NEIU 315F Law and Terrorism

NEIU Justice Studies

Just 315F

Law and Terrorism

Dr. June Terpstra  

Course Description

Whether used by governments, militaries, corporations, religious institutions, gangs or individuals, terror is an intense, overpowering fear caused by the threat and use of violence. This course examines five categories of terrorism including the present imperialist war of terrorism waged by the US/UK/Israeli Axis and the manner in which the concept of "terrorism" and "terrorist" is used by elite capitalists, their corporations and their governments to foster their stated agenda for a new world order.  The course requires the student to analyze the constantly changing images, propaganda, and tropes manufactured by media to know how to distinguish between a terrorist and a group or individual defending themselves from aggression, invasion, and occupation. 

Course Texts: 

1. The Mother of All Battles
   ISBN 978-0-9763366-1-7
   The Alternative
   8130 La Mesa Blvd., PMB 436
   La Mesa, CA 91941
   USA
   http://malcomlagauche.com/id8.html
    
2. Online Course readings are at http://juneterpstra.com/index.html

and/or Blackboard.

Course Objectives:

• Define and analyze five categories of terrorism.
• Decode state terrorism and its beneficiaries.
• Examine US imperialism and its consequences.
• Understand the perspectives of present day resistance to Western aggression.
• Review and understand a wide range of international and domestic laws pertaining to murder, torture, rape, and war.

Course Requirements

1. Weekly written Assignments. Drawing upon the readings and class discussions, you are to reflexively discuss your responses, thoughts, and opinions on the weekly readings.  This means that you analyze the manner in which your responses may be influenced by media, economic class, ethnicity, creed, orientation, gender and experience.  250 pts

2.  The Mother of all Battles book report.  Choosing three main claims from 3 different chapters you must refute or support the claims the author makes with supporting evidence from credible sources.  250 pts

3.  Mid-term Research Outline for the Final-see webpage below.  100 pts

4.  Final Research Presentation. You are required to complete and present a research project for our course of study.  Choosing one of the five categories of terrorism you are to research a military operation, a war, an uprising, a revolution, a gang, or a torturer or killer and laws preventing or legalizing the category of terrorism studied.  See the final grading form for all subjects required for your project.  A bibliography will be required with your 15-20 minute presentation.   250 pts  

5. Class attendance and participation. You are required to participate in formal classroom discussions and in-class exercises and discussions.         150  

Tentative Schedule

Week 1 State Terrorism 

Read and Respond:

1.  Terrorism: Theirs and Ours by Eqbal Ahmad

http://www.sangam.org/ANALYSIS/Ahmad.htm

2.  Definitions of Terrorism

http://www.rense.com/general16/thenewlegaldefinition.htm

 and http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-law.htm#terrlaw

3.  Laws of War Handbook, Chapters 1 and 2

http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/law-war-handbook-2005.pdf

Week 2 State Terrorism

Read and Respond:

1.  Constant Conflict US Army War College Quarterly http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/97summer/peters.htm

2.  CENTCOM's Master Plan and U.S. Global Hegemony  By Robert Higgs http://www.lewrockwell.com/higgs/higgs84.html

3.  Laws of War Handbook, Chapters 6, 8 and 10

http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/law-war-handbook-2005.pdf

4.  Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in War

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:Y0WBRPUadHsJ:www.unfpa.org/emergencies/symposium06/docs/finalbrusselsbriefingpaper.pdf+Crimes+against+women&hl=en&gl=us

Week 3  Religious Terrorism

Read and Respond:

1.  Deuteronomy 20 (King James Version) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+20&version=KJV

2.  Meanings of Jihad http://www.muslimbridges.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=766:the-meaning-of-jihad-in-islam&catid=66:jihad&Itemid=107

3.  Zawahiri: Realities of the Conflict between Islam and Unbelief

Dec 20, 2006, Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, As-Sahab Media | Unofficial Transcript Lauramansfeld. http://forum.hizbuttahrir.org/showthread.php?t=981

4.  SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

5.  Zen Buddhist Attitudes to War by HIRATA Seikõ  http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/nlarc/pdf/Rude%20awakenings/Hirata.pdf

Week 4 Political Terrorism

Read and Respond

1.  The Politics of Terror by David Hoffman http://www.constitution.org/ocbpt/ocbpt_13.htm

2.  Confessions of an Economic Hitman  http://www.democracynow.org/2004/11/9/confessions_of_an_economic_hit_man

3.  The Uncensored Anger Manifesto-Part I  by Layla Anwar   http://arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2006/11/uncensored-anger-manifesto-part-i.html

4.  United States: War Profiteering and Corporate Capitalism 21 January 2004 by Doug Lorimer  http://www.greenleft.org.au/2004/567/33149

5.  Guantánamo And The Courts (Part Three): Obama's Continuing Shame  ANDY WORTHINGTON http://uruknet.info/?p=m57089&hd=&size=1&l=e

Week 5 State/Political/Religious Terrorism in Afghanistan

1.  Osama is Under Your Bed by William Rivers Pitt

http://www.alternet.org/story/14576/osama_is_under_your_bed/

2.  'Rivers of Blood:' The West Could Care Less for Deaths of Afghans
The Frontier Post, Pakistan  http://uruknet.info/index.php?p=m57719&hd=&size=1&l=e