Over the course of the twentieth century, numerous governments across the globe established organizations and agencies with aims of combating international terrorism. However, these agencies did not establish vast public attention or immense government spending until the fall of 2001. The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 marked the transformation of not only the American economy, but also a shift in public perceptions of terrorism, both at home and abroad. The attacks of September 11th also allowed for an expansion of political power for United States’ officials as citizens overlooked the lack of regard for civil liberties and adherence to policy due to personal fears regarding terrorism. While terrorism does pose a threat to United States and civilized society, the magnitude of this threat can neither be recorded nor tracked. Despite the inability of the United States to track the power and location of terrorism, the disregard of civil liberties and precautionary measures push the nation in a negative direction and pose an even greater threat to a civilized and democratic society.
In the film, The Power of Nightmares, filmmakers delve into the numerous misconceptions caused by American focus on anti-terrorism, as well as the disregard for civil liberties and procedures previously established in the United States. Following September 11th, the government shifted its anti-terrorist efforts to precautionary rather than reactive. However, to understand the political changes, one must examine the risks and power of terrorism across the globe. Across the United States, the belief that Al Qaeda acts as the supreme and central base of terrorism world wide is a common theory. In reality, Al Qae...
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...orism exists as a minority, both at home and abroad. Terrorism exists as a global issue and one nation does not hold the capability of putting such a widespread and untraceable sect to rest. My proposal is that the United States should take minor precautionary measures in order to prepare for future terrorist attacks and gather research in order to learn more about the enemy and dangers they will face. However, taking away civil liberties of various immigrants or citizens, as well as bypassing previously established laws and procedures should not be enacted except in the most dire circumstances.
Works Cited
Glasser, Susan B. "U.S. Figures Show Sharp Global Rise in Terrorism." Washington Post
[Online] 27 Apr 2005, A01 1-3.
Lamy, Steven L. Introduction to Global Politics. 6th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2011. 62-114. Print.
In today’s society the word “terrorism” has gone global. We see this term on television, in magazines and even from other people speaking of it. In their essay “Controlling Irrational Fears After 9/11”, published in 2002, Clark R. Chapman and Alan W. Harris argue that the reaction of the American officials, people and the media after the attacks of 9/11 was completely irrational due to the simple fact of fear. Chapman and Harris jump right into dismembering the irrational argument, often experienced with relationships and our personal analysis. They express how this argument came about from the terrorist being able to succeed in “achieving one major goal, which was spreading fear” among the American people (Chapman & Harris, para.1). The supporters of the irrational reaction argument state that because “Americans unwittingly cooperated with the terrorist in achieving the major goal”, the result was a widespread of disrupted lives of the Americans and if this reaction had been more rational then there would have been “less disruption in the lives of our citizens” (Chapman & Harris, para. 1).
September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating and horrific events in the United States history. Americans feeling of a secure nation had been broken. Over 3,000 people and more than 400 police officers and firefighters were killed during the attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon; in New York City and Washington, D.C. Today the term terrorism is known as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (Birzer, Roberson). This term was clearly not defined for the United States for we had partial knowledge and experience with terrorist attacks; until the day September 11, 2001. At that time, President George W. Bush, stated over a televised address from the Oval Office, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” President Bush stood by this statement for the United States was about to retaliate and change the face of the criminal justice system for terrorism.
Cole, D., & Dempsey, J. X. (2006). Terrorism and the constitution: sacrificing civil liberties in the name of national security. New York: New Press.
Terrorism, random acts of violence, politically motivated attacks, and their psychological and societal consequences are nothing new; yet still, the effects are profoundly disturbing. Attacks undermine our presumptions about the safety of engaging in public life; a presumption that is vital for individuals, society, and the economy to carry on smoothly. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 have personally affected my life and has had consequences for many other individuals, the United States, and the world. In the essay, “Heading into darkness once again”, Richard Rodriguez postulates that the randomness and anonymity of terrorism is its most frightening aspect. While I do not disagree that these are integral aspects of what makes
Host: On September the 11th 2001, the notorious terror organisation known as Al-Qaeda struck at the very heart of the United States. The death count was approximately 3,000; a nation was left in panic. To this day, counterterrorism experts and historians alike regard the event surrounding 9/11 as a turning point in US foreign relations. Outraged and fearful of radical terrorism from the middle-east, President Bush declared that in 2001 that it was a matter of freedoms; that “our very freedom has come under attack”. In his eyes, America was simply targeted because of its democratic and western values (CNN News, 2001). In the 14 years following this pivotal declaration, an aggressive, pre-emptive approach to terrorism replaced the traditional
A United States citizen turning against one’s own government and embracing an ideology to kill another citizen or commit an act of violence is a growing phenomenon commonly known as homegrown terrorism. This transition or radicalization process that transforms an individual into an adversary has intensified since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The problem continues to persist in other parts of the world such as Canada, United Kingdom and even in Saudi Arabia, a Non-Western country. This form of extremism has shown its propensity in the United States since the turn of the century when Muslim extremism had its early beginnings as a venue to support a black separatist movement. Today, the threat emerges more rampantly with the accessibility and excess of information technology; as well as the political and socio-economic environment influencing many spectrums of perception and intent.
