Terrorism
Terrorism – “The calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political,
religious, or ideological and are attained through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear”. (US Army)
The Geography of Terrorism
-Global patterns of terrorism can be found when one considers where incidents occur, nations that
harbor terrorist, or even support and sponsor them.
-Geopolitics, globalization, economic disparity, and variations in culture and religion all contribute to
terrorism.
Global Patterns of Terrorism
-Modern terrorism began in 1968 when an Israeli airline was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists.
-Modern terrorism differs from past terrorism in 2 significant ways;
1) Today, terrorists understand the role that mass media can play in their struggle. They use the
internet for example to spread their message, attract support, and spread fear.
2) Today, very little care is taken to avoid innocent deaths and injury. In the past warnings were
common, today, the element of surprise is a common tactic.
-Each year hundred of terrorist attacks occur but we only hear of the major and events and the one that
cause significant harm.
Objective of Terrorism
-Terrorism is NOT a goal in itself but is a means to achieve a goal. It is also an example of
asymmetric warfare.
-A terrorist group may be trying to achieve a specific goal - attempting to overthrow a government,
forcing a foreign army to leave their country, obtain money, or force the release of imprisoned
colleagues.
-A terrorist group may try cause widespread fear and anxiety hoping to break down the normal social
order of the targeted population in hopes of improving their chances of obtaining their objectives.
-Governments may use terrorist methods to force obedience from their population. This is known as
state terrorism.
State Terrorism
-The specific terrorist acts that a government may use differ from one place to the next.
-Some may murder political opponents. Others may use torture to intimidate opponents or to get
information from them. In many countries, those who threaten the government just disappear.
-Since the 1980’s, the use of state terrorism has decline greatly due to the increase in democratic and
more respectful governments.
-The US has been accused of using terrorism in its battle against Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
-Some countries may not use terrorism themselves but are known as state-sponsored terrorists
because they harbor terrorist groups. Afghanistan for example harbors al-Qaeda and other examples
include Iran, Syria, Libya, North Korea, and the USA (by financially and militarily supporting terrorist
regimes such as Argentina and Chile when they were guilty of state terrorism.
Motivations for Terrorism
Rational motivation – These terrorists have considered other methods to reach their goal but they
have been unsuccessful, so they use this last resort.
Psychological motivation – These terrorists feel a genuine sense of purpose and are “true believers” in
their cause. They do not consider the possibility that they might be wrong in their goal or methods.
They consider their opponents to be evil.
Cultural motivation – Some people join terrorist groups because they fear that their most important
cultural or religious values are under threat. They are defending their culture and/or religion.
The Changing Nature of Terrorist Threats
Biological & Chemical Threats (Examples)
1) 1995 – Tokyo – A religious cult called Aum Shinrikyo released a gas called sarin into the subway.
They walked in with bags of sarin, dropped them, stepped on them, and ran. 12 people died and 5000
were injured.
2) In the weeks after 9/11 (2001) letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to American media
outlets and government offices.
Nuclear Threats
-By far nuclear threats are the most concerning with the potential for the most damage. Terrorist
groups could try to purchased a nuclear bomb, they could try to build their own, or attempt to blow up
or attack a nuclear station.
The War on Terror
-The battle against terrorism is known as counterterrorism or the “war on terror”.
-Efforts are being made to interfere with the planning and organization of terrorism.
-Some country governments may try to assassinate terrorist leaders though in most countries it is
illegal for the government to do so.
-In extreme cases, allied forces may attack a terrorist group and those that harbor them. In response to
9/11, the US, Canada and many NATO countries launched a military attack against Afghanistan in an
attempt to eliminate al-Qaeda and the Taliban government that supported them. At the same time they
have tried to help the Afghan government build a stronger democracy and have provided development
assistance.
-in 2003, US president George W. Bush identified an “axis of evil” that consisted of North Korea, Iraq,
and Iran as potential targets against terrorism. With little support, the US did invade Iraq.
-Another method to prevent terrorism is identify and eliminate local sources of funding for terrorist
groups (there is evidence that money has been raised in Canada to support terrorist groups in Ireland,
Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan). Careful monitoring of international banking systems can help.
-Another approach is to provide better protection for likely targets of attack.
-The best way to eliminate terrorism may be to eliminate the conditions in which terrorism grows. We
have studied many economic, social, geopolitical and environmental issues which in one or another all
could have contributed to the growth of terrorism. Our ultimate success in eliminating terrorism may
be directly related to our ability to eliminate these problems. Essentially, we need everyone to feel
safe and to have access to life’s basic necessities.