MODERN TERRORISM - Research Paper Example

Research Report: Modern Terrorism Modern Terrorism Terrorism involves the use of underhand tactics in spreading fear, terror, and panic in one’s enemies. It involves the use of horrifying warfare methods against humanity using swift and unexpected means. Terrorism is majorly committed against civilian populations with the hope of instigating fear for achievement of political ends. The motive of the violence is to create, instill, and maintain terror and panic among the general public by engaging in horrendous acts against humanity in pursuit of political objectives. Terrorism has evolved throughout the 21st century. One major contribution to this change in tactics is the use of irregular/asymmetric warfare in the commission of acts of terrorism (Jackson, 2011). Terrorism has become so common such that no day or week passes before an act of terrorism is reported somewhere in the world. Acts of terrorism, therefore, continue to be reported each and every day as it inflicts pain and suffering on people’s lives all over the world. The United Nations has therefore adopted eighteen universal instruments that are used to counteract acts of terror. There is an agreed strategy by the international community to counter terrorist activities. This is the fundamental framework that tackles the circumstances contributing to the spread of terrorism, prevention and combat of terrorist activities, and the universal protection of human rights in the combat of terrorist activities. The United Nations has also reaffirmed this through its decree that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations comprise one of the most serious threats to peace and security, and that all acts of terrorism are illegal, immoral, and indefensible regardless of their motivation, whenever and by whosoever committed. Terrorism has evolved with new technology and advances in machinery in that there has been a change in the attacking mode. There has been a transition from utilization of small arms to specialized, customized explosive devices, suicide bombers, landmines, mobile phones as trigger mechanisms, aircraft hijackings, and cyber attacks through the internet. Recent terrorist activities since the terrorist attacks in US on September 11, 2011, show that there is need to anticipate and prepare for terrorist acts to prevent similar eccentric scenarios of cataclysmic events. There is also need to have an emergency plan for quick response in case of any terrorist act. Modern Terrorism Modern terrorism has now been described as a way of asymmetric or irregular warfare. This term was coined soon after the twin terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington by Al-Qaeda. Since these attacks, the world has felt unsafe as everyone feels susceptible and defenseless against suicidal and other terrorist attacks. There have been several acts of modern terrorism in different parts of the world. Such acts include the ethno-religious terrorism that has continually affected Pakistan. This is fuelled by foreigners who fund the saboteurs and extremists whose main aim is to destabilize national policy based on extremist ethnic and religious beliefs. These terrorist acts are committed through kidnappings, gun attacks in places of worship, shooting of pedestrians, and bomb attacks in market places that have been blamed on Indian government intelligence and security agencies and fanatical, radical extremist groups (Jackson, 2011). Al-Qaeda, formerly led by the late Osama Bin Laden, is one organization that has been involved in modern asymmetric warfare through acts of terrorism. Its main target has been The United States and its allies. It is a worldwide terrorist organization with several allies amongst extremist groups worldwide such as the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia and the greater Horn of Africa, and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda is credited with almost every terrorist attack worldwide. These include the February 26,1993 bombing in New York of the World Trade Centre that left 6 dead and about a thousand citizens injured, the 1994 Philippine Airlines’ bombing that killed a passenger and hurt 10 others, and the assassination attempt in Ethiopia, 1995, against the then President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak. Others include the November 13, 1995 Saudi Arabia car bombing that took the lives of 5 American servicemen, and the multiple bombings of two East African US Embassies in Nairobi (Kenya), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) on August 7, 1998 which resulted in the deaths of more than two hundred and fifty people, and injuring more than five thousand five hundred others. Among the dead were ten American members of the diplomatic corps. Terrorism as Asymmetric Warfare Asymmetrical warfare is the fight by the under-privileged, resource-lacking states or groups against superior forces by using unconventional attack methods. Most terrorist groups use asymmetric warfare largely targeting innocent civilians who may be perceived as either supporting or representing the superior forces. Terrorism being a global phenomenon requires all countries to put their resources together in cooperating in the combat of terrorism. However, this has become a challenge as terrorism is driven by continued ethnic and religious intolerance, nationalist and separatist tensions, political motivations, and economic considerations. One major challenge in this warfare is the fact that terrorist organizations have decentralized into smaller compartmentalized groups known as cells that make detection, intelligence gathering, and analysis progressively more difficult (Jackson, 2011). Conclusion Asymmetric wars are basically waged for reasons based on politics, religion, ethnicity, economics, and crime. This greatly undermines global security today and all efforts must be put to stop these acts of terrorism. There are, however, several challenges in the achievement of this, such as the settling of scores by nations due to political reasons. For example, Israel has continuously condemned the struggle for statehood by Palestinians as terrorism. It is therefore the responsibility of all nations and states to combat terrorism and ensure that legitimate goals and fundamental rights of citizens are upheld. Research should also be put to find out how to counteract new modes of terror activities such as nuclear terrorism. Nuclear terrorism is one type of modern terrorism that represents a momentous threat to the world and countries must work together to ensure that nuclear materials don’t find their way into the hands of different terror cells and gangs. Reference Jackson, R. (2011). Terrorism: A critical introduction. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More