To understand Terrorism there needs to be a set definition of the word Terrorism within this paper. Terrorism is defined by the United States Law as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents” (Zalman, Amy PH.D.). The word Terrorist can be defined several different ways. One definition of Terrorist is “a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocated terrorism” while another is” a person who terrorizes or frightens others” (Zalman, Amy PH.D.). These definitions make the common citizen think that anyone can be a Terrorist and be involved in terrorism.

The history of terrorism can be traced all of the way back to the 1950s and probably back even further. In the 1950s formed in numerous parts of the world and fought the governments of other countries. An example of this is the forming of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Ireland to fight, as the Irish saw it, the evil empire of Great Britain. In the 1960’s Palestine entered Israel and blew up the Israeli National Carrier water canal. In the 1960s International terrorism begins by the Palestine hijacking of an El Al Flight in 1968. This opened up the door for other terrorists groups to commit hijackings and terrorists were considered to be willing to commit symbolic acts of violence by certain organized groups with either political and or religious grievances.

In the 1970s Palestine attacked a school bus and kills several children. Later on Israel retaliates against Palestine and kills several Palestine responsible for the Munich Olympic’s Massacre. While the countries continually attack each other back and forth al of the way up to present. Also in the 1970s a group called the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) were formed and occupied Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran. This group would later on be run out of several countries and would hide in the mountains of Turkey and Iraq by the dictator Saddam Husain. According to Wikipedia, “The bloody events at the 1972 Munich Olympics were politically motivated. Black September, a Palestinian group, kidnapped and killed Israeli athletes preparing to compete. Black September's political goal was negotiating the release of Palestinian prisoners. They used spectacular tactics to bring international attention to their national cause” (Wikipedia,2012).

In the 1980’s terrorists took advantage of a black market Soviet Union sale of weapons. The terrorists bought AK-47 assault rifles. The bad thing for Americans the terrorists bought these weapons with the money the United States gave to these organizations to fight off the communists countries trying to take over specific countries such as the Solvate Union (USSR).

In the 1990s more religious groups emerge as Terrorists and or militants. These groups include Al Quaeda, Hamas, Herbollah, and other well know terrorists and or militant groups. These groups are responsible for trying to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993. A truck carrying a bomb exploded near the North Tower. The idea was that the North Tower would fall and knock over the South Tower causing both towers to fall kill thousands of people in the process. The truck bombing only killed six people, but cause thousands of people to be injured. Thus being known as a failed terrorist attack throughout the world. Later on terrorists would succeed, (September 11, 2011), by using airplanes to crash into the World Trade Center Towers, causing both of the Towers to fall killing thousands of people inside the building and the people in the aircraft.

Claris talks about the start of the conflicts began with the ancient Jews from Biblical times calling their land Israel, Canaan, Judea, Samaria, Galilee and other long-ago names. The then talked about modern Jews, and quite a few Christians, believe that in the days of the Bible and the Torah, God gave this land to the ancient Jews (also known as Hebrews), led by men such as Abraham, Moses, David, and others. About 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire ruled this area, and in suppressing several Jewish rebellions, the Romans destroyed the Jewish temple in the city of Jerusalem, killed large numbers of Jews, and forced many others to leave their homeland in an exodus called "The Diaspora." Some Jews remained in the area, but large numbers of Jews did not return until the 19th and 20th Century, especially after World War II and the Holocaust” (Claris, The History Guy: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict).

Some experts believe these acts of terrorism could only be seen as a distant memory of the past. Expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna, Head, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, Singapore, is the lead author of Pakistan: Ground Zero Terrorism (Reaktion, London, 2011) believes: “Reducing the future global threat of terrorism will depend on the U.S. ability and willingness to work effectively in the Muslim world. Although Pakistan was the steadfast sponsor of the Taliban, after 9/11 the government of Pakistan provided unprecedented support to the United States. More than 600 al-Qa`ida leaders and members were killed or captured in Pakistan. After the U.S.-led coalition intervention in Afghanistan in October 2001, Pakistan inherited a huge terrorist infrastructure that previously flourished in Afghanistan. Both the location of the residences of Bin Ladin (Abbottabad, north of Islamabad) and Khalid Shaykh Muhammad (West Ridge, Rawalpindi) demonstrates that the threat has spread from tribal Pakistan to mainland Pakistan. Rather than criticize Pakistan, it is paramount for the United States to continue to work with their Pakistani intelligence, law enforcement and military counterparts. In addition to working with Pakistan to dismantle both the physical and the conceptual infrastructures of terrorism and extremism in Pakistan, the United States should help Islamabad develop the economy of Pakistan, especially in the tribal areas (Gunaratna, R. (2011).

While other experts believe that terrorism is an abstract idea with no essence, a single definition cannot account for all the possible uses of the term, many different definitions share common elements, the meaning of terrorism derives from the victim of target.

In todays society if a terrorist attacks the worldwide web not only will it hurt the United States, but the rest of the world. Where else can an attack effect more then one country with a single attack. Also it is a lot easier to attack the web then to get a dirty bomb through security, a bomb or anthrax in the mail, stealing a nuclear weapon and then activating the bomb in a government facility, public area, etc.... There has already been a threat against facebook and other site to cripple and remove them from the web. Not only would this hurt private citizens, businesses, but also law enforcement. This group called Anonymous has been posting all over youtube and other websites. This group wanted Americans to download some software and to go onto the site at a particular time on November 5, 2011. This is just one of the new groups that have come out in the last year.

Facebook is a great tool, for some reason people want to brag about the crimes that are being commit. Law enforcement can utilize this tool to get a confession that normally cannot be fought so easily in a court of law. Law enforcement officers also use facebook to assist in locating suspect(s), victim(s), offender(s) and witness(es) of crimes. Several ways to stop these actions is to not allow several sites to be viewed on work computers. This will help keep worms and Trojans from these sites out of government computers. Another way to fight cyber terrorism is to have an antivirus that is not built by the lowest bidder. Law enforcement need to get an antivirus that will work at a corporate level. If the department would spent a few more dollars on antivirus software this will assist in the fight against cyber terrorism. In the United States the government is too concerned to about a terrorist attack from within the United States and or the borders, but they are overlooking the obvious. Cyber terrorism can disable the United States from our banks, stock market, personal information, etc...

In conclusion Terrorists have formed and continued to adapt to society as time goes on. These Terrorists have formed alliances and become more and more dangers to Americans and other countries. Even though the United States supported these Terrorists in the past while their enemies were other countries, it was only a matter of time before the Terrorists turned their attention to the United States. Also more terrorists groups are being creating as the years go on that are targeting social networks instead of buildings, post offices and other physical structures.

Sources:

Zalman, Amy PH.D. (2012). Definition of Terrorism under U.S. Law. Retrieved on 01 March 2011. Retrieved from http://terrorism.about.com/od/whatisterroris1/ss/DefineTerrorism_5.htm

United Nations (2004). UN Security Council Resolution 1566. Retrieved on 19 February 2012. Retrieved from http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/542/82/PDF/N0454282.pdf

Zalman, Amy PH.D. (2011). 1st Century BCE-13th Century: Terrorism in the Pre-Modern World. Retrieved on 23 February 2012 from http://terrorism.about.com/od/whatisterroris1/p/Terrorism.htm

Claris, 2012, The History Guy: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict retrieved on 09 February 2012 from http://www.historyguy.com/israeli-palestinian_conflict.html#.TzWjjphLw20

Gunaratna Rohan (2011). Pakistan: Ground Zero Terrorism Retrieved on 02 March 2011. Retrieved from http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/what-the-experts-say