Counterterrorism from an international and Europeann perspective

General: This advisory report on the fight against international terrorism is premised on the idea that the aims of safeguarding the rule of law and upholding the rights and safety of individuals are inseparable. In every action undertaken against terrorism, the authorities must do everything in their power to ensure that there are no casualties and that society is not disrupted. Terrorism constitutes a direct attack on human rights, in particular the right to life. The state is obliged to protect the right to life and the safety of its citizens. Terminology and scope of the report : Since the attacks in the United States in 2001, and particularly since the attacks in Bali, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Istanbul, Yemen, Madrid and London, terrorism is also regarded as a serious threat to the Netherlands and the rest of the European Union. Until these attacks, most national governments essentially regarded terrorism as a problem caused by regional or national factors elsewhere in the world, for which they bore no immediate responsibility. In many countries, the above-mentioned incidents greatly increased the awareness that, whatever the causes of terrorism, such attacks can actually take place anywhere. The terminology used in the current debate, such as 'the fight against international terrorism', creates the impression that we are dealing with a recognisable, uniform movement - with its own ideology, organisational structure, strategy, etc. - that regards the West as its enemy and wishes to cause it harm. However, historical examples, such as the anarchist terrorism of the late 19th and early 20th century and the separatist terrorism of the IRA and ETA and various groups in Kashmir, show that it makes more sense to analyze terrorism as a policy, a modus operandi, a tactic or a tool. It can be adopted or abandoned at any given time. That being said, there will always been people who wish to attack their enemies and who accept - or even intend - innocent casualties. The above-mentioned terrorist attacks often included an undeniably international dimension, such as the origins or motives of the perpetrators, the identity of the victims or the target, or the consequences of the attack. The current debate on terrorism uses a multitude of terms to describe the groups behind the attacks. In some cases, the attacks are linked to Islam, a fact which has given rise to the term 'Islamist terrorism' (4). In other cases, for example in the policy documents of the Netherlands and the european Union, the term 'Jihadist terrorism' is used. However, the reality behind these terms is neither consistent nor homogenous, as witness the publications of the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service 5AIVD) and the Belgian terrorism expert Risk Coolsaet (5). Whenever the AIV mentions terrorism in this report, it is referring to 'contemporary terrorism' as manifested in actual attacks perpetrated in the above-mentioned locations and elsewhere.