Terrorism as the Most Sophisticated Modern Way of Using Force - Research Paper Example

Use of force - terrorism The modern way of using force is nothing but terrorism. Terrorism is found to the strategy that is adopted by the weaker group to form a conflict and gain what they desire. Being an asymmetric manner of use of force, it involves coercive power with all the benefits of military force given at a meager cost. Terrorist groups are of secretive nature and of relatively low strength. This makes it difficult for their opponents to defend them. Opponents of all terrorist groups struggle and fail to develop a working strategy against them. They cannot often locate the group and cannot therefore fight against them. Terrorists work on a strong motivation which cannot be taken off from their mind by any force. This motivation makes them use force; perform violence and bloodshed without any hesitation. Terrorism is also an effective way to use force and make a conflict as the adversaries often fail to understand the nature of the threat. They would mistake it as a criminal activity and do not undertake the right strategy that would help them fight these groups. Because of these special characteristics of terrorist activities, terrorism has become a popular and effective way of conflict for people who have kept extreme goals before them. No other strategy can make a minority achieve a special territory. Terrorism is the method of use of force adopted by the extremist groups around the globe. However, terrorism is certainly a nebulous strategy. Even the United States government is perplexed when it comes to the matter of terrorism. Recently, multiple attacks aimed at US have been thwarted by the authorities in different countries. Two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues have been captured. The plot brings doubt that al-Qaida is launching yet another terrorist attack on US. The US President called the attacks a credible terrorist threat. The US policy of using force, however, is less effective in checking terrorism. As per the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, law enforcement officers are legally entitled to use force. According to The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), there are five different components in using force: physical, electronic, chemical, impact and firearm. Terrorist attacks are also of different types. First is the type of attack that involves usage of weapons with mass destruction. Next is the kind of terrorist activity that includes weapons of extensive causality. Next type of terrorist activity involves weapons that give mass disruption. Different types of terrorist activities show different types of terrorist intentions. Weapons of mass destruction used by terrorists brings damage on buildings, bridges, cultural places, computer systems, networks, parks and other communication facilities. Such attacks would destroy the major structures of the society. Weapon of mass casualty brings extensive sicknesses and deaths. For example chemical and biological weapons bring mass causality. These types of weapons are termed as weapons of mass (extensive) destruction. These weapons cause economic, political and social damage to the society that is targeted. Moreover there are magnetic pulse weapons that are intended to destroy computer operation. Cyber terrorism makes the computer hacked thereby destroying major government records and economic records (bank records). Agro terrorism is the act of blocking or destroying food supplies, fuel supplies and other major supplies. Terrorist activities include weapons that can achieve all the works that are targeted towards the people. September 11 attack was one of that kind. The attack brought mass destruction of a major infrastructure of the nation (the World Trade Centre and Pentagon). It further brought about mass causality; almost 3000 people were killed. It also made mass disruption. Loss of finance (millions of dollars) because of the absence of World Trade Centre) was one such destruction. Fear of future attack, shutdown of airports and other disruptions added to the chaos. The attack confirmed the power of terrorist networks. Terrorism is intended for creating terror in a society with the aim of achieving a political goal. All terrorist acts can be put into two sections. Acts would be either terror driven or objective driven. Objective driven terrorism acts is performed by terrorists so that they get their demands addressed by the respective government. Hostage taking is an example for these types of terrorism. In 1980 the taking of the United States Embassy in Iran was carried out to make the United States change its policy towards Iran and the entire Middle East. Such object-driven terrorism acts is intended to give the government a chance to alter its policy regarding certain things. Terror-driven terrorism is however meant for retaliation for a wrong treat or as a warning for future acts of terror if the government is still reluctant to alter its policies. For example the terrorist attacks on West Bank and Gaza trip. Israel killed a leader of Hamas. Hamas in return destroyed a Hebrew University. They also attacked the people in the West Bank. Conflicts continued that if a single Hamas leader is killed, hundred of Israel people would be killed. The nature of terrorism is nothing but the indirect (as well as indiscriminate) attack of people with a particular goal or purpose. Terrorist attack is considered indirect and indiscriminate as the people who are attacked are not targeted in particular. The people killed in the attacks would be no way related to the terrorists. Terrorists believe that the attack, civilian causalities, destruction of major structures and other attacks would compel the government to take some actions in favor of the terrorists. Terrorism is not often considered as an irrational act. Innocent people are chosen are the target as it would make the desired impact. Government cannot turn a blind eye towards disruption of the society and death of civilians. In modern terrorism anybody can be a victim (however terrorism is not random). The appearance of the target as random arose public anxiety, tremor and finally the change in behavior. This is exactly what the terrorists want to get done. Terrorists feel that they can adopt any strategy of violence to accomplish their goal. They are bothered about their goal and ignore the path they use to achieve it. Violence, bloodshed and destruction are not brutal for them for it is performed with a purpose. Moreover terrorist acts are mostly public. They want the attack to be such that the whole society would see it (come to know about it) and react. So the terrorist would select targets that have got good economic value and symbolic worth. This is what happened in September 11 attacks. Terrorists chose people that have good public values. September 11 attack victims were not ordinary people. High profile people are targeted for getting public attention. This would ultimately change public behavior also. Terrorism is different from a normal crime. Terrorism has nothing to do with the traditional warfare. In a general war targeted is selected based on its military value. In wars target is selected for attack as these individuals themselves possess some specific value. Attacking such groups would help terrorists achieve their military objective. In terrorist attacks there is no military objective. They are killed to make the desired impact on the government or the concerned group. Terrorism is also different from a war crime. A typical example of a war crime is when an army move into an area trying to capture the area completely, making the enemy force vacate. In this process of conquest they would kill the unarmed innocent civilians and other non-combatants. Even though these attacks also involve killing and is considered as illegal (and as crime), it is not labeled as terrorism. In such attacks people are killed just for completing their conquest. The destruction, here, is not intended to intimidate other people or the society as a whole. It is rather just an act of violence that would make the army establish their stand in the new place of their conquest. Thus the reason of the attack makes war different from terrorism. The impact of the attack is important as far as terrorism is concerned. The target of the attack is not important here. Terrorism is with an extreme motive for which the attack is performed. The attack is performed to make the government or the group makes the necessary change. An attack or use of force may be intended to destroy the buildings and stop the operations of the society. It may also be to disrupt the peace of the society, bringing the whole area under terror. This is the true nature of terrorism. The motive is all that matter. Neither the attacker, nor the victims matter in terrorism. Destroying the peace of the society would make the government rethink their policies. It may also change the behavior of a certain group of people. Attacks are intended for bringing this change. Terrorist activities thus can be to seek revenge against some particular action or may be to compel government to negotiate something. References Rodin, David (2006). Terrorism. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge Hudson, Rex A. (2002) Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why: The 1999 Government Report on Profiling Terrorists, Federal Research Division, The Lyons Press,2002 Pape, Robert A. (2003) "The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism," American Political Science Review, 97 (3): pp. 1-19 Griset, P., & Mahan, S. (2008). Terrorism in perspective, (2nd ed) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Ganor, B. (2007). The counter-terrorism puzzle: A guide for decision makers, New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers. The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (Washington: The White House, September 2002) Lee Feinstein and Anne-Marie Slaughter, “A Duty to Prevent,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 83 Atsushi Tago, Determinants of Multilateralism in US Use of Force: State of Economy, Election Cycle, and Divided Government, Sage Journals. Read More