...terrorism, one must first understand the underlying motivations for each particular group's actions. Terrorism, an issue that plagues our world every minute of every day. You never know when or where a terrorist organization is going to strike. All groups’ reasons are different, some for political or religious reasons, others for hatred. The roots of terrorism are believed to have started in 1007 A.D. Hassan ben Sabbah born in Qom, Iran was an Ishmaili Muslim and opposed all other Muslim groups except for the Ishmaili’s. He is believed to be the father of terrorism. Ben Sabbah’s actions had started a whole new trend; people began to follow his actions and started to form terrorist organizations. When you define terrorism most definitions say it is the act of violence and/or intimidation to achieve certain political or religious goals. Terrorism is a problem everywhere not just the Middle East, contrary to what people think. People think there is such a thing as a “typical terrorist”, but there really is not. I guess it could be said that terrorists are stereotyped in many ways. Many people believe that terrorists in the Middle East are either Muslims or Islamic, which is not true either. Just because a person is of one region of the world it does not mean they are a terrorist. As far as I am concerned it could be a next door neighbor. But to understand what terrorism is you must first understand the causes; the motivation to commit these acts of violence. First, at the government...
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...Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda, edited by Gérard Chaliand and Arnaud Blin, readers will find an excellent compilation of essays regarding the history of terrorism. Beginning with the earliest recorded manifestations of terrorism to the present day, the editors provide not only detailed accounts of terrorism through the ages, but valuable historical context that helps the reader understand the complexities of the terrorism we face today. Overall, the purpose of this book is to show that terrorism is used for political purposes, that it is psychological in nature, and that this has been the case throughout history. The editors organize this collection of essays into a roughly chronological order that provides continuity to the argument that terrorism has evolved throughout history, while maintaining signature characteristics that distinguish it from other types of warfare. Beginning with the Zealots and Assassins of pre-medieval history, readers will soon begin to make connections between the various eras of terrorism. Additionally, this chronological arrangement lends itself to understanding that from its earliest stages, terrorism has always been a tactic that “…is the most violent form of psychological warfare (viii), and that “Terrorism is above all a tool, or, if you will, a technique” (50). Pre-French revolution terrorism, the French revolution, and the birth of modern terrorism all the way through to modern religious terrorism are covered in detail. Although the chronological...
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...incident five Palestinian terrorists wearing track sweat suits climbed the six-foot six-inch fence surrounding the Olympic Village. The Palestinian freedom fighters held 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team as hostage. This was a political hostage terrorist act by Palestinians. It was a very successful terrosist operation by Palestinians because it met the two goals of terrorism by creating fear, and receiving a lot of media attention. The media coverage during this...
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...Given the growing global threats of terrorism, it is significant that an understanding of the history, nature and mechanism-premises under which terror operates is obtained. This is significant as it would shape the perspective of policy makers when addressing issues of this nature. Terrorism, as it is understood is the action of none-state weak actors, individual or groups, who for some reasons feels suppressed, marginalized and, or denied what they may view as the basic human right. All terrorism has political objectives, even though the perpetrators may use religious relics to appeal to a wider existing audience, and invoke a response through violent act to prove or propagate their point. Yoram Schweitzer in "Suicide Terrorism Development &ump; Characteristics," Mark Sedgwick in "Al-Qaeda and the "Nature of Religious Terrorism," and Dr. James Armstrong, all demonstrates that suicide terror attacks are politically motivated even though the perpetrator may use religious symbolism to justifies their acts. Observing areas in the world where terrorism is frequent, especially in the Middle East, it can be argued that groups that engaged in terrorists' activities are those that feel suppressed and taken advantage of by a much greater power. Thus, terrorism, particularly suicide terror is prevalent in areas where systems of gross injustice seem to exist. Therefore, the actual use of terrorism by non-state actors is a tactic aimed at polarizing the population in their favor...
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...Given the growing global threats of terrorism, it is significant that an understanding of the history, nature and mechanism-premises under which terror operates is obtained. This is significant as it would shape the perspective of policy makers when addressing issues of this nature. Terrorism, as it is understood is the action of none-state weak actors, individual or groups, who for some reasons feels suppressed, marginalized and, or denied what they may view as the basic human right. All terrorism has political objectives, even though the perpetrators may use religious relics to appeal to a wider existing audience, and invoke a response through violent act to prove or propagate their point. Yoram Schweitzer in "Suicide Terrorism Development & Characteristics," Mark Sedgwick in "Al-Qaeda and the "Nature of Religious Terrorism," and Dr. James Armstrong, all demonstrates that suicide terror attacks are politically motivated even though the perpetrator may use religious symbolism to justifies their acts. Observing areas in the world where terrorism is frequent, especially in the Middle East, it can be argued that groups that engaged in terrorists' activities are those that feel suppressed and taken advantage of by a much greater power. Thus, terrorism, particularly suicide terror is prevalent in areas where systems of gross injustice seem to exist. Therefore, the actual use of terrorism by non-state actors is a tactic aimed at polarizing the population in their favor. By killing...
