Is Terrorism a Domestic or an International Security Threat? : Historical Experiences and Securitzation in the Aftermath of Islamic Terrorist Attacks in France and the UK

Abstract: Speeches held by heads of state and government after terrorist attacks have the common pattern of trying to comfort the public and reassure that they will be safe. What is noteworthy in these speeches is that heads of state and government outline the strategy their country will be adopting to combat terrorism. While some countries favor a state centric view, others adopt a view that favors international cooperation to combat terrorist networks. This study compared France and the United Kingdom and analyzed whether their present responses after Islamic terrorist attacks were similar to their past historical experiences of national defense and security identity. The focus was on studying the strategy the countries would prioritize, either a strategy that emphasizes the state or international cooperation to combat Islamic terrorism. Securitization theory was used to study how countries securitize terrorism in terms of state or international concern. This was complemented by using historical analogies to understand how terrorism was securitized differently by France and the UK. The countries historical experiences in national defense and security identity were used as an analogy to understand their responses after terrorist attacks in present time. While France has had a more dependent history in recent time, the UK has remained more independent, something which is seen in their view on the EU. The WPR approach was used to identify the preferred strategy in each country. The findings in the analysis showed that France and the UK did not have any consistent responses. While France relied on international cooperation, the country did surprisingly emphasize the state for most parts. As for the UK, the state was a recurring strategy, but it emphasized international cooperation to a larger degree than expected. Keywords: Terrorism, heads of state and government, France, United Kingdom, strategy, securitization, historical experiences, WPR approach