Publication

This paper describes how the global war on terror, as articulated in US policy, is a long war, without boundaries, against non-state actors. Nonetheless, terrorists still reside in nation-states and their motivations and actions are shaped by their connections to particular societies and cultures. The paper therefore details how terrorism is not only a military and political problem but a societal problem as well. The author provides several examples from India and attempts to identify the sociological factors, in any society, that can lead to terrorism.