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...In order to answer this question the term terrorist must be divided in two groupings and categories for the sake of this report. Lone wolf terrorist of typically domestic in nature. Islamic Terrorists Organization for this case ISIS and al Qaeda its members and leaders. Terrorist, historically Leftist terrorism in Europe, and terrorism in present and historical central and South America. These will fit the below examples of studies and conclusions drawn on the issue of general characteristics of terrorist. A studied in 1977 mentioned the general characteristics of terrorist in this 350 known terrorist from nations and non terrorist region and regions of conflict. The finding in a statement is “a single male, aged 22 to 24, with at least a partial university education, most often in the humanities. it continued “Terrorists who have practiced vocations have generally been in law, medicine, journalism, teaching” the article goes on to mention that...
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...threat to the safety of the public. Terrorism analysts and law enforcement authorities have insisted that it is hard to spot lone terrorists before they strike and this is of great threat to the security of a nation. From FBI information it is evident that lone terrorism trends indicate that it is an ongoing risk both in side the United States and outside the country (Risen & Johnston, 2003) In 2003 the director of the FBI stated that there was an increased threat from persons who are affiliated or sympathetic with the Al Qaeda and they act without having any conspiracies surrounding them or external support. Scholars in the field of terrorism have in the past concentrated on the how terrorist groups work so as to explain how individuals work. The general view of terrorism is that it is a group activity which is mainly influenced by leaders training, recruitment, obedience and conformity, solidarity and moral disengagement. Due to the imbalance that exists between the focus by scholars on terrorism that is group based on one hand and apparent threat posed by lone wolf terrorist on the other hand, necessitates the empirical and conceptual analysis of lone wolf terrorism so as to establish a good understanding of this phenomenon. The extent to which existing explanations of triggers and motivations of terrorism are associated to deeds of lone terrorist is still not clear. This paper therefore seeks to explain the history of lone wolf terrorism, the triggers and motivations of lone...
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...terrorism has changed. In conclusion this paper will summarize the study of the changing face in terrorism. Throughout this paper there will be historical facts, evidence, theories, and analysis to support my argument how terrorism has changed over time. The language of terrorism that we, as Americans read it as, on September 11, 2001, two American airplanes flew into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, while yet another suspiciously crashed in a deserted Pennsylvania field. Blasted on our television screens across America, were images of fire, destruction, chaos and death. Framed in colors of red, white and blue, were news headlines such as “The Attack Against America” But the opposing statement always used is “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” The individuals who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center and another into the...
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...Terrorism – is there any working global frameworks to counter it? By Zuzanna Sadowska On the 22nd of September 2003 Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, organized a conference “Fighting Terrorism for Humanity” in New York City. He opened the summit with words: “Terrorism will only be defeated if we act to solve the political disputes or long-standing conflicts that generate support for it. (…) If we do not, we should find ourselves acting as recruiting sergeants for the very terrorists. We have to win hearts and minds.” The causes of terrorism may be inter alia historical, economical, religious or ideological, and there is no way to entirely eliminate it from our world. Preventing terrorism needs complete understanding of the phenomenon and cooperation between states. There are different actions taken by various organisations and people but not all of them succeed. What exactly is terrorism, how do terrorist organisations work and how to counter terrorist activities? Terrorism by itself has numerous definitions as it is hard to define it precisely. It is said that this phenomenon has over 100 definitions and lack of one, widely recognized, hinders fighting with this danger. When we discuss about terrorism in colloquial conversation, we instinctually know what it is about and what the meaning of this word is. It is otherwise in case of professional and legal discussions where you have to agree on a definition of the term. The concept of terrorism derives from the Greek treo – “to...
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...Every living human being regardless of age, race or location is unpredictably vulnerable to various types, factions and fractions of creeping, slow-burn and sudden physical and non-physical crises. Crises are caused by many factors and the consequences are independent of any socio-geographical variables. A crisis is a crucial or decisive point or situation; an unstable condition as in political, social or economic affairs involving an impending abrupt or decisive change; a sudden change in the cause of a disease or fever toward either improvement or deterioration; an emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person’s life; a point in a story or drama when a conflict reaches its highest tension and must be resolved. Crises generally are about victims, perceived victims or people who are affected by what happened. When we are not sufficiently educated or informed about the new trends and best practices in Crisisology, there is predisposition that: 1. Faced with a crisis, we feel frightened, confused, angry and helpless; 2. Judgment may be affected, sometimes creating a tendency to consider ideas that would normally be dismissed; 3. Individual’s personality trait becomes exaggerated (for example, an anxious person becomes very anxious); 4. A siege mentality sets in with those in charge withdrawing, doing nothing, saying nothing and becoming inert; 5. The search begins for a scapegoat; 6. Instability sets in and decision makers may not adopt the latest...
