Terrorism in South Asia

Book excerpt: Following The Terrorist Attacks In New York And Washington, D.C. On 11 September 2001, South Asia Emerged As The Epicentre Of The War Against Terrorism, With The Involvement Of The American And Coalition Forces Against Al Qaeda In Afghanistan. The Development Brought Into Focus Not Only The Spectre Posed By The Threat Of Global Terrorism, But Also The Dangers Which Terrorism Poses Within And Among The Countries Of The Region. In South Asia, There Is A Consensus That Terrorism Has A Negative Impact On Economic Development, But The Assessment Differs Significantly Depending On The Experience Of Individual Countries. There Is, Therefore, A Need To Develop A Common Methodology To Calculate The Costs Of Conflicts Which Should Be Able To Demonstrate, Among Other Things, That Conflicts Are Responsible For The Economic Ills Of Countries. Such An Exercise Would Be Incomplete Without A Better Understanding Of The Economy Of Terrorism, Including The Sources And Methods Of Its Financing And Its Economic Networking. Similarly, There Is Also A Consensus In The Region That Terrorism Undermines And Weakens The Democratic Structure Of Countries, But It Is Not Yet Fully Clear How That Is Done. Most Papers In The Present Volume Have Attempted To Address Both The Causes And Consequences Of Terrorism, And Strongly Underscore The Need For Case-By-Case Study Of Individual Terrorist Groups To See How They Have Impacted On The State Structure