ABSTRACT
A significant development in world politics has been the emergence of non-state actors as major participants and forces—both positive and negative—in the system. Trans-state actors include multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, epistemic communities, international organizations, insurgent groups, terrorist groups, etc. This chapter examines non-state threats from religious extremists and terrorist groups. This is not to suggest that non-state actors are always autonomous, independent of states—there are numerous instances of states creating, and/or supporting terrorist groups as their proxies. Nevertheless, terrorist groups have their own identity even if they are substantially or wholly dependent on a state entity. Terrorism is also a tactic used in pursuit of a political objective. This implies that terrorism and extremism are not exclusively the domain of non-state actors. State entities can and have engaged in terrorism.
