Terrorism and fighting against it (0)

Terrorism and fighting against it
Terrorism is not new and even though it has been used since the beginning of recorded history it can be relatively hard to define . Terrorism has been described differently as both a tactic and strategy ; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an unforgivable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view it is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict.
Terrorism is most common in nations with the average political freedom , and is least common in the most democratic nations.
In some cases , terrorism has been a means to carry on a conflict without the antagonist realizing the nature of the threat , mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Because of these characteristics , terrorism has become increasingly common among those extreme goals throughout the world. But despite its popularity , terrorism can be a confusing concept. Even within the U.S. Government , agencies responsible for different functions in the ongoing fight against terrorism use different definitions.
The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as "the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear ; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious , or ideological." The FBI uses this: "Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and 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." The U.S. Department of State defines "terrorism" to be "premeditated politically- motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience ."
Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the direct victim. The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local population, the government, and the world to their cause . The terrorists plan their attack to achieve the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. The effectivity of the terrorist act lies not in the act itself, but in the public’s or government’s reaction to the act. For example, in 1972 at the Munich Olympics , the Black September Organization killed 11 Israelis. The Israelis were the immediate victims. But the true target was the estimated 1 billion people watching the Olympics from TV. The Black September Organization used the high popularity of the Olympics to show its views on the bad situation of the Palestinian refugees.
Similarly , in October 1983, Middle Eastern terrorists bombed the Marine Battalion Landing Team Headquarters at Beirut International Airport. Their immediate victims were the 241 U.S. military men who were killed and over 100 others who were wounded. Their true target was the American people and the U.S. Congress . Their one act of violence influenced the U.S. decision to indicate the Marines from Beirut and it was therefore considered a terrorist success.
There are three perspectives of terrorism: the terrorist’s, the victim’s, and the general public’s. The phrase “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” is a view terrorists themselves would accept . Terrorists do not see themselves as evil. They believe they are rightful combatants, fighting for what they believe in, by whatever means possible. A victim of a terrorist act sees the terrorist as a criminal with no caring for human life. The general public’s view is the most unstable. His sympathetic view of terrorism has become an integral part of their psychological warfare.
Terrorism is a criminal act. So, whether the terrorist chooses to identify himself with military terminology, or with civilian term , he is a criminal either way.
Terrorism is classified into six categories: civil disorder , political terrorism, non-political terrorism, quasi -terrorism, limited politival terrorist, official or state terrorism. These categories are further divided into different types . For example, Germany’s bombing of London and the U.S. atomic destruction of Hiroshima during World War II are called state terrorism.
Nowadays, cyberterrorism becomes more and more common and in consideration the importance of IT today (for example if we watch how important have IT became in Estonia), it’s dangerous for all of us.
Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in U.S., there have been so called War on Terror . The War on Terror is an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other NATO and non-NATO countries. The campaign was started in 2001 with the US/UK invasion of Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attack. Since then, other operations have got started, the largest being the War in Iraq , beginning with a 2003 invasion. Originally, it was funded against al- Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with the purpose to depose them .
The phrase War on Terror was first used by former U.S. President George W. Bush and other higher U.S. officials to designate a global military, political, legal and ideological battle against organizations designated as terrorist and against the people who were accused of having a connection to them, offer them support or were presented as providing a threat to the U.S. or to the other countries. It was typically used paying particular attention on militant Islamists and al-Qaeda.
Although the term is not officially used by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, it is still commonly used by politicians, in the media and officially by some aspects of government, such as the Army 's Global War on Terrorism Service Medal .
In the meantime, the "war on terror" has seriously damaged the United States internationally. For Muslims , the similarity between the rough treatment of Iraqi civilians by the U.S. military and of the Palestinians by the Israelis has prompted a widespread sense of hostility toward the United States in general. It's not the "war on terror" that angers Muslims watching the news on television, it is the victimization of Arab civilians. And the anger is not limited to Muslims. A recent BBC questioning of 28,000 people in 27 countries which seeks respondents judgement of the role of states in international affairs results in Israel, Iran and the United States was being rated as the stat with "the most negative influence on the world."