What this lesson teaches
I can explain how globalisation helps terrorist groups work across borders and harm people.
Syllabus K336, Issue 3, Guiding Question 4, Security impacts of globalisation. Transnational terrorism
Make a guess
A person who has never left Singapore is drawn to violent propaganda from an overseas group online. Do you think this threat is transnational?
- No, because the person is a Singaporean acting inside Singapore.
- No, because the person has stayed in Singapore the whole time.
- Yes, the influence crossed a border without the person.
Show the answer
Yes, the influence crossed a border without the person.
Terrorism crosses borders through recruitment, funding or online influence. The attacker does not have to travel.
Terrorist threats can cross borders through ideas, money and planning, even if the attacker never leaves their own country.
Picture a person who sees an overseas group's violent propaganda online. Propaganda is messages meant to win support for ideas and violence. The person starts supporting attacks in their own country. The influence has crossed a border, even though the person never travelled.
Terrorism is using or threatening violence to spread fear and intimidate a wider audience, in order to achieve political or ideological aims. Ideological aims come from beliefs about how society should be run. Transnational means crossing national borders. Terrorism crosses borders through recruitment (seeking supporters), funding, coordination or influence from abroad.
Global communications let extremist messages reach distant audiences. Transport and financial links also connect people and money in different countries. Radicalisation means coming to support extremist violence. A person can be self-radicalised through online material without ever joining a terrorist group.
Seeing extremist material does not automatically radicalise someone. Peaceful religious or political beliefs are not evidence of terrorism. Judge by support for violence, intentions and actions. No religion, ethnicity, nationality, age or gender makes a person a terrorist threat.
- Terrorism
- Using or threatening violence to spread fear for political or ideological aims.
- Transnational
- Crossing national borders.
- Radicalisation
- Coming to support extremist violence.
Real examples to use
Bali bombings, 2002
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was a terrorist network active across Southeast Asia. In 2002, it bombed nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 people from more than 20 countries.
JI plot in Singapore, 2001
In December 2001, Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) arrested JI members. They had planned truck-bomb attacks on embassies and other targets in Singapore.
Online radicalisation
In December 2020, a 16-year-old Singaporean was detained for planning to attack two mosques. He had been radicalised online after watching the livestream of the 2019 Christchurch attacks in New Zealand.
Worked example: Influenced from abroad, without travelling
Investigators find a resident has been following violent propaganda from a group overseas. He calls for attacks and says he plans violence locally. He has never travelled abroad or formally joined the group.
- He supports violence to achieve political aims. An unpopular opinion alone would not be a terrorist threat.
- The influence crossed borders online, even though he never travelled or joined the group.
- This makes it transnational terrorism. The evidence is about his conduct, and does not justify suspecting others who share his background.
Watch out for this
A terrorist threat is transnational only if the attacker comes from another country.
Ideas, funding and planning can cross borders even when the attacker stays at home.
Check your understanding
How can terrorism be transnational even if an attacker never leaves their country?
- Its victims may include tourists and foreign workers from several other countries.
- Crimes committed online count as terrorism once they cross a border.
- Extremist ideas, recruitment or funding can reach them from abroad, often online.
Show the answer
Extremist ideas, recruitment or funding can reach them from abroad, often online.
Right. Influence and support can cross borders digitally.