how did the course of human history serve to influence global terrorism

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon in human experience. Violence has beenused throughout human history by those who chose to oppose states, kings, andprinces. This sort of violence can be differentiated from what is termed asterrorism. Violence in opposition to a government is often targeted againstsoldiers and those who govern. Terrorism, however, is characterized by the useof violence against civilians, with the expressed desire of causing terror or panicin the population. Terrorism is not unique to the 20th and 21st centuries.Terrorism existed in 18th century revolutionary France during the reign of terror,as well as among the Zealots of Palestine in opposition to Roman rule some 2000years ago. Today, terrorist activity can be found in Israel, Indonesia, UnitedKingdom, Sri Lanka, Colombia, and the United States, to name a few. Ofparticular concern here are the September 11 suicide attacks against the WorldTrade Center and the Pentagon and the attempted attack that resulted in theplane crash in Pennsylvania.

Full Answer

What is the history of terrorism?

May 02, 2011 · The first use of terrorism was by the French revolutionaries, in an exact reverse of the contemporary sense: to denote violence against a people by the state. It was also used thus by the Bolshevik...

How does terrorism influence events on the international stage?

Sep 08, 2011 · Of course, violent acts targeting a nation’s government at the expense of civilian victims have a long history, which provides some interesting parallels. For example, the 2005 London Underground bombings have their precedent in the bombings of the underground train lines in the capital by Irish-American Republicans in the early 1880s.

How has the impact of terrorism increased since 2000?

Aug 28, 2017 · August 28, 2017. Terrorism has become one of the dominating national security threats of the 21st century. It is also one of the most complex — mixing the actions of states, extremists, and other non-state actors in a wide range of threats and types of conflicts. Terrorists range from individuals carrying out scattered terrorist acts, to international terrorist networks …

What is the goal of terrorism?

Mar 08, 2019 · Terrorism is the threat or use of violence, it is politically or ideologically motivated and the violence is used to communicate a message of political change and intimidation to …

How long has terrorism been around?

While it is impossible to definitively ascertain when it was first used, that which we today call terrorism traces its roots back at least some 2,000 years. Moreover, today’s terrorism has, in some respects come full circle, with many of its contemporary practitioners motivated by religious convictions – something which drove many of their earliest predecessors. It has also, in the generally accepted usage of the word, often possessed a political dimension. This has colored much of the discourse surrounding terrorism ‑ a phenomenon which is, according to Paul R. Pillar, ‘a challenge to be managed, not solved.’[2]

How does terrorism affect the world?

Since then, in the United States at least, terrorism has largely been equated to the threat posed by al Qaeda ‑ a threat inflamed not only by the spectacular and deadly nature of the Sept. 11 attacks themselves , but by the fear that future strikes might be even more deadly and employ weapons of mass destruction.

What was state sponsored terrorism?

Long before the outbreak of Word War I in Europe in 1914, what would later be termed state-sponsored terrorism had already started to manifest itself. For instance, many officials in the Serbian government and military were involved (albeit unofficially) in supporting, training and arming the various Balkan groups which were active prior to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo – an act carried out by an activist from one such group, the ‘Young Bosnians’ and credited with setting in progress the chain of events which led to the war itself. [ 12] Similarly, the IMRO (Macedonian Revolutionary Organization) survived largely “because [as Walter Laqueur reminds us] it became for all intents and purposes a tool of the Bulgarian government, and was used mainly against Yugoslavia and well as against domestic enemies.” As such examples illustrate, state-sponsored terrorism is not a new phenomenon.

How many murders did the Thugees commit?

Active from the seventh until the mid-19th centuries, the Thugees are reputed to be responsible for as many as 1 million murders. They were perhaps the last example of religiously-inspired terrorism until the phenomenon reemerged a little over 20 years ago.

What was the result of the French Revolution?

The newly defined notions of nationalism and citizenship, which both caused and were a result of the French Revolution, also saw the emergence of a new predominantly secular terrorism . The appearance of political ideologies such as Marxism also created a fertile sense of unrest at the existing order, with terrorism offering a means for change. The Italian revolutionary Carlo Pisacane’s theory of the ‘propaganda of the deed’ – which recognized the utility of terrorism to deliver a message to an audience other than the target and draw attention and support to a cause – typified this new form of terrorism.[9]

What was the difference between guerrilla warfare and terrorism?

Often, these nationalist and anti-colonial groups conducted guerilla warfare, which differed from terrorism mainly in that it tended towards larger bodies of ‘irregulars’ operating along more military lines than their terrorist cousins, and often in the open from a defined geographical area over which they held sway . Such was the case in China and Indochina, where such forces conducted insurgencies against the Kuomintang regime and the French colonial government respectively. Elsewhere, such as with the fight against French rule in Algeria, these campaigns were fought in both rural and urban areas and by terrorist and guerilla means.

