Old vs. New Terrorism: What s in a Name?

The question of old versus new terrorism has been debated vigorously. Proponents of new terrorism point to a radical transformation in the character of terrorism, while skeptics point out that today s terrorism is not a fundamentally or qualitatively new phenomenon but grounded in an evolving historical context. In this paper I take stoke of the debate by means of juxtaposing ideal types of traditional and new terrorism along the axis of five distinguishing variables: organizational structure; operational range; motives; tactics; and attitude towards the Westphalian system. The analysis reveals several similarities, instead of rigid distinctions, that point in favour of evolution rather the revolution of terrorist activity. Article, thus, question both the analytical value and empirical veracity of new terrorism.