Terrorism - Term Paper Example

Terrorism Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Table of Contents Extremism and Security 3 The History of Terrorism and Causes of Terrorist Violence 4 Internationalisation of Terrorism 6 Modern Terrorism 7 Religious Terrorism 7 Terrorist Groups 8 Emerging Threats 9 Terrorism as a Strategy 10 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction For the last thirty years, terrorism threat has increased gradually. The acts of terrorism are becoming more destructive with technological advancements. Similarly, terrorism perpetrators have become more elusive. Most of the nations have been touched by the current terrorism wave, which started during the late 1960s. In this regard, terrorism is defined as the illegitimate use or violent threat against an individual or property to further social or political objectives (Anzovin, 1986). Similarly, it is the calculated application of violence to instill fear. Others define it as the unlawful use of aggression or force against individuals to intimidate or coerce a government with a social or political agenda (Jackson, 2011). Some governments have been involved in terrorism, such as the Roman emperors as well as the French revolution; they suppressed their subjects with terror. The Nazi government under the headship of Adolf Hitler also suppressed its subjects with terrorism. In this regard, this paper intends to explore the issue of terrorism and the associated aspects, such as security and history among others. Extremism and Security Extremism can be defined as the ideologies that people hold or the acts that may be political or even religious that other people undertake, which are not only inconsistent with the existing norms and views that are generally held by most people but also violate the most commonly held moral standards. Examples of extremist individuals and groups that exist include the Islamic jihad, and the Hamas among others. These extremists further can be described to be people with closed, fixed, and intolerant attitudes, which make them to engage in activities that cause violence, trauma, and escalations (Breton, 2002). Security denotes the degree of protection from harm that is exercised as a move to protect valuable assets from harm. Security measures are applied to vulnerable and valuable things, which may include assets, and the lives of people among other valuable items. In the United States, various measures have been taken to ensure that terrorism is prevented and instead security is enhanced. This is through building a new homeland security venture that better mitigates as well as defends against active threats, lowers risks, and optimizes the ability to counter and recuperate from attacks and catastrophes of all kinds. The History of Terrorism and Causes of Terrorist Violence The history of terrorism dates back to the early existence of humans and their willingness and readiness to use violence to affect political decisions and other decisions that tended to give rise to controversies. The first group of people who engaged in terrorism is the Sicarii. This is the first century Jewish groups and they murdered their enemies and those who were helping them in their move to remove the roman rulers completely from Judea. Another group is the Hashhashin, which were a secretive Islamic sect that assassinated two political figures and terrified their allies (Cronin, 2002). However, the real history of terrorism can be dated back to 1793 when the French insurgency took place. During this period, one of the leaders of the new state named Robespierre had his adversaries assassinated and then he put up dictatorship regulations that were to try to stabilize the country. Modern terrorists who believe that using violence will usher in better systems have adopted his sentiments, which justified his methods as necessary in the transformation of monarchy to liberal democracy (Freedman, & Thussu, 2012). This was followed by the rise of non-state terrorism in the 1950s, which was characterized by the emergence of guerilla tactics by non-state actors. This was because of various factors, which comprised of the emergence of ethnic autonomy; for instance, the Irish, the Zionist, the anti-colonial outlooks that were being voiced in the vast British and French empires, new ideologies that were being advanced and being accepted by many people, and this included the idea of communism. A type of terrorism, which was international, followed this non-state terrorism (Henderson, & Henderson, 2004). This was during the 1970s, an era that gave people the contemporary idea of terrorism as highly theatrical figurative acts of violence that were done by prepared group that had particular political grievances. During this period, terrorists took advantage of the black market in the soviet to produce weapons, such as assault rifles among others. They justified their actions with their deep belief in the necessity and justice of their cause. The hijacking of other countries’ assets like planes, ships and the bombings of the buildings in other countries also characterized the international terrorism. The last class of terrorism is the religious and beyond type of terrorism that is in existence in the twenty first century. Religious type of terrorism is rampant today and is considered the most alarming and dreaded type of terrorism in existence today (Laqueur, 2001). The groups that are popularly known for terrorism include the al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. However, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism have also arisen to their own kinds of militant radicalism that have led to terrorism. The main causes of terrorist violence can be summarized into two main points: social and political injustice. In most instances, people, political, and ethnic groups tend to choose terrorism when trying to make right what they perceive to be social, political, or even historical wrongs. Examples of terrorists who have carried out their activities because they felt they had no choice include the Zionists who bombed the British targets in the 1930s (Lutz & Lutz, 