During the 21st Century acts of domestic and international terrorism have significantly increased. Thus the international community of nations has the challenge to adopt a common approach to the treatment of terrorism as an international crime. The challenge at present is for the international community of nations to adopt a common approach to the treatment of terrorism as an international crime (Lawless, 2008). In fact, terrorism is an international crime it requires the international community to act in the prevention of terrorism and the sanction of individuals perpetrating acts of terrorism(Lawless, 2008). The September 2011 attack on the United States has presented an opportunity for the internationalist forces to come to the forefront of the global political agenda. ...
Herman, E. & Sullivan, G. O.1989. The Terrorism Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror. New York: Pantheon.
Terrorism was not a highly published problem within the United States. Media did not cover this topic and domestic terrorism situations were almost unheard. This changed on September 11, 2001. The 9/11 terrorist attack against the World Trade Center twin towers made Americans aware of how vulnerable was the United States. Airport security issues skyrocketed and the criminal justice system took a 360 change in policies and procedures. New organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security were created with the specific task of handling terrorist threats, and the bills such as the patriotic Act were enacted. American became aware of “strangers” mingled among them and commenced to relate terrorism with race. But what made the country edgier than anything else was the fear of facing a new terrorist attack. Terrorism can come in various forms, for example: cyberterrorism, revolutionary terrorism, nuclear terrorism and bioterrorism. Nowadays, terrorism is an extremely debatable topic, and ever trying to make the United States a safer place to live.
However, terrorism is difficult to define because the meaning of the term has changed so frequently over the past 200 years. It has morphed from positive connotation during the French Revolution (closely associated with the ideals of virtue and democracy ), through the revolutionary movement and finally to a religiously motivated act as it is mainly perceived today. Nevertheless, we have to ask ourselves whether “old” and “new” terrorism really exists, or maybe the phenomenon we are facing today reminds us an old wine in a new bottle.
The deterrence policy should be multifaceted and must hinder terrorists operations from every conceivable angle. The deterrence policy that I recommend is based on the cornerstones of credibility and reliability. Credible in the sense that terrorist and innocents believe it, and reliable in the sense that terrorist and innocents expect it to be enforced. Furthermore, as most terrorist organizations are independent actors, I recommend focusing on punishing individuals as by “shifting the focus of deterrence from the state to the individual, enables us to better understand how to deter individuals from rebellion or committing terrorist acts” (Machain & Regan 296). Thus, by not inflicting disproportionate punishment by solely targeting terrorists who committed the crime, the general population will be less susceptible to recruitment efforts.
Many people believe that terrorism is the biggest crisis facing us in the modern world. Consequently, legislation such as the Patriot Acts has been passed and the United States Department of Homeland Security has been formed to counteract terrorism. While these methods have been, in part, effective in fighting terrorism, there is still more the United States can do to solve the problem and prevent terrorist attacks.
Terrorism or terrorist attacks by various political groups have been a perpetual threat to the international community. From being isolated acts of violence against an ideology to being calculated, symbolic and highly theatrical acts of violence by organized terror outfits with specific political grievances – the trajectory of evolution of terrorism has been horrifyingly monumental and it has led to an evolution to a branch of legislation, both at the international as well as domestic level that deals exclusively with countering terrorism. This paper seeks to analyse the development of international law over time in the said context. Mainly so, this paper aims to observe the changes in Anti-Terrorism legislation before and after the infamous 9/11 attacks. Keeping in mind the parallel influences of the changing international political scenario, the argument here is that the legislative impetus against terrorism stems from the experiences of systemic failure of the international community to curb terrorism at a macro level. The need of the hour is to ensure implementation by facilitating compliance mechanisms, international collaborations and cooperation through the instrument of a general,...
Terrorism has been climbing the charts as a more popular, and more deadly, idea of a political statement. But terrorism differs from ordinary crime in two ways. First, the terrorist’s purpose is psychological, and intended to provoke fear in the community. Second, the objectives of terrorism, are political, including but not limited to the repression of dissent, revolution, national liberation, and forcing people to choose sides between the terrorists and the government. Throughout the years, terrorism has existed, both foreign and domestically. Starting in the year 1865, terrorism has been a change and continuity in time because it continued to be domestic with organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, Japanese Internment Camps, communists,
In recent years, terrorism seems to be at a new high rate, and attacks are more violent than in the past. Many groups operate within a single nation or region. Others have branches and operations in many other countries. Because terrorists generally cannot match the strength of conventional military forces, they often rely on guerrilla warfare. New groups are sprouting all over the place and “terrorism being so secretive and having no for...