Topics in International Relations: Counter-Terrorism and Insurgency

This course teaches knowledge about terrorism and insurgency and trains skills in counter-terrorism and insurgency. Terrorism has increased in salience since 2001. Counter-terrorism is now more salient and pervasive than ever but terrorism continues to increase in frequency and lethality. Some nominal counter-terrorist activities have stimulated insurgencies, so counter-insurgency too is more salient: insurgency now costs more money and lives than terrorism. This course gives a social scientific understanding of counter-terrorism and -insurgency. It examines the concepts, history, motivations, and methods of terrorism and insurgency and of counter-terrorism and -insurgency. At the end of the course, students should be able to model key processes, analyze topical issues, produce policy options, and reproduce best-practice.