Discuss the extent to which hostage-taking terrorists are more likely to target democratic governments - Essay Example

EXTENTS TO WHICH HOSTAGE-TAKING TERRORISTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO TARGET DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS Democratic Governments and Hostage-Taking TerroristsTerrorism is a global delinquent that any country or state dreads to face. The terrorist base their attacks on many analogies. It has been realized that in most terrorist attacks, most instances it occurs in democratic governments. Democracy prevails in democratic countries through elections. Most terrorists’ organization opposes the rule of democracy (Lee, 2013).

There is usually peace in democratic countries for it is through the choice of the people that leaders arise unlike countries that are ruled through dictatorship. Their understanding of true power is that it can only be acquired through violence. Most of these groups strive to violence by taking hostages in order to show the government that they are incapable of protecting their citizens. They go to great extents that they even take children as hostages. The overall reason why democratic governments being majorly targeted by hostage-taking terrorist is the value given to human life, and it would be readily to cooperate into their demands (Wilkinson, 2014).

It is more likely that the leaders would agree to the demands of the terrorist against their own policy of no negotiations with terrorists. When they attack, the media is at the forefront in reporting the occurrence of events. This puts the attacked country at a very compromising position for the globe watches the flow of events and how the situation would be resolved. Any life lost during the negotiation will have a great effect on how the rest of the watching world would pass judgment. Terrorists have a high degree of targeting the democratic government to further their terror on those watching.

Consequently, Democratic governments are at a high risk of hostage-taking attacks by terrorists.Reference ListLee, C. (2013). Democracy, civil liberties, and hostage-taking terrorism. Journal of Peace Research, 50(2), pp.235-248.Wilkinson, P. (2014). Terrorism versus democracy: The Liberal State Response. 2nd ed. London: Taylor & Francis.