Evaluating Counterterrorism Performance: A

This study examines the counterterrorism policymaking process from a historical perspective, and proposes a new way to measure its impact on society and on terrorists. Devising simple calculations for establishing the effects of counterterrorism is practically impossible. This study argues that not only the measures as such, but also the way they are presented and perceived determine the consequences of the policy in question. Using four historical case studies, this book identifies a number of factors contributing to the impact counterterrorism policy could have on society, and, consequently, also on terrorist networks and their constituencies. Together, these factors amount to a degree of 'performative power' that can be attached to counterterrorism efforts. This refers to the extent to which counterterrorism mobilises public and political support, thus contributing to the transformation of social or political relations. Government policy (in statements, legal measures, expressions of cabinet members) sets the tone for the political and public debate. When this policy is constructed behind closed doors, and public interest is slight, this 'performative power' remains low. However, when the space within the public realm for alternative or radical ideas is diminished, exclusion and polarisation between certain political or ethnic groups is stimulated and the mental distance between the 'national community' and the radical elements enhanced, this performativity is considerable. The population is mobilised and social and political relations are changed. The book offers a model for measuring the success or impact of counterterrorism strategies, and provides historical evidence from the perspective of counterterrorist agencies, rather than focusing on the terrorists themselves.This book will be of much interest to students of terrorism and counter-terrorism, discourse analysis, media and communication studies, conflict studies and IR/Security Studies in general.

List of illustrations	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xi
List of abbreviations and acronyms	p. xiv
Introduction	p. 1
A crude awakening in the Netherlands: the murder of Theo van Gogh	p. 1
Counterterrorism effectiveness	p. 3
Counterterrorism as communication	p. 8
Counterterrorism as discursive praxis of 'securitization'	p. 10
The performative power of counterterrorism	p. 11
What counterterrorists want: setting the agenda, organizing support, framing the discourse	p. 13
Case study selection	p. 15
An overview of the book	p. 19
Storytelling	p. 21
The 'Dutch approach': restrained and fragmented	p. 23
Introduction	p. 23
Towards a national counterrorism strategy	p. 23
Political support: a 'closed circuit'	p. 27
Public support	p. 29
The 1975 and 1977 hostage crises	p. 33
A fragmented discourse	p. 36
Conclusion	p. 43
The Federal Republic of Germany: democracy under fire	p. 46
Indecision and regional fragmentation	p. 46
A new approach	p. 49
A protracted aftermath	p. 52
From public Angst' to national mobilization	p. 54
A divided discourse: too much or too little democracy?	p. 60
Conclusion	p. 65
Counterterrorism in the United States: countering subversives, revolutionaries and communists	p. 70
Introduction	p. 70
The 'Huston Plan': countering subversion, protecting the presidency	p. 71
The end of American revolutionary terrorism	p. 80
Political support: presidential autocracy?	p. 86
Public support	p. 87
The political discourse: presidential power	p. 89
Public discourse	p. 91
Conclusion	p. 92
Counterterrorism in Italy: deception or mismanagement?	p. 95
Introduction	p. 95
The birth of Italian counterterrorism policy	p. 96
Political and public support	p. 109
Political and public discourse	p. 113
Italian counterterrorism and conspiracy theories	p. 116
Conclusion	p. 118
The performative power of counterterrorism	p. 122
Introduction	p. 122
What counterterrorists want: agenda setting, mobilizing support, framing the discourse	p. 124
Illustrating the level of performative power	p. 130
Terrorist actions and fatalities	p. 133
The 'performative power' of counterterrorism policy and terrorist actions/victims	p. 136
The findings	p. 138
Finding the link: signifiers and legends	p. 141
An overview of the second part of this study	p. 142
Police practice as signifier	p. 143
Introduction: the police as producer of signifiers	p. 143
Part I: Public order policing	p. 145
Part II: Crime prevention	p. 155
To conclude: the threat spiral	p. 168
Intelligence signifiers	p. 171
Introduction: intelligence as producer of signifiers	p. 171
'To identify'	p. 172
Intelligence gathering	p. 176
'Expose, disrupt and neutralize'	p. 185
Conclusion: intelligence as signifier or neutralizer	p. 187
Terrorists on trial: the courtroom as stage	p. 190
Introduction	p. 190
A priori judgement	p. 191
The introduction of new laws	p. 201
Tighter security measures in court	p. 211
Depoliticization	p. 215
Criminal justice as a neutralizer	p. 222
Terrorism trials and the different types of terrorists	p. 223
Conclusion	p. 225
The 'performance' of counterterrorism policy	p. 228
Effectiveness of counterterrorism: a relationship of uncertainties	p. 228
The interaction of counterterrorism's performance and (de-)radicalization	p. 229
Performative power per country	p. 230
Performative power: signifiers and legends	p. 235
Communicating counterterrorism	p. 243
Neutralizing the signifiers	p. 245
Conclusion	p. 248
correlation tables	p. 251
indexed charts 'performative power'/incidents/casualties (lethal)	p. 254
performative power table	p. 258
archival materials and other primary sources	p. 276
Notes	p. 279
References	p. 323
Index	p. 344
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Evaluating Counterterrorism Performance: A Comparative Study

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