State-Sponsored Terrorism: In Decline, Yet Still a Potent Threat

• Published in: Politics & policy (Statesboro, Ga.) Ga.), 2014-02, Vol.42 (1), p.131-159
• Main Author: Collins, Stephen D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Causal Factors; Clients; Decline; Executive power; International Relations; Jihadist International Terrorism; Nuclear Proliferation; Nuclear strategy; Nuclear Terrorism; Nuclear Weapons; State Sponsors; State-Sponsored Terrorism; Strategic Nuclear Programs; Technology; Terrorism; Terrorist Groups; Terrorists; Threat; Threat Potential; Threats; Violence
• ISSN: 1555-5623; 1747-1346
• DOI: 10.1111/polp.12061

State sponsorship has played a significant facilitating role in terrorist violence. The scope and impact of state support has not, however, remained fixed; nor has its threat potential. This article identifies and depicts three distinct phases of state sponsorship: the peak (1970s‐80s), intermediate (1990‐2001), and low (2001‐present) phases. The causal factors behind the steady pattern of decline in the number of states sponsoring terrorism and the intensity of support provided to terrorist clients are analyzed here. Despite this clear contraction, state sponsorship continues to merit close attention as the salience of state‐sponsored terrorism relates not only to the number of sponsors and level of support, but also to the threat potential of the support sponsors can provide. Therefore, paradoxically, at a time when the number of state sponsors is at its nadir, the threat potential of terrorism is at its apex, as the proliferation of nuclear technology to terrorist sponsors has significantly elevated the potential consequences of state sponsorship. Related Articles Owens, John. 2006. “Presidential Power and Congressional Acquiescence in the ‘War’ on Terrorism: A New Constitutional Equilibrium?” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 258‐303. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2006.00015.x/ Dumbrell, John. 2006. “Working with Allies: The United States, the United Kingdom, and the War on Terror.” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 452‐472. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2006.00021.x/ Maggio, J. 2007. “The Presidential Rhetoric of Terror: The (Re)Creation of Reality Immediately after 9/11.” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 810‐835. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2007.00085.x/ Related Media Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs. 2013. “Nuclear Terrorism.” http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/topic/6/nuclear_terrorism.html Council on Foreign Relations. 2013. “State Sponsors of Terrorism.” http://www.cfr.org/issue/state‐sponsors‐of‐terrorism/ri151 El encubrimiento de actividades terroristas por parte de estados ha facilitado la violencia terrorista en las últimas décadas. No obstante, ni el alcance del impacto de tal tipo de encubrimiento, ni su potencial de amenaza, han permanecido constantes. Este estudio identifica y representa tres fases del encubrimiento terrorista: la fase pico (1970‐80), la fase intermedia (1990‐2001) y la fase baja (2001 al presente). Un patrón claramente declinante se detecta en relaci