslim terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, including a discussion of the Afghanistan origins of the transnational terrorist agenda and advances in technology and education that have aided terrorist networks. Chapter 5 considers the terrorist threat to Southeast Asia and the pivotal role played by the terrorist network, Jemaah Islamiyah. Extremist Muslim terrorist groups in Southeast Asia seek to advance an intolerant and violent form of Islam that threatens the mainstream Islam that is the tradition of the region. Chapter 6 looks specifically at the threat posed to Australia by transnational terrorist networks and considers how the threat impacts Australian interests. Chapter 7 underscores the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and discusses Australia’s international strategy for combating terrorism. Finally, chapter 8 discusses the long-term commitment that must be undertaken to effectively combat transnational terrorism. Figures, glossary