When did terrorism start in America?

As with Europe, terrorism arrived on America’s shores before the 20th century. Not only were Anarchists active in America throughout the 1880s, but the country’s recent Civil War had seen acts deserving of the name committed on both sides as well as the formation of the Ku Klux Klan to fight the Reconstruction effort which followed.[11]

Where did terrorism originate?

The word ‘terrorism’ first emerged at the end of the eighteenth century in post-revolutionary France when it was used by the Dictionnaire de l’Académie française to describe ‘a regime of terror’. Ironically given its usage today, the term originally referred to a legitimate system of government which used terror to assert itself. Its inspiration was the fearsome la Terreur which devoured revolutionary France under Robespierre’s doomed command between 1793 and 1794. A century later, Paris became the scene of a further development in the history of terrorism: hostage taking. In the spring of 1871 during the brief reign of the Paris Commune, the concept of hostage taking, now a commonplace attribute of current day terrorism, was born.

Who chronicles the life and agenda of the original terrorist?

In Robespierre and the Terror Marisa Linton chronicles the life and agenda of the original ‘terrorist’.

What is terrorism today?

Nowadays it is commonly perceived as an act of aggression committed by a non-state group for the purpose of undermining a national government, with the intention of igniting terror amongst the people.

What is 9/11 remembered for?

9/11 is remembered as one of the most devastating terrorist attacks of all time . But terrorism has a long history and its meaning today is quite different from the original eighteenth-century definition. 9/11 remains a date which lives in infamy.

What is the great discontinuity of the terrorist?

The great discontinuity lies in the extent of damage the terrorist can cause today in comparison to his historical counterpart; technological developments have unwittingly but certainly expanded a terrorist’s potential. Another break with the past lies in contemporary Britain’s tough line against terrorism, in stark contrast to the lax attitude of the Victorian era, which saw the country sheltering foreign terrorists in accordance with its liberal political tradition.

What was the inspiration for the term "terror"?

Its inspiration was the fearsome la Terreur which devoured revolutionary France under Robespierre’s doomed command between 1793 and 1794.

What are some examples of violent acts targeting a nation's government at the expense of civilian victims?

For example, the 2005 London Underground bombings have their precedent in the bombings of the underground train lines in the capital by Irish-American Republicans in the early 1880s .

What is the most common threat to national security?

Terrorism has become one of the dominating national security threats of the 21st century. It is also one of the most complex — mixing the actions of states, extremists, and other non-state actors in a wide range of threats and types of conflicts. Terrorists range from individuals carrying out scattered terrorist acts, to international terrorist networks of non-state actors, to state terrorism including the use of conventional forces and poison gas to terrorize portions of a civil population. Terrorism has also become a key aspect of civil war, insurgency/counterinsurgency, and asymmetric warfare, as well as ideological, ethnic, and religious warfare.

Which conclusion is that analyses which ignore the gross levels of uncertainty and the conflicts in the information provided in the different sets of

Another key conclusion is that analyses which ignore the gross levels of uncertainty and the conflicts in the information provided in the different sets of open source data now available, are likely to have little legitimacy and be more misleading than useful.

What is the key problem in every state where there is some form of active civil conflict?

Failure to clearly distinguish between insurgency and terrorism — a key problem in every state where there is some form of active civil conflict.

Where is the Islamic State threat?

Key warfighting threats like the Islamic State and its affiliates, and the Taliban and Haqqani Network, are only a comparatively small part of the rising threat in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. It is clear from the current trends in other regions that the threat of religious extremism may soon expand ...

Is the report on terrorism complex?

The report is necessarily complex. It does show that there is value in looking at global trends, but makes it clear that many key trends are largely regional, and must be examined on a regional basis. It also provides key country-by-country breaks out to show that the driving factors shaping the nature of terrorism in any given case are usually national. International networks certainly play a key role, as do factors like religion and culture, but the forms terrorism take normally differ sharply even between neighboring countries.

Is terrorism a threat to the world?

Terrorism is often heavily driven by ideology, but it also is often a reaction to major shifts in population, ethnic and sectarian tensions, failed and corrupt governance, and the failure to broadly develop a given economy and offer employment and a future. No area is immune to the threat , and internal instability can drive terrorism anywhere in the world.

Is terrorism a part of civil war?

Terrorism has also become a key aspect of civil war, insurgency/counterinsurgency, and asymmetric warfare, as well as ideological, ethnic, and religious warfare. There is no easy way to categorize the resulting patterns of violence, to measure their rise, or to set national security priorities.

When terrorist tactics were used against governments and civilians in Western Europe or the USA, was terrorism mentioned?

Instead, such violence was more often described in terms of outrage or assassination.

When was the word "terrorism" first used?

