Terrorist Black Holes: The Case of Northern Ireland

Abstract

What factors within a region contribute to the host of a terrorist group? Rem Korteweg and David Ehrhardt begin to answer that question with the publishing of what they call “a first step in research aimed at uncovering terrorist sanctuaries”. Terrorist Black Holes: A Study into Terrorist Sanctuaries and Governmental Weakness (2005), identifies the concept of a Terrorist Black Hole, which is an area within a region that houses a terrorist group. While Korteweg concentrates on regions outside of NATO territory, I challenge his assumption for the absence of Terrorist Black Holes in the West by asking: What are the contributing factors to a terrorist black hole existing in the West? I replicate Korteweg’s approach and apply it to a single-case study of Northern Ireland. I argue that as the Global War on Terrorism advances, along with the focus on the Middle East, scholars and mainstream media somewhat overlook the continuing terrorist activity in the West. After fine-tuning Korteweg’s term of “ungovernedness”, I conclude that the West is not only extremely capable, but does, already, possess a Terrorist Black Hole