Terrorism is one of the most discussed global threats in the modern world. Although the definition of terrorism is controversial, this phenomenon refers to violence or the threat of violence utilized to pursue political goals (Ward, 2018). Controversy arises over the motivation for the use of violence for national liberation movements, which makes conceptualization subjective (Stuurman, 2019). Additionally, this term can be used for political and other manipulations in the interests of certain groups. Richards (2018) assumes that terrorism is characterized by the intention to generate a psychological impact by violence for political motifs “beyond the immediate victims or object of attack” (p. 18). Thus, this phenomenon is a means of political struggle, which often threatens international security.
Counterterrorism is one of the goals of international cooperation and is an activity aimed at preventing and combating terrorism. Anti-terrorist strategies include not only targeting and eliminating terrorist groups but also controlling their activity (Crelinsten, 2018). One of the most important areas of action is also to prevent the radicalization of both individuals and groups. Counterterrorism activities also include economic, political, and cyber measures against potential threats. Within the framework of ethical discussions, there is increasing attention to the strategies of de-radicalization and disengagement of members of terrorist groups (Braddock, 2018). Thus, counterterrorism is a complex of international measures to prevent terrorist attacks and combat existing threats.
References
Braddock, K. (2018). Terrorist disengagement and de-radicalization. In A. Slike (ed.), Routledge handbook of terrorism and counterterrorism (pp. 458-470). Routledge.
Crelinsten, R. (2018). Conceptualizing counterterrorism. In A. Slike (ed.), Routledge handbook of terrorism and counterterrorism (pp. 363-374). Routledge.