The word ‘terrorism’ was first used at the time of the French Revolution. Charles Monnet/Wikimedia Commons

What were the labels used by 19th century newspapers to describe intimidation and violence by states against their subjects?

Following this, the labels of terrorism and terrorists were used by 19th century newspapers to describe intimidation and violence by states against their subjects, such as “ the terrorism practiced by the police ” in Russia and the “ oppressive system of military terrorism ” in Poland.

What is the threat of terrorism?

Terrorism is the threat or use of violence, it is politically or ideologically motivated and the violence is used to communicate a message of political change and intimidation to individuals or groups beyond its immediate victims. In short, terrorism is best understood as violence used as a form of political communication.

What is the modern meaning of terror?

Terrorism’s modern meaning and use to label an intentional political tactic came with the French Revolution. During The Terror, Robespierre described it as a virtuous form of violence, to be used by the new revolutionary democratic state against its domestic enemies.

Is terrorism an Islamist?

There is no question that terrorism is neither an exclusively Islamist nor a new or recent phenomena. Terrorism has many and diverse ideological motivations and a long history. Indeed, it could even be claimed that modern terrorism is a product of Western modernity. Terror news.

Who was the first person to be a terrorist?

The person generally recognised as the first terrorist was the 26-year-old social revolutionary Vera Zasulich, who shot the Governor of St Petersburg in 1878 to protest the Russian state’s repression of domestic political protest.

When did terrorism start?

For many Americans, the era of modern terrorism began on 9/11. The catastrophic death and destruction on that horrific morning seemed to obliterate the nation's collective memory of recent history. But the phenomenon of contemporary global terrorism actually emerged more than 40 years ago, as this week's episode of the CNN series "The Seventies" makes clear.

What were the tactics used by terrorists in the 1970s?

They employed six basic tactics, some of which had been practiced for centuries: assassination, bombing, kidnapping, airline hijacking, barricaded hostage situations and armed assaults. Assassination had emerged as a terrorist tactic in the 11th century.

What happened in 1970?

Others soon followed. In 1970, Palestinian terrorists upped the ante with a mass hijacking of five commercial airliners. Three of the planes, carrying hundreds of hostages, made it to a landing strip in Jordan, creating an international crisis that ended in civil war.

What is the most common terrorist tactic?

With the invention of dynamite in the 19th century, terrorist bombings became increasingly common — and remain the most common terrorist tactic. Pirates and other criminals have held hostages for ransom since antiquity. In September 1969, terrorists kidnapped the American ambassador to Brazil.

When did the hijacking of airplanes happen?

The hijacking of airliners had mainly been the work of desperate emigres, escaping criminals and the mentally disturbed in the 1950s and 1960s. The first airline hijacking attached to political demands occurred in 1968. Others soon followed. In 1970, Palestinian terrorists upped the ante with a mass hijacking of five commercial airliners.

What was the terrorism of the 1970s?

Terrorism in the 1970s took place against a backdrop of the final years of the Vietnam War, a conflict in which more than 58,000 Americans died, and the Cold War, which sustained the possibility of nuclear annihilation. Daily reality was grim enough, so concerns about terrorism did not rock the republic.

What happened to the Japanese Red Army?

In 1972, three members of the Japanese Red Army — allies of a Palestinian terrorist organization — opened fire on arriving passengers at an airport in Israel, killing 26, most of them Puerto Rican pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.

Why are FTOs no longer dependent on finding ways to get terrorist operatives into the United States?

Due to online recruitment, indoctrination, and instruction, FTOs are no longer dependent on finding ways to get terrorist operatives into the United States to recruit and carry out acts of terrorism.

What are the most persistent threats to the nation and to U.S. interests abroad?

interests abroad are homegrown violent extremists (HVEs), domestic violent extremists, and foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). The IT threat to the U.S. has expanded from sophisticated, externally directed FTO plots to include individual attacks carried out by HVEs who are inspired by designated terrorist organizations. We remain concerned that groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and al Qaeda have the intent to carry out large-scale attacks in the U.S.

What are the threats to the United States homeland?

Our nation continues to face a multitude of serious and evolving threats ranging from homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) to cyber criminals to hostile foreign intelligence services and operatives. Keeping pace with these threats is a significant challenge for the FBI. Our adversaries—terrorists, foreign intelligence services, and criminals—take advantage of modern technology to hide their communications; recruit followers; and plan, conduct, and encourage espionage, cyber attacks, or terrorism to disperse information on different methods to attack the U.S. homeland and to facilitate other illegal activities.

What is the FBI's domestic hate crime fusion cell?

To combat the threat at home, the FBI established the Domestic Terrorism-Hate Crimes Fusion Cell in spring 2019. Composed of subject matter experts from both the Criminal Investigative and Counterterrorism Divisions, the fusion cell offers program coordination from FBI Headquarters, helps ensure seamless information sharing across divisions, and augments investigative resources.

