POC1026-Question 2, Violence in World Politics

Seminar Questions 

• What do you Define as violence?
• Is war inevitable?
• How is mass killing and injuring in war legitimated?
• Which forms of violence are considered legitamate? 
• -1949 Geneva convention UN, (international war standards) e.g. torture on legitamate under standards. 
• Is politics inheritantly violent? 

Core Reading- What counts as violence?

Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede

• Tony Blair justifying Iraq war: Said unline IRA terrorism (unjustified by understandable in a political framework) 9/11 incomprehensible violence. 
• E.g. 9/11 terrorists called nihilists, acts seen to be 'irreconcilable with political agendas and beyond the reach of established juridical or ethical codes.'
• Illigitamate violence= Nihilists.
• 9/11, 3,000 died (2 hyjacked planes hit twin towers, 1 landed in field, one was delayed and never took off). 

Case Studies: 

Drone targeting in Pakistan by the US:

• AfPal border very dangerous. 
• Terrorist organisations target area, some a concern for West (real but unspecified threat)
• US killed targeted militants on the border using Drones (UAVs). (Typical have hellfire missiles). Used 30 years. 
• 2004-2010, 1,458 militant deaths (531 civilian).
• Obama in washington, strikes doubled. 
• Same time military withdrawal from Iraq.
• Drones (alternate to war- form of political violence)
• Legitimised as state self defence.
• Borders US consider areas where they can intervene (with violence) expanding and not nessarily in battle zones. 

Finacial Targeting in Pakistan: 

• FATF and OECD platforms which foster international cooperation against money laundering.
• FATF important, agenda to cut terrorist funding (war on terror).
• If countries don't take recommendations, may receive negative report from FATF; which may impact country’s credit rating and access to international capital markets.
• Pakistan had bad resports in 2009 and 2010.
• Pakistan was pressured to target terrorists through international pressure (instead of war). 

• Finacial sanctions make humanitarian organisations harder to run (e.g. UK Charity Commission guidlines borderline ridiculous to comply to).
• E.g. 2010 floods, disputes over how to get aid to people without letting militant groups getting money and support from traumatised victims.
• E.g. charities such as Islamic relief.

possible finacial sanctions and drone strikes both have violent effects. 

Both target precisely and work as new…