The impact and implications of the global

War on Terrorism on international terrorism law, since 9/11.

Kalliopi Katsirodis

Aim of the research

Overview and assessment of international antiterrorism legislation ante & post 9/11. Construction of a theoretical framework in order to gauge success in the context of the war on terrorism.

Research question
How can we determine the global impact that the war on terrorism that was launched in 2001 has had in the context of international terrorism law and the international relations between States? In other words, was the self-proclaimed war on terrorism a success or not?

Main points of interest

Assessment of the legal advances achieved in anti-terrorism legislation on an international, regional and national level from 2001-present. Analysis of the international cooperation and relations between States and international organizations, concerning their joint efforts against global terrorism. Evaluation of certain policy decision, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as defining points in the war on terrorism. This will be considered in order to fully comprehend the broad spectrum of consequences that they had on an international level as counter-terrorism policies.

The problem of creating a theoretical framework for gauging success in the war on terrorism.
The war on terror is one of the most inherently ambiguous conflicts in American history, with no precedent, and with much of the conduct of the war on both sides kept secret. This ambiguity has allowed people to choose their own criteria for success, thus encouraging the selection of arbitrary or self-serving metrics.
Dominic D P Johnson and Dominic Tierney, Failing to Win: Perceptions of Victory and Defeat in International Politics (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006)

The proposed metrics model

In designing metrics for measuring effectiveness of antiterrorism efforts, the research will address three major factors concerning terrorism and international response:

Incidents Attitudes Trends

Analysis of the resulting data could address how well the process of terrorism is being disrupted on a worldwide basis.

Conclusion
Terrorism is an emotionally charged, morally laden and politically contentious concept, which has nevertheless emerged as a critical and unavoidable feature of the legal landscape both internationally and domestically. Thus terrorism should primarily be confronted through the international community, and principally by the use of law. Only when a full legal body of internationally binding and respected instruments can be produced and sustained, could it be argued that progress is being made against terrorism.