How long does it take for the FBI to process a CFIUS?

As part of this process, the FBI provides input and analysis to the National Intelligence Council within eight days of a CFIUS filing and a risk assessment to the Department of Justice within 30 days of a CFIUS filing.

What is the FBI's assessment of HVEs?

The FBI assesses HVEs are the greatest, most immediate terrorism threat to the homeland. These individuals are FTO-inspired individuals who are in the U.S., have been radicalized primarily in the U.S., and are not receiving individualized direction from FTOs. We, along with our law enforcement partners, face significant challenges in identifying and disrupting HVEs. This is due, in part, to their lack of a direct connection with an FTO, an ability to rapidly mobilize, and the use of encrypted communications.

How are cyber threats increasing?

Cyber threats are not only increasing in size and scope, but are also becoming increasingly difficult and resource-intensive to investigate. Cyber criminals often operate through online forums, selling illicit goods and services, including tools that lower the barrier to entry for aspiring criminals and that can be used to facilitate malicious cyber activity. These criminals have also increased the sophistication of their schemes, which are more difficult to detect and more resilient to disruption than ever. In addition, whether located at home or abroad, many cyber actors are obfuscating their identities and obscuring their activity by using combinations of leased and compromised infrastructure in domestic and foreign jurisdictions. Such tactics make coordination with all of our partners, including international law enforcement partners, essential.

What is the purpose of terrorism?

terrorism, the calculated use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective. Terrorism has been practiced by political organizations with both rightist and leftist objectives, by nationalistic and religious groups, by revolutionaries, and even by state institutions such as armies, intelligence services, and police.

Why do terrorists attack?

Although apparently random, the victims and locations of terrorist attacks often are carefully selected for their shock value. Schools, shopping centres, bus and train stations, and restaurants and nightclubs have been targeted both because they attract large crowds and because they are places with which members of the civilian population are familiar and in which they feel at ease. The goal of terrorism generally is to destroy the public’s sense of security in the places most familiar to them. Major targets sometimes also include buildings or other locations that are important economic or political symbols, such as embassies or military installations. The hope of the terrorist is that the sense of terror these acts engender will induce the population to pressure political leaders toward a specific political end.

What is the meaning of "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"?

Since the 20th century, ideology and political opportunism have led a number of countries to engage in international terrorism, often under the guise of supporting movements of national liberation. (Hence, it became a common saying that “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”) The distinction between terrorism and other forms of political violence became blurred—particularly as many guerrilla groups often employed terrorist tactics—and issues of jurisdiction and legality were similarly obscured.

What is ecoterrorism?

In the late 20th century, the term ecoterrorism was used to describe acts of environmental destruction committed in order to further a political goal or as an act of war, such as the burning of Kuwaiti oil wells by the Iraqi army during the Persian Gulf War . The term also was applied to certain environmentally benign though criminal acts, such as the spiking of lumber trees, intended to disrupt or prevent activities allegedly harmful to the environment.

Is terrorism based on criminality?

These problems have led some social scientists to adopt a definition of terrorism based not on criminality but on the fact that the victims of terrorist violence are most often innocent civilians. Even this definition is flexible, however, and on occasion it has been expanded to include various other factors, such as that terrorist acts are clandestine or surreptitious and that terrorist acts are intended to create an overwhelming sense of fear.

Which countries were most affected by terrorism in 2002?

This first map shows the situation in 2002. Areas highly impacted by terrorism include the United States, Russia and India. These nations were three of the top five most affected, alongside Colombia and Algeria.

How many people died from terrorism in 2014?

There has been a more than ninefold increase in deaths from terrorism during this time – from 3,329 at the turn of the century, to 32,685 in 2014. From 2013 to 2014 alone, there was an 80% increase in deaths. The year 2014 was the worst on record for terrorism across the globe.

What countries did terrorism occur in 2014?

Terrorism remains highly concentrated in just five countries – 78% of deaths in 2014 were in Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria. However, the report argues that the impact of terrorism is spreading.

How many people died in the second car bombing in 2016?

As one attack after another dominates international headlines – from Al Qaida's strike on the Ivory Coast to the Turkish city of Ankara, where at least 32 people have died in the second car bomb in under a month – 2016 already reflects the changing nature of global terrorism.

Religious Roots

Nationalists and Anarchists

• The English word ‘terrorism’ comes from the regime de la terreur that prevailed in France from 1793-1794. Originally an instrument of the state, the regime was designed to consolidate the power of the newly-installed revolutionary government, protecting it from elements considered ‘subversive.’ Always value-laden, terrorism was, initially, a positi...

See more on pogo.org

Terrorism and The State

Terrorism Since World War II

Contemporary Terrorism