2004). Osama bin Laden’s attack on America stemmed from his belief that the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia were an abomination and corrupted the kind of Islamic state that he believed should exist in the Arabian Peninsula. Internationalisation of Terrorism The internationalization of terrorism involves the terrorist attacks that are executed against countries all over the world whereby an operation can be planned in the United States and executed in Russia within minutes (Hoffman, 1998). Internationalization of terrorism is therefore a major concern because most nations are deeply polarized, and therefore, they are of the view that the political as well as economic situations that give rise to the problem of terrorism should be removed to tackle the problem of terrorism. These nations are of the opinion that the situations that cause terrorism should not be justified in any situation and counties should not be subjected to international sanctions due to this. Other countries on the other hand believe that discussions are a futile attempt and instead, urgent measures against the terrorists should be adopted. Discussions and eliminating the causes are a waste of time while the real problem, which is the terrorists, is not dealt with (Chalk, 2008). The divergent ideologies held by the different nations therefore lead to the problem of deciding how to tackle the issues. in question and present the problem of the best approach to adopt to ensure that the problem of international terrorism is effectively dealt with. Modern Terrorism Modern terrorism has seen the terrorism scene face a shift in the dilemmas of power, the rise of individual terrorists, the emergence of theoreticians of terror, and the rise of architects of state terror. This has seen the scene of terrorism change across the globe from the early French revolution to the scenes that are witnessed in the present day. Therefore, when talking about modern terrorism, the ideas that should come to mind include suicide bombers, drones, or some form of technological weapons (Cooper, 2004). The threat of terrorism has increased over the recent years due to the various advancements that have come with technology. Modern terrorism is characterized with terrorists who are much more destructive. The weapons that are available nowadays and the better technology that has made hiding of crimes easy and more efficient facilitate this. The perpetrators of these acts remain elusive and it is quite a challenge to try to net them due to the advancements that have come about with technology. In terrorism, particular groups are specifically targeted. The fighting usually takes place between military and paramilitary groups (Rubin & Rubin, 2008). The difference of modern terrorism from the other forms of terrorism that have been witnessed over the years is that modern militaries often make an effort to avoid unnecessary civilian causalities that are referred to as collateral damage along the way. Religious Terrorism Religious groups that have extremist beliefs in religion rather than ethnic or national motivations define religious terrorism as the terrorism that is conducted, organized, planned, and conducted. The religious form of terrorism has its perpetrators using religious scriptures to explain and try to justify their violent actions and ensure that they get more recruits. This form of terrorism has the people involved using the apocalyptic images that showcase and symbolize destruction to try to make their actions just (Juergensmeyer, 2000). Additionally, as a move to ensure they recruit more people and try to make their actions good, they ensure that they incorporate the leaders of their churches in their destructive endeavors. Suicide terrorism and self-sacrifice have over history been organized and perpetrated by groups with both political and religious beliefs as the motivations. The religion extremists tend to believe that engaging themselves in such forms of sacrifice will ensure that they do not face the wrath of the Messiah during his second coming. These religious extremists furthermore believe in the shunning and condemning certain actions and anyone who involves themselves in the forbidden actions then faces the consequences The Islamic believers are also known for being a very explosive group and they are popular for their holy war that is known as jihad. They believe that the jihad is a holy war that is meant to cleanse the world from the evils that surround and also engulf it so as to prepare for the coming of Allah. However, the effects of these holy wars are severe and are often viewed by most people as a form of terrorism (Masaeli, 2012). Terrorist Groups There are many terrorist groups in existence today, which are driven by various goals and objectives. These groups use different methods to achieve their major aims. These include the use of terror against innocent people, the use of violence against the governments of the nations involved and the use of peaceful movements and demonstrations. The first group of terrorists is the pre-modern terrorists. These groups used terror as the only means of achieving their political and social ends (Burgan, 2010). These groups are considered the forerunner of modern terrorists and examples include the Hashashin, the Sicarii and the Thugees. The second group is the socialist also known as the communist group. These were committed to social revolution, establishment of socialist and communist states. They consists of the following terrorist groups: “the red army faction of Germany in 1998, the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, the red brigades of Italy, the revolutionary struggle of Greece, the shining path in Peru and the weather underground organization in the United States” (Gunderson, 2004). Another class of terrorist groups was formed based on national liberalization and they used this as a reason why they adopted violence to achieve their aims. The groups that have been associated with this include the Irish Republic Army of Irish, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, and the Palestinian group known as the