TERRORISM

A MENACE

Group Member

• Shaikh Muazzam• Tabish Patel• Ejaz Najmul Khan• Adnaan Hirani• Upendra Prajapati• Nida Khan• Swapnil Patil• Ali

Definition & Origin• Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.• No universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition of

terrorism currently exists.