STRETCHING THE BOUNDARIES OF COUNTERTERRORISM : A study on the evolution of extraterritoriality withinAmerican counterterrorism

Abstract: This thesis sets out to research the phenomenon that is extraterritoriality within Americancounterterrorism, doing as such by analyzing four policy reports from four differentpresidential administrations. The purpose of this thesis is to research the evolution ofextraterritoriality within counterterrorism policy based on the knowledge that there has been achange regarding the matter, significantly following the events of the 11th of Septemberterrorist attacks in 2001. This thesis, however, researches more than merely before and afternine-eleven. By analyzing policy report from Bill Clintons, George W. Bush’s, BarackObamas and Donald Trumps administrations, the study examines the evolution ofextraterritoriality over a larger time period. The two research questions ask what the view ofextraterritoriality within American counterterrorism has been and, in what sense have changesbeen made within American counterterrorism regarding extraterritoriality.Extraterritoriality has challenged a foundational norm within the modern international worldand that is state sovereignty. Extraterritoriality can be described as one actor asserts theirjurisdiction over another actor within a specific territory of another state. In this thesis, theAmerican military base in Cuba called Guantanamo Bay will be frequently referenced to as anexample of a place where extraterritoriality is present, a so-called extraterritorial domain.In order to analyze the empirical material, a qualitative, descriptive textual analysis has beenused and dimensions have been used as an analytical tool in this thesis.The main conclusions drawn are that there has been an evolution of extraterritoriality withinAmerican counterterrorism during the time these four presidents were in office. The evolutionhas not, however, been simply linear and this study shows that extraterritoriality can bevisible in all the different policy reports. The amount of extraterritoriality noticeable andregarding which matters of extraterritoriality is the primary difference.