Fatah. The last group is the religious-political groups that have risen since the 1970s and which led to the rise of religious terrorism (Gunderson, 2004). These groups employ a religious cover and coat their command using divine terms, but in reality, their objectives are political, move for recognition, supremacy, and territory among others. Examples of these include the Al Qaeda group, the Klu Klux Klan Christian group, and the AumShinrikyo group. Emerging Threats There are different forms of crime and terrorism facing the whole world these days, which are highly evolved and use very specialized forms of technology. This makes it difficult for the nations that lack good and highly developed technology to keep pace with these new emerging threats. Examples of the emerging threats and terrorist attacks include cybercrime, which has led to the emergence of identity thefts and child pornography. Failure of governments to take appropriate actions against such activities will lead to the emergence of more severe threats than these (Cragin, Daly & Rand Corporation, 2004). Other examples of emerging threats include human smuggling and human trafficking, illegal possessions of firearms, youth crime, fraud, theft, cannabis cultivation, among others. Terrorism as a Strategy The goal of every government is to protect its citizens against any terrorism that may be planned against them. The strategy of terrorism therefore is to counter the domestic and international terrorism faced by citizens of a given country to protect its citizens. The strategy of counter terrorism therefore involves the building of resilience against terrorism by the governments to ensure the security of their citizens both at home and abroad. The strategies adopted include assessing the nature and scale of the threat involved and then setting out the basic principles and elements that underpin the governments counter terrorism attacks. The principles and elements that are adopted serve as a means of prioritizing and evaluating the efforts that the governments have put in place to fight and protect their citizens and their country against terrorism and the effects that result from it (Smith, 2008). The strategy deployed against terrorism therefore helps ensure that country citizens are protected. Conclusion In summary, although there is no generally accepted definition of terrorism, it can be explained as the process whereby there is systematic use and application of violence with the aim of creating a general climate of fear among a group of people to achieve a particular political, religious, and modern terrorism. International security on the other hand can be seen as the process of terrorism going beyond country borders and therefore affecting citizens of other countries, and the improvement in technology and the process through which the terrorist attacks are carried out. Terrorism is further fueled by extremist characteristics that manifest themselves in individuals and therefore the safety of people is put at stake. This leads to the introduction of security measures, which try to ensure that the opinions and rights of people are respected and observed at all instances. The history of terrorism and terrorist attacks is seen to date back to the periods when people first existed and this is because war is part of human existence that is used to solve everyday problems that humans are faced with. The various types of terrorism have been seen to range from modern terrorism and to religious terrorism among others. Terrorism has also seen internationalization whereby attacks are launched against people of different countries. Governments of various nations should come up with procedures that ensure that they are able to deal with the emerging threats and the strategies, which ensure that their citizens are protected both domestically and internationally. References Anzovin, S. (1986). Terrorism. New York, H.W. Wilson. Breton, A. (2002). Political extremism and rationality. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Burgan, M. (2010). Terrorist groups. Mankato, MN: Compass Point Books. Chalk, P. (2008). The maritime dimension of international security: Terrorism, piracy, and challenges for the United States. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Cooper, B. (2004). New political religions, or, An analysis of modern terrorism. Columbia: University of Missouri Press. Cragin, K, Daly, S. A., & Rand Corporation (2004). The dynamic terrorist threat: An assessment of group motivations and capabilities in a changing world. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. Cronin, I. (2002). Confronting fear: A history of terrorism. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press. Freedman, D., &Thussu, D. K. (2012). Media and terrorism: Global perspectives. Los Angeles: SAGE. Gunderson, C. G. (20040. Terrorist groups. Edina, Minn: ABDO Pub. Co. Henderson, H., & Henderson, H. (2004). Global terrorism. New York: Facts On File. Hoffman, B. (1998). Inside terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press. Jackson, R. (2011). Terrorism: A critical introduction. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Juergensmeyer, M. (2000). Terror in the mind of God: The global rise of religious violence. Berkeley: University of California Press. Laqueur, W. (2001). A history of terrorism. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction. Lutz, J. M., & Lutz, B. J. (2004). Global terrorism. London: Routledge. Masaeli, M. (2012). Morality and terrorism: An interfaith perspective. Santa Ana, CA: Nortia Press. Miller, M. A. (2013). The foundations of modern terrorism: State, society and the dynamics of political violence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Miller, M. A. (2013). The foundations of modern terrorism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Rubin, B. M., & Rubin, J. C. (2008). Chronologies of modern terrorism. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Smith, P. J. (2008). The terrorism ahead: Confronting transnational violence in the twenty-first century. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Read More

