Essay/Term paper: Terrorism

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Social Issues

Terrorism

1) It is very difficult to resolve the international problem of terrorism
for several major reasons.

Terrorists usually don't claim responsibility for their actions until
the fuse is lit, it's not a case of Jack The Ripper sending an ear to the cops
and warning them who his next victim will be. Terrorists usually do claim
responsibility for their actions after the media is aware that something
happened, this gains recognition for their cause, which is often the reason they
resort to terrorism in the first place. These groups are often underground and
individuals rarely step forward, how can you arrest an entire group that you
can't touch?

Governments endorsing terrorist acts and providing a safe house for them
once they're on the run just adds to the problem. Hijackers can take their
hostages, get the ransom and fly the plane to the country of their choice. That
country is usually ready to welcome the criminal, for a small cut of the ransom.
Algeria used terrorism as a business to raise capital. By providing immunity,
they became a haven for terrorists. Many Middle Eastern countries resort to
terrorism when dealing with other nations. Saudi Arabia sponsors Islamic
terrorists to lay siege to Egypt. Terrorism is a means of influencing
international relations.

How can you prevent acts of terrorism when those paid to protect the
people are among the guilty? The Ku Klux Klan is a prime example of police
corruption and a government that turned its' back on its' people. Dirty cops and
prejudicial governments provided the fuel that burnt black churches of the
Southern States in the past . Many white citizens were not members of the Ku
Klux Klan, but most whites were reluctant to take a stand against the Klan until
the KKK's acts of violence began to threaten whites who were not white
supremacists. When whites began to oppose the Klan, they went underground and
were thought to have disbanded but they arose again before the first war and
once more during the civil rights movements of the 1960's. This problem has
arose again as Negro churches have again been targeted by arsonists. The police
have been unable to solve the majority of these crimes.

Hitler and his Nazi Regime could possibly be the worst example of a
government applying acts of terrorism on its people. When those at the top are
corrupt, how can the people defend themselves? Hitler's methods and ideologies
have made him one of the most feared and hated men in history. Stalin also used
acts of terrorism on his people. His death squads that patrolled the streets at
night and annihilated the homeless was supposedly done for a good cause. I
think that is very questionable.

Negotiating with terrorists can also be bewildering. Recently Prime
Minister John Major of Britain and Prime Minister John Bruton of Ireland were
engaging in peace talks with the Irish political party Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein is
the oldest Irish political party and has been striving for the independence of
Ireland for years. They were founded in 1905 and have representatives in every
major Irish town, they are considered to be the political wing of the Irish
Republican Army. Sinn Fein claims to have genuinely sought after peace but
continuing British bad faith has caused the IRA to act. The British deny these
accusations of bad faith and became puzzled when the IRA broke a long standing
cease fire with a bombing in the urban center of Manchester.

Negotiations can be impossible in the case of suicide bombers. Many
Japanese Cults can not be traced. Though their agents are always caught, they
can never be questioned. Suicide is deemed heroic by the Japanese, the Japanese
cult Aum Supreme Truth used sarin nerve gas on a Tokyo subway to cause terror,
other previous Japanese cults have committed mass suicide at the order from
their leader to avoid interrogation and incarceration. Often these leaders have
some type of mind control on their followers.

Some countries don't bother negotiating with terrorists. They take a
stance where if the terrorist asks for a million bucks they get squat. The
United States has a policy that is meant to deter terrorist-acts, no
negotiations, no mercy.

2) My position on this topic is anti-terrorism because terrorism is an unethical
method of gaining money or stealing publicity for a cause. Terrorists are
bullies that prey on the fears of the innocent. They drag women and children
into their wars with little concern for the lives that they shatter. They get
what they want by endangering the people that their enemies are responsible for.
The threat of a terrorist bomb is as petty as black mail.

Terrorists don't need to resort to violence, they should negotiate
first. If they are a developing country crying for help, they should use the
media to get the word out. I am sure that foreign countries would rather lend a
hand rather than dealing with terrorists.

Terrorists are wrong because they target the defenseless, they cause
fear, death and destruction among the public and if they're not fighting for a
cause, their motives are probably greed.

Terrorists may not directly kill millions of people, but the spark that
started many wars came from a terrorists match, foremost the assassination of
Arch Duke Ferdinand.

3) Seven important questions that could adequately describe terrorism are:

1. What police groups are involved in preventing international crime?
2. Do governments give in to the demands of terrorists?
3. Do certain countries and their governments endorse terrorist
activities?
4. What methods do terrorists use and what do they accomplish?
5. Where are felons tried for committing international crimes?
6. Which countries are heavily troubled by terrorist acts?
7. What are the names, leaders and methods of prevalent terrorist
groups globally?

