Terrorism Essay, Research Paper

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.

319