The (Star) War(s) on terror

Abstract

The question of terrorism in Star Wars is not about the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire or between the Resistance and the First Order. Contrary to what one character in the film Clerks believes, the Rebels are not terrorists, and the Death Star was a valid military target. It is the terrorist group Death Watch, present in numerous books and TV shows, which provides us with a framework for real world analysis. Undergoing the transition from terrorist organization to the functional government of a territory, Death Watch models a political development with few examples in the real world.

¶

This thesis uses a case study of “Death Watch,” a fictional terrorist group within the Star Wars Universe, to investigate real world terrorist-government entities and develop theoretical strategies to combat them. I explain the benefits of using a case study based in pop culture, specifically science fiction to gain insight into international relations. Then I present an introduction to the case and give Death Watch the context necessary to study it. I show that Death Watch uses strategies such as information warfare, provocation, and the provision of social services, as they ultimately attain legitimacy. Lastly, I identify counterterrorism strategies applied within the case, such as military intervention and investigative policies, and discuss their application in the real world.