International Terrorism A Closer Look - Essay Example

International Terrorism A Closer Look International Terrorism According to the U.S. State Department terrorism is defined as a “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience” (Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656F(D)). Terrorism is nothing new. In fact terrorism has many definitions and has been present in society for many hundreds of years. According to Ruben Ardila “Terrorists are usually young men (in very few cases women) – faceless people carefully programmed to destroy their enemy at all costs. They are well trained, educated, blindly obedient to authority, living in a time zone of fatalism, and totally dedicated to a religious-cultural ideology. Their attacks are not senseless violence; they require extensive training, professional, expertise, financial resources and networks of co-conspirators”(Ardila, p9-15). In most recent history terrorism was an attempt by extremists to obtain power. When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics broke apart many of its member states suffered greatly in the power struggle that ensued. The news is full of reports of terroristic threats and incidents that lead to the death and injury of innocent people. The school takeover in Beslan, Russia by Chechen rebels (another name for terrorist) resulted in numerous deaths of innocent children and their caretakers. Another incident involved the takeover of a movie theater in Moscow. That also ended in tragedy as the building was gassed to kill the terrorists but ended up killing the theater patrons as well. As one might expect, there are many different types of terrorists with different agendas. Nationalist Separatists terrorists are focused on obtaining a separate state for their ethnic/nationalist group. Some examples of this type of terrorist are the Palestinians (They like to put suicide bombers on buses), the Kurds (Iraqi ethnic minority, and the Irish Republican Army. Religious terrorists are focused on the use violence to obtain what they believe are divine purposes. Examples of this type of terrorist include Al Qaida, Islamic Jihad, and Hizbollah. Left-wing terrorists focus on restoring socialism by attacking democratic reforms. Examples of this type of terrorism include the Red Army and the German Red Brigades. Lastly, right-wing terrorists are focused on destroying liberal democracies and attack vulnerable targets to kill as many people as possible to make their point. Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) and the FBI standoff at Ruby Ridge are examples of this type of terrorist. This type of terrorist harbors a deep seated hatred for the U.S. Government and the actions of law enforcement and Federal agents. In fact, Timothy McVeigh reportedly planned the Oklahoma City Bombing as a response to the actions of Federal agents at David Koresh’s Waco compound. The terrorists that seem to be in the news the most are the religious terrorists that are fighting a jihad (holy war) against anyone who does not believe in what they believe in. Typically these terrorists are Islamic and follow Islamic law. These terrorists are considered Islamic extremists. One example of their extremism is their subjugation of women. They believe that women are property, don’t require schooling, and should dress extremely conservative (Bhurkas). Many of the women in families following strict Islamic law are the victims of ‘honor killings’. The report of any impropriety by a woman (even if its only a rumor) requires the family to kill the woman by stoning. Usually the killing is done by brothers, uncles or even the father of the victim. The use of suicide bombers to terrorize a population is used widely in the Middle East and South West Asia. Bombers are drafted by the promises of martyrdom. They believe that if the attack the enemy and die in the process they will go to heaven and given 72 virgins (an example of degradation of women). Suicide bombers are also promised that their martyrdom will be rewarded by the group caring for their family. In Israel this tactic sort of backfires because the homes of suicide bombers are razed in response thus the Palestinian family becomes homeless. The terrorist attacks are not limited to the Middle East and South West Asia. The 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon proved that. The London subway bombings by home-grown terrorists and the bombings of a train in Spain are other examples of the spread of terrorism as promised by jihadists (holy warriors). One of the most disturbing aspects of terrorism is the terrorist’s ability to plan ahead. This includes the formation of sleeper cells. These cells consist of jihadists that live normally and quietly for a long period of time before they are ‘activated’ to commit a terrorist attack. By 2003 the United States Government had detected and destroyed sleeper cells in Maine, Detroit, and Buffalo “and apprehended the Ohio truck driver who plotted with Osama Bin Laden to cut the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge” (Global Security, p1) The best example of a sleeper cell is the 9-11 terrorists. They quietly lived and trained on American soil until they were activated to complete the attack and become martyrs. The terrorist mindset is something that is developed and nurtured in an individual from an early age. What motivates terrorists is the belief that they can accomplish what they want and will be rewarded with martyrdom. From the outside looking in the terrorists are called suicide bombers. From the inside looking out these terrorists are considered martyrs and their acts are considered “heroic acts of martyrdom” (Borum, p3). The terrorists do not believe what they are doing is suicide. This belief in ‘heroic acts of martyrdom’ is derived from the process of ideological development. The Process of Ideological Development By Dr. Randy Borum Its Not Right Its Not Fair Its Your Fault You’re Evil Social and Inequality and Blame/Attribution Generalizing economic → Resentment → → ↕ Stereotyping deprivation Dehumanizing Demonizing the Enemy According to Dr. Borum, of Tampa Florida, some Islamic extremists support Islamic fundamentalism and feel they must destroy all who “oppose the kingdom of Allah on earth” (Borum, p9). The Islamic fundamentalists see this as a religious power struggle that they must win. This belief combined with social and economic deprivation, inequality and resentment, and blame and attribution leads to the belief that the only way to support the