Faces of State Terrorism (review)

Faces of State Terrorism, authored by Laura Westra, discusses a variety of topics dealing with nonaligned and developing nations, including those in Africa. The foreword to the publication, written by Tullio Scovazzi, notes that “the analysis carried out in this book is seen by its author as a “disheartening journey,” which is clearly not conducive to any optimist outlook. The picture reveals brutality, disregard for the dignity of humankind, and mockery of laws and principles” (p. xi). However, in the contemplation of international relations, the foregoing pessimistic view runs afoul of several realist scholars, who may argue that in the process of pursuing a nation-state’s interests—in terms of its survival—the end does justify the means.

It is against the background of the above postulations that the volume may be properly understood. In all, it is a publication of seven chapters, a postscript, copious references, an appendix, and an index. Westra, in light of her intellectual orientation, arguably anchored on her belief in the dogmas of human rights, contends that “the material I discovered in my research led me to return to the topic of terrorism, which I could now approach better from the standpoint of law as well as that of morality . . . [and a] research that led [me] to trace the continuity between state support for dictatorial regimes in Central and South America, through repression and so-called ‘counter-insurgency’ against socialist regimes in the 1950s, 1960s[,] and beyond, to the current ‘counter-terrorism’ practices in the so-called ‘war on terror,’ from renditions (disappearances?) to Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib” (p. 1). It is in this context that Westra’s opinions clash with those of realist scholars in international politics, who (as against idealists) would reject her thesis, which argues that because of systemic inadequacy, the world does not function or operate on the premise of morality, but that it functions on the basis of national interests (as generally imagined by the governing powerful elite).

The state, it is said, has legitimate authority and monopoly on the use of instruments of coercion for its protection against external forces and internal secessionist renegades. Thus, it is noted in chapter one, “Terrorism: A Conceptual Analysis,” that when a nonaligned group within a committee set up by the United Nations sought to address the issue of state terrorism, its attempts were ineffective because powerful members of this body never saw the usefulness of inclusion of such a clause (p. 7). The clash in the position of weak nations and that of powerful nations on this matter was clear. The developing nations, including those in Africa, believed that the developed nations have used, and continue to use, their might or power to terrorize them militarily as well as economically, and that such an arrangement has not been in favor of the emerging nations.

In chapter two, “Terrorism and Crime,” Westra appears to rationalize the act of terrorism as a last resort for groups that have sought other ways to address their grievances but found none. Such a failure to use institutions that are in a position to ameliorate their complaints and problems was what galvanized Al-Qaeda “to act in ways that seem criminal to the other or victim” (p. 36). One criminal consequence of the act of terrorism is rendition for real or putative suspects, who are tortured in violation of article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which underscores that no person should be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Chapter three is titled “Terrorism: Means and Motives, the Quest for Independence and the Limits of Self-Defense.” In it, Westra attempts to deconstruct the myth of what she terms “the conviction that terrorism must be both immoral and illegal because of the means it employs” (p. 63)—that is, to kill the innocent. Possibly, while not necessarily acquiescing to this mode of expressing an individual or group interest in her contemplation, this act is no different...