This was followed by the rise of non-state terrorism in the 1950s, which was characterized by the emergence of guerilla tactics by non-state actors. This was because of various factors, which comprised of the emergence of ethnic autonomy; for instance, the Irish, the Zionist, the anti-colonial outlooks that were being voiced in the vast British and French empires, new ideologies that were being advanced and being accepted by many people, and this included the idea of communism. A type of terrorism, which was international, followed this non-state terrorism (Henderson, & Henderson, 2004).

This was during the 1970s, an era that gave people the contemporary idea of terrorism as highly theatrical figurative acts of violence that were done by prepared group that had particular political grievances. During this period, terrorists took advantage of the black market in the soviet to produce weapons, such as assault rifles among others. They justified their actions with their deep belief in the necessity and justice of their cause. The hijacking of other countries’ assets like planes, ships and the bombings of the buildings in other countries also characterized the international terrorism.

The last class of terrorism is the religious and beyond type of terrorism that is in existence in the twenty first century. Religious type of terrorism is rampant today and is considered the most alarming and dreaded type of terrorism in existence today (Laqueur, 2001). The groups that are popularly known for terrorism include the al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. However, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism have also arisen to their own kinds of militant radicalism that have led to terrorism. The main causes of terrorist violence can be summarized into two main points: social and political injustice.

In most instances, people, political, and ethnic groups tend to choose terrorism when trying to make right what they perceive to be social, political, or even historical wrongs. Examples of terrorists who have carried out their activities because they felt they had no choice include the Zionists who bombed the British targets in the 1930s (Lutz & Lutz, 2004). Osama bin Laden’s attack on America stemmed from his belief that the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia were an abomination and corrupted the kind of Islamic state that he believed should exist in the Arabian Peninsula.

Internationalisation of Terrorism The internationalization of terrorism involves the terrorist attacks that are executed against countries all over the world whereby an operation can be planned in the United States and executed in Russia within minutes (Hoffman, 1998). Internationalization of terrorism is therefore a major concern because most nations are deeply polarized, and therefore, they are of the view that the political as well as economic situations that give rise to the problem of terrorism should be removed to tackle the problem of terrorism.

These nations are of the opinion that the situations that cause terrorism should not be justified in any situation and counties should not be subjected to international sanctions due to this. Other countries on the other hand believe that discussions are a futile attempt and instead, urgent measures against the terrorists should be adopted. Discussions and eliminating the causes are a waste of time while the real problem, which is the terrorists, is not dealt with (Chalk, 2008). The divergent ideologies held by the different nations therefore lead to the problem of deciding how to tackle the issues.

in question and present the problem of the best approach to adopt to ensure that the problem of international terrorism is effectively dealt with. Modern Terrorism Modern terrorism has seen the terrorism scene face a shift in the dilemmas of power, the rise of individual terrorists, the emergence of theoreticians of terror, and the rise of architects of state terror. This has seen the scene of terrorism change across the globe from the early French revolution to the scenes that are witnessed in the present day.

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