4)Information answering the seven preceding questions:

1. Most countries have their own agencies for dealing with terrorism, but one
global force that deals with terrorist activities is Interpol. Interpol is a
global police agency that links the police forces of the world. They trade
information and relay suspect information amongst each other. This makes it
difficult for hijackers landing in foreign countries to get away. Interpol
relays messages through a central intelligence system that filters down into
the systems of each countries police stations. By sharing information and man
power international crime becomes less appealing to criminals thanks to interpol.
Peru has a new anti-terrorist directorate called Dincote. General Maximo Rivera
Diaz has established this new "Delta" force to shut down the terrorist activity
of the Shining Path in Lima. Prior to it's break up, Russia had virtually no
terrorist problem because of the efficiency of their secret service, the KGB.
Now that the former Soviet Union is in shambles, terrorism in Russia is becoming
more evident.

2. Depending on the severity of the case governments must make a decision on
handling affairs with terrorists, pay them, hold out or send in an anti-
terrorist group to neutralize the situation. One country that stands out from
the rest is The United States of America. They stand by a policy that does not
give terrorists what they want, which would divert greedy terrorists from the
States. Clinton began a harsh anti-terrorist bill as a result of the Oklahoma
bombing. He wishes to make terrorism a priority among the police and other crime
fighting agencies such as the FBI. He wishes to accomplish this by giving these
forces the best surveillance equipment and crime fighting tools available. A
chemical applied to all bomb making chemicals would make bombs apparent at
airport check points and would cut down on hijacking. He also wishes to bar
products from countries that endorse terrorism.

3.Terrorists and governments occasionally work hand in hand. Algeria brought in
large sums of money by housing terrorists. Hamas is terrorist group working in
the Middle East. It was formed in 1987. They conduct attacks on Israeli military
and civilian groups, disrupting politics and causing explosions. The group is
large, with thousands of sympathetic supporters. They also receive aid from
Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Palestine Islamic Jihad is a similar group working in
the Middle East. They act to form an Islamic Palestinian State and to destroy
Israel through a "Holy War". Their strength is unknown but they have been linked
to Syria and Iran. The Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) has been around
since 1969. Yassir Arafat became the chairman and still holds the position today.
This group has a more global range of actions, but is basically striving for the
same goals and also has ties to middle eastern nations. Another group banded
with Saudi Arabia is The Tigers Of The Gulf. It is highly secretive and little
is know but it is anti-American, and it is aided by Saudi Arabia.

4.Terrorists use a broad spectrum of methods to get their jobs done. Most of
them either gain recognition for the terrorists cause or throw a kink in someone
else's plans, this would usually further the terrorists cause, for example
assassinating a rival political leader would give your leader a better chance.
Assassinations by terrorists are usually aimed at someone in the spotlight that
the media will react to. It is also often a member of the terrorists rival or
someone close to him, like the assassination of the Czar and his family in
Russia. Guerrilla warfare is also considered an act of terrorism, this would
almost classify the Vietnam war as a terrorist's war. Bombing is also a
preferred method of destruction used by many terrorist groups, at the front of
these is probably the IRA. Bombs leave little evidence and a large margin for
error. Hijacking and kidnapping are also strong ways for terrorists to make
demands and gain money. Kidnapping can be used to push the buttons of
influential people and hijacking works as kidnapping with an escape route. Both
of these are often used to trade the hostages for the freedom of imprisoned
group members. Threats and propaganda are also widely spread by mainstream
organizations.

5. International terrorists don't care about police jurisdiction, but it does
make a difference. Committing a crime in one country may have altogether
different punishments than those of a different country, as the boy who was
caned in Singapore found out all too well. The internationally renown guerrilla
troop and terrorist, Carlos The Jackal, was captured and arrested on bomb
related charges. He is from Venezuela but has caused trouble in several
countries and they all want his hide. France is the lucky country that gets to
punish him because he was captured and convicted in France. The criminal is
charged in the country that he commits the crime in, they often seek citizenship
in foreign countries to gain protection, much like the two men in Canada that
are wanted by Bangladesh for committing murders. Both men are now Canadian
citizens and refuse to return because they fear they will not have a fair trial.
Canada has to make a decision now on whether to honor The Country of Bangladesh
or to honor the rights of the two men.

6.Every country has some degree of terrorist activity, be it large or small. The
Middle East seems to be a hot spot for terrorist activities, maybe due to many
of the nations' roles in hiring terrorists to join their side than to perform
dirty work for that government. There are also many disgruntled minorities that
use terrorism as a way to get what they want. Japan has it's own problems with
cult-religious groups that resort to terrorist acts. These groups are often
related to suicide bombers and such, kind of a modern day kami kaze. Areas of
Europe also suffer from high rates of terrorist activity, many stemming back
from the territorial and religious disputes of times long ago. Monarchy seems to
be the enemy of the majority of European terrorists. The States also gets its
share of terror, some domestic but much from overseas, their policies help keep
the levels low. More people die in bath tub accidents than from terrorism in the
States. Canada is even scathed by the knife of terrorism. The FLQ was Canada's
most dominant and violent terrorist group, though short lived they created a
stir in Francophone relations with the rest of Canada.

