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Concept of terrorism and problem of definition
Meaning and nature of terrorism
Concept of terrorism and problem of definition
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What Makes a Terrorist?
The rising of terrorism due to the September 11, 2001 tragedy issued a simple key question by the people across the world of different backgrounds; what would make the people masterminding and participating in the attacks willing to perish their precious life in creating a massive destruction in a foreign land? What makes a terrorist? In short, terrorism is viewed as the threat designed in influencing the characters and behaviour of a group or to attain objectives that are quite impervious (Rapoport and Alexander, eds. 1982). By the diverse fact that terrorism is perceived as a phenomenon, ever-changing, and highly convoluted, this argumentative controversy is also lacking in a definition which is generally agreeable. Thus, with plenty of factors and degrees subsidizing to terrorism, it can be acclaimed that psychological considerations, political and the pressuring sense of oneness among the groups are the several common leading factors to terrorism.
Psychologically, terrorists are perceived either as fanatics or as mentally disrupted. For Walter Laqueur (197...
Hoffman makes the argument that this “characteristic of self denial distinguishes the terrorist from other types of political extremists,” in that, under duress, even those extremists whose identification with their cause could prove illicit or disreputable, would admit to those appellations for themselves; however, this is not the case for the terrorist––Hoffman claims that those dubbed terrorists will “go to great lengths to evade and obscure any such inference or connection… The terrorist will always argue that it is society or the government or the socio-economic `system' and its laws that are the real `terrorists', and moreover that if it were not for this oppression, he would not have felt the need to defend either himself or the population he claims to represent,” (Hoffman 20). This is evinced by an anecdote offered by Terry Anderson, an American journalist taken hostage by Shiite Hezbollah militants for nearly seven years, wherein he details a conversation with one of his captors: upon reading a newspaper’s characterizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, the guard’s visceral reaction is a disassociation from the term, indignantly responding that “we are not terrorists, we are fighters” (Politifact). On the surface, the guard’s statement offers no tangible conclusion other than there exists a connotative
What internally drives a terrorist’s motivation varies from subject to subject. While the average American citizen would likely be quick to point terrorists hate the western way of life and what it represents, the issue is far more complex. Simon Cottee’s article “What Motivates Terrorists?” (2015), looks at various levels of motivation. Prior definitions of terrorism looked at the defining cause as possibly psychological abnormalities within in the individual (Cottee, 2015). As studies have evolved, the focus has shifted to the environment in which the terrorist is surrounded. While certainly there is cases in which a person who is mentally unstable could be an ideal target for terrorist propaganda, the number of cases involving mental
Speckhard, A. (2013). The Boston Marathon Bombers: the Lethal Cocktail that Turned Troubled Youth to Terrorism. Perspectives On Terrorism, 7(3). Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/268/540
The topic of my paper is types of terrorism. There are several types of terrorism for which to choose for my paper, state, dissident, religious, left-wing v. right-wing, and international. In this paper I have chosen state terrorism, religious terrorism, and international terrorism as the types of terrorism that I am going to discuss. I will discuss what they are in my own words and give examples of two different groups for each type that represent that type of terrorism. Then I will compare and contrast the three types of terrorism that I chose.
Wood, Connor. “Religious terrorism: an evolutionary explanation.” Patheos.com. Patheos, 3 Apr 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2013.
The threat of global terrorism continues to rise with the total number of deaths reaching 32,685 in 2015, which is an 80 percent increase from 2014 (Global Index). With this said, terrorism remains a growing, and violent phenomenon that has dominated global debates. However, ‘terrorism’ remains a highly contested term; there is no global agreement on exactly what constitutes a terror act. An even more contested concept is whether to broaden the scope of terrorism to include non-state and state actors.
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 social development or structure of a terrorist does not reveal dominant features of psychopathology from an outside perspective. The psychopathology of terrorism has been interpreted as ‘unconscious motives and impulses’ that stemmed in childhood (Borum, 2004). A better example would be reactive aggression described through aggressive expressions and vengeful hostility with lack of impulse control commonly developed within an individual’s childhood. Many children who are humiliated at a young age for their beliefs or interest advance into adult terrorist (Spencer, 2009). The underlining fundamental build of a terrorist or terrorist organization is best understood by analysis of their history. If the psychopathological role of a terrorist leader or organization is determined or understood then law enforcement will have proper information to predict future attacks. Social disorganization is the best way to describe motivation for terrorist actions. Thus, bringing the relation to terrorist being inspired through their beliefs in justification and necessity to incorporate change through public fear. The understanding of a terrorist’s psychopathology helps reveal the relevance in understanding a terrorist’s individual
The concept of terrorism is exceedingly difficult to define. Author Gerald Seymour first said in his book Harry’s Game that, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. Each individual may view terrorism in a different light. Because of this, there is currently no universal definition of terrorism. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly more important to form a definition of terrorism, especially while working in the media.
Terrorism is a vast and complex topic and has been occurring throughout history, there are many definitions and types of terrorism that are often described by society; one that has gained the most momentum within society and the media today is religious terrorism. Although religious terrorism has its own specific definition along with other forms of terrorism, it seems that this type of terrorism has been assigned as a definite explanation behind most cases of terrorist violence; despite they’re being other factors contributing. Although this can be agreed to on some extent - that religion
In early 1974, the Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant, invited the Palestinian Liberation Organization to attend the General Assembly gathering on November 13, 1974, and in doing so gave legitimacy to the Palestinian Liberation Organization as a governing body. In Yasser Arafat’s speech to the General Assembly, he thanked the United Nations for recognizing his organization and its legitimacy. When Arafat addressed the General Assembly, he made the argument that the actions taken by his government were not acts of terrorism, but these were acts of revolution and their purpose was to regain control of Palestine’s occupied original territory. The problem we confront is, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism and the international community should be able to come up with one. The major hurdle in defining is the states’ ideas of what terrorism is.
The mind of a terrorist is a very unique and mysterious thing. There are many things that can create different aspects inside a terrorist oganization. With a set of constant new recruits and persons that are willing to commit sucidie terrorism the terror organizations can be extrememly effective in achieving their goals for their organizations. Recruits can be reached through many forms of communications and once into a group that is radicalized they can become suicide terrorist in order to fulfill their own needs.
The word terrorism was first used during the French Revolution from the reign of terror inflicted by the French from 1784-1804 ("International Affairs"). It was used to describe the violent acts perpetrated on the French that inflicted terror on the various peoples and instilled fear within them. However, at the time it had a more positive connotation than the term that instills fear today. During the French Revolution this was because it referred to state-sponsored terrorism in order to show the need of state instead of anarchy, sometimes promoted by other groups (Hoffman 2). Therefore, even though terrorism has taken a new nature, terrorism can refer to official governments or guerrilla groups operating outside national governments ("International Affairs"). In order to encompass terrorism’s various sectors and explain it to the public, in both positive and negative aspects, many analysts have tried to put it into a few words. Terrorism is a method used by tightly of loosely organized groups operation within states or international territories that are systematic in using deliberate acts of violence or threats in order to instill...
Terrorism has many forms, and many definitions. “Elements from the American definitional model define terrorism as a premeditated and unlawful act in which groups or agents of some principal engage in a threatened or actual use o...
Terrorism is one of the most extensively discussed issues of our time and at the same time it is also one of the least understood. The term itself “terrorism” means many different things to different people, cultures, and races. As a result, trying to define or classify terrorism with one universal definition is nearly impossible. The definition of terrorism used in this research is a reflection of much of the Western and American way of defining it. The definition of terrorism is,