Types of Warfare and How They Empower Terrorists

Evolving Terrorist Threats
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Types of Warfare and how they empower terrorists
Terrorism is a strategic and violent approach that seeks to intimidate adversaries by targeting innocent civilians. Terrorists utilize various forms of warfare to achieve their objectives, shaped by their capabilities, motivations, and intended targets. Sinai's "The Evolving Terrorist Threat" identifies several types of warfare used by extremists: conventional low impact (CLI), conventional high impact (CHI), chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN), and cyber warfare.
CLI attacks are simple and inexpensive operations that involve bombings, shootings, or stabbings against soft targets like civilians, public places, or transportation systems. These attacks empower terrorists by instilling fear and panic in the broader society and challenging the security and legitimacy of authorities. They also aim to provoke an overreaction from the state, potentially radicalizing more individuals.
CHI attacks are more complex and costly operations that employ conventional means to cause mass casualties or damage, such as hijacking planes, attacking critical infrastructure, or storming government buildings. These attacks empower terrorists by inflicting severe harm on their enemies regarding human lives, physical structures, economic stability, and psychological well-being. Additionally, they showcase the terrorists' operational sophistication and coordination while also undermining societal and state confidence and resilience.
CBRN outbreaks are the most dangerous and challenging operations involving the use or threat of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents or devices. These attacks empower terrorists by posing an existential threat to their adversaries and fulfilling their ideological or religious aspirations of creating an apocalyptic scenario. They also exploit vulnerabilities and gaps in prevention and detection systems.
Cyber-warfare employs a range of attacks, including hacking, denial-of-service, sabotage, espionage, and propaganda, to disrupt or damage their adversaries' information and communication systems. These attacks empower terrorists by accessing sensitive data, compromising critical infrastructure, spreading misinformation or radicalization messages, and interfering with their enemies' response capabilities. They leverage the anonymity and global reach of cyberspace.
Terrorists are Rational Actors
Terrorism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that scholars from various disciplines have studied. The rationality of terrorists has sparked heated debates within the realm of terrorism studies. Gerstein (2017) posits a consensus, stating that terrorists are calculated agents. Their actions, far from being haphazard or nonsensical, are propelled by a web of motives and convictions that can be deciphered. This notion of terrorists as rational agents garners support from various academics. Audrey Kurth Cronin, for example, contends that terrorists employ terrorism primarily to forge profound emotional bonds with their comrades and as a tool to attain their political objectives. Even suicide b...