7.-The Shining Path is a highly organized terrorist group with coordinated
tactics, but a low violence level. Their leader, Abimael Guzman, was captured by
the Peruvian government. Guzman's capture has lead to the re-election of the
countries' president Alberto Fujimori.

-The Provisional Irish Republican Army(IRA) is active in Northern Ireland but
carries out it's actions in Great Britain. They often rely on bombs to get their
point across, their main goal is the independence of Ireland from Great Britain,
and the unification of Ireland. The Northern Irish(IRA) want freedom and
independence for themselves and their Protestant religion while the Southern
Irish don't want to leave and wish to remain united with Britain. The IRA was
falsely accused of being hand in hand with the Nazi's during the war. The IRA
does have ties though, they are allied with the Irish political party Sinn Fein
which handles the groups political affairs and negotiating.

-The Red Army Faction is a German based group which originated in the 1960's.
Their ideology is a combination of theories from both Marx and Maoism. The
result is a commitment to armed struggle. The group announced that it would end
it's terrorist activities in 1992. While the group was active they engaged in
bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, robberies and has targeted both German
and American governments. They were even bold enough to attempt to assassinate
the head of NATO, Alexander Haig. The RAF has several hard-core cadres that
carry out their terrorist missions as well as a large civilian following that
spreads the groups propaganda. The group has survived over the years despite the
repeated capture of it's highest ranking members. The RAF has ties with several
middle eastern terrorist factions and a very strong tie with GRAPO of Spain.
They are attempting to destroy western capitalism and promote world wide Marxism.


-The True Teaching of Aum/Supreme Truth of Aum is a Japanese based faction that
was formed in 1987 by Shoko Asahara. It was recognized as a religious group in
1989. It was headquartered in a small farming village near the base of Mount
Fuji. It contains five branches scattered among 130 sites. It's membership is
estimated 10,000 in Japan, 30,000 in Russia and about 100 in Manhattan. They
practice a doctrine of Hinduism and Buddhism and they follow a goddess named
Shiva, lord of destruction and regeneration. They believe the world will end
some time in 1997. They were the group responsible for the sarin gas attacks on
Tokyo metro systems that hurt thousands. The groups current leader Shoko Asahara
was arrested.

5)Some would say that terrorism is a valiant deed, the ultimate sacrifice for
ones cause, the only thing that a terrorist sacrifices is the lives of the
innocent, the terrorist is a butcher of human rights. Others would also say
terrorism is an act of retaliation, well two wrongs don't make a right. If a
terrorist organisation responds to a terrorist attack against themselves with
another act of terrorism, what do you think the other groups response will be?
This situation is currently occuring in Great Britain, the Irish accuse the
English of something and act, the English deny it and accuse the Irish of
commiting unwarranted attacks and responds. This conflict has been raging for
years and no end is in sight since the ceasefire was broken. What if a
developing nation has no resources or commodity to trade to the rest of the
world, wouldn't you take foriegn hostages to make enough money to feed your
country? I believe that foriegn countries would rather help to solve the crisis
before it reached the stage where terrorism would be put into effect.
Negotiations prior to the problem's begining could benefit both sides of the
table.

6)Three case studies that would provide further insight into the world of
terrorism would be:

-The FLQ's affect on Francophone relations with the rest of Canada. Did the
kidnapping and assassination of government officials gain anything? Did it
actually hurt Quebec's dealings with English speaking Canadians or was it
neccesary? How long did the FLQ remain active and how many members did they
have? Did the Front de Liberationd pour Quebec have the people of the province
behind them?

-The IRA has been battling for it's freedom for years. Does each bomb they place
bring them closer to freedom or does it push their goal further apart? Would
peaceful negotiations reach their goal faster or is violence their last resort?
Finally is freedom worth that much? Thousands of lives have been lost over a
grudge between nations, could it all have been avoided with a little bit of
equality?

-Japanese religious cults have even less mercy than the brutal terrorists of the
west. Can you blame a terrorist when his actions are being influenced? Should
religious cults be shut down before they reach the terorrist stage? Chemicals
used to make bombs and gas like sarin could be marked in the manufacturing stage,
could this avoid the entire probleb?

7)Terrorism is a terrible deed, sometimes committed in the name of a not so
terrible cause. I feel terrorists use their cause to gain the sympathy of the
people, the masses can add to success of a terrorist groups cause. Compromising
values to achieve a goal is wrong, many terrorists act because their human
rights were disturbed, what are they doingwhen they take hostages? Sometimes the
cause is good but the method is always wrong if terrorism is resorted to.