Citation

Kumamoto R. Terrorism 1991; 14(1): 31-48.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991)

DOI

10.1080/10576109108435855

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

International terrorism is a form of diplomacy conducted "from below." It is not conducted by kings and presidents, but by powerless extremists who choose to bypass traditional channels of diplomatic protocol in order to propagandize their political causes to the world. In light of the recent proliferation of international terrorism, it is useful to analyze the various ways it has affected the conduct of American foreign policy. An examination of the American responses to the Jewish rebels in Palestine (1945-1948) and to the FLN in Algeria (1954-1962) reveals that, although these terrorist campaigns may have appeared reprehensible and morally repugnant to many, American diplomacy was consistently predicated not so much in reaction to terrorist acts, but to a multiplicity of underlying and extended issues that required flexibility and a certain mollification of policy and action. As the United States would learn, terrorist diplomacy "from below" can often be as destructive as any act or policy conducted by recognized nations and can be an effective means of promoting political extremism, destabilizing international order, and threatening American interests.

Language: en