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...wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-terrorism Counter-terrorism (also spelled counterterrorism) is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed. The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments. Not all insurgents use terror as a tactic, and some choose not to use it because other tactics work better for them in a particular context. Individuals, such as Timothy McVeigh, may also engage in terrorist acts such as the Oklahoma City bombing. If the terrorism is part of a broader insurgency, counter-terrorism may also form a part of a counter-insurgency doctrine, but political, economic, and other measures may focus more on the insurgency than the specific acts of terror. Foreign internal defense (FID) is a term used by several countries[citation needed] for programs either to suppress insurgency, or reduce the conditions under which insurgency could develop. Counter-terrorism includes both the detection of potential acts and the response to related events. Anti-terrorism versus counter-terrorism Further information: Detentions following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack The concept of anti-terrorism emerges from a thorough examining of the concept of terrorism as well as an attempt to understand and articulate what constitutes terrorism in Western terms. In military contexts, terrorism is a tactic, not...
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...through several terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda group, the Boko Haram group, and the National Socialist Underground terrorist group. In Germany, the National Socialist Underground has been operating underground for thirteen years without knowledge of their existence. However, in November 2011, they were exposed after a bank robbery, and two of their main members killed near their parked camper. The third key member offered herself to the police after burning down the houses of the already killed members. The National Socialist Underground terrorist group operates in daylight, killing immigrants either in their workplace or in their place of business. The major aim of the National Socialist Underground terrorist group is to eliminate all immigrants in Germany with the claims that they are a threat to the society. Their main murder tactics is killing their victims point blank with a pistol. This study examines the operations of the National Socialist Underground and how their existence came to be known after 13 years of underground operations. National Socialist Underground Introduction In recent times, the prevalence of terrorism continues to be leading problem that affects the world. This is because terrorism greatly affected the performance an economy and social cohesion as well. Examples of terrorist groups that have rocked different parts of the world with terror are the Al-Qaeda group, the Boko Haram group, and the National Socialist Underground terrorist group. Over...
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...Modern Terrorism * The Response * Counterview – The Dangers * Looking Ahead – The Next Potential Threats * Another Approach * Conclusion INTRODUCTION “Terrorism has become part of our daily news diet. Hardly a day goes by without news of an assassination, political kidnapping, hijacking or bombing somewhere in the world. As such, incidents of terrorism have increased in the past decade, the phenomenon of terrorism has become one of increasing concern to governments....” Introduction. With the recent high profile terrorist attacks in Sydney and Paris and the ongoing terrorist incidents in Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism has been described as the biggest threat to 21st Century security. However the opening quote was from a RAND paper written in 1980. Terrorism is not a modern phenomenon. Historic Precedence. Terror as a tactic is not new. Some scholars date such actions to the Thugs; Assassins and Zealots. But it...
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...AVIATION TERRORISM Thwarting High-Impact Low-Probability Attacks TERRORISME AÉRIEN Contrecarrer des attaques improbables à impacts élevés A Thesis Submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies of the Royal Military College of Canada by Jacques Duchesneau, C.M., C.Q., C.D. In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2015 ©Jacques Duchesneau © This thesis may be used within the Department of National Defence but copyright for open publication remains the property of the author. ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA COLLÈGE MILITAIRE ROYAL DU CANADA DIVISION OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH DIVISION DES ÉTUDES SUPÉRIEURES ET DE LA RECHERCHE This is to certify that the thesis prepared by / Ceci certifie que la thèse rédigée par JACQUES DUCHESNEAU, C.M., C.Q., C.D. AVIATION TERRORISM Thwarting High-Impact Low-Probability Attacks complies with the Royal Military College of Canada regulations and that it meets the accepted standards of the Graduate School with respect to quality, and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, originality, / satisfait aux règlements du Collège militaire royal du Canada et qu'elle respecte les normes acceptées par la Faculté des études supérieures quant à la qualité et, dans le cas d'une thèse de doctorat, l'originalité, for the degree of / pour le diplôme de PHILOSOPHIÆ DOCTOR IN WAR STUDIES Signed by the final examining committee: / Signé par les membres du comité examinateur...
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...NAXALISM AND TERRORISM OBJECTIVE: * To explore the origin of naxalites and terrorist. * To compare both of them. HYPOTHESIS: ARE NAXALITES TERRORIST? INTODUCTION: Our country INDIA has battled and is battling with so many ‘isms’ such as NAXALISM, TERRORISM, COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM, REGIONALISM. Such ‘isms’ has marked a place in the minds of people. But when the people hear about the terrorism and naxalism they are taken aback. We the people of India feel very much proud about our ‘unity in diversity’. It is quite true that India is only the country with such diversified caste population. And still we look forward to communal harmony and national integration. Since independence in 1947, India have fought dozens of campaigns against the insurgency, i.e. the terrorists and the Maoists. LITERATURE REVIEW “How did they dress?” “How they look?” “What they eat?” These are the questions that comes in the mind of a child when he hear about the word terrorism and naxalism and it it quite obvious to have these thoughts as no one really knows about terrorists or the Maoists. Definition of terrorism: Terrorism is a global phenomenon. It is quite easy to recognize terrorism but very difficult to define it. Terrorism appears in the Bible's Old Testament. Many scholars had defined terrorism in their own ways. Some of them are texted below: ...
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