kingdom of Allah on earth is through martyrdom. Psychologists believe that these ‘martyrs’ do not suffer from mental illness or psychotic episodes that drive their behavior. If they did then there would be a mental health intervention that could prevent their behavior. As stated earlier, the ‘suicide’ bombers are not committing suicide (a deliberate attempt to commit self-harm), they are killing the enemy by using their body as a vehicle to transport and activate the bomb. The fact that this causes death for the bomber is overshadowed by the belief that they committed a heroic act. In Iraq, where Coalition Forces are fighting insurgents, terrorism takes place daily. Terrorism can be separated and viewed in a different light than combat between warring parties. The terrorism that is happening is Iraq consist of terrorists aiming their actions toward non-combatants. Violence in this situation “is used to instill fear in the target audience” (Weisbach, p1). Please note that not all terrorists are Islamic extremists. And, not all Muslims are terrorists. It is too easy to generalize and stereotype Muslims as terrorists. Because sleeper cells were detected post 9-11 doesn’t mean that every Muslim is against democracy. One just needs to view video of Iraqi’s coming and going from the polls during their landmark elections proudly holding their ink stained index fingers. The act of civilly voting, and including their children in the process, shows the other side of the Muslim population. The global war on terrorism brings together people from around the world to address the issue of terrorism. The United Nations Security Council has addressed the terrorism issue. The United Nations Security Council does not look at terrorism’s religious or ideological causes. The Security Council focuses on terrorist activities. The Security Council defines terrorism as “criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent of causing death or serious injury, or taking hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act” (UNSC, 1566). In 2006 the United Nations adopted a strategy called “The United Nation’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”. The resolution was designed to create a common strategic approach to fighting terrorism worldwide. The message sent to terrorists is that their activities will no longer be tolerated. The UN Resolution encourages a collaborative approach to addressing the terrorism problem. This resolution also recognizes that terrorism is not restricted to one region of the world but is found worldwide and needs to be combated at the global level. The United Nations’ Resolution acts as a permission slip to member countries that allows for the member countries to enact legislation to combat terrorism as well as actually go through the motions of preventing terrorist acts. The basic plans of action of the resolution consist of (United Nations Security Council): Measures to address the conditions that are conducive to the spread of terrorism Measures to prevent and combat terrorism Measures to build State’s capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the United Nations system in this regard Measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism The European Union also has a plan in place to combat terrorism. The bombings in London and Madrid highlighted the European Union’s vulnerability. Their law enforcement agencies now work in a coordinated effort to identify probable terrorist activity. Cross boarder prosecutions are now coordinated between member states. The European Union has brought together representatives of member state intelligence services to work on coordinating internal and external intelligence gathering and dissemination. This sharing of intelligence can be used as an effective tool in counter-terrorism. Conclusion: Since 9-11 of 2001 terrorism has moved into the international spotlight. The majority of terrorists groups consist of Islamic extremists who, because of social and economic deprivation have grown to hate anything other than what they believe in. These terrorists are well funded (by Osama Bin Ladin for example) and well trained to provide a terroristic threat on a global scale. With attacks in the United States, Great Britain, and Spain the global reach of terrorism has been felt. Countering and containing terrorism is now a global concern that has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council. The Security Counsel has provided guidance that consists of a strategic plan to combat terrorism. Member States have been provided with a plan that was drafted to specifically address terrorism and provide a uniform approach to counter-terrorism. The United Nations does not view terrorism as a religious issue but as a public safety and security issue. The United Nations has recognized that the best defense against terrorism is an effective offense. This includes identifying potential targets and taking measures to protect targets as well as trying to identify how the terrorists choose their targets. It is clear that the suicide bombers are not in fact committing suicide, but are committing a heroic act of martyrdom. Because these individuals are not suicidal they do not suffer from an identifiable mental illness thus they do not require mental health intervention. These individuals are not psychotic. These individuals are driven by the belief that they must destroy the enemy so that the kingdom of Allah on earth will reign. Word Count: 1,963 References American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Ardila, Ruben. “The Psychology of the Terrorist: Behavioral Perspectives” The Psychology of Terrorism: A Public Understanding, ed. Stout, Chris E. (London: Praeger, 2002) 9-15. Borum, Randy. Phd. (2003). FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Understanding The Terrorist Mindset. FBI Academy. Quantico, VA. Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656F(D) Global Security. (2007). Reliable Security Information. Sleeper Cells. Retrieved 2007-05-20 From www.globalsecurity.org Foreign Policy Association. (2007). Foreign Policy Association. Classifying Terrorism. 470 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Weisbach, Jessica. (2004). The Psychology of the Terrorist Mind. Attempting to Understand a Possible Means Towards Prevention. United Nations Security Council. (2004). Paragraph 3 of the UNSC Resolution 1566 United Nations Security Council. (2006). The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism strategy Adopted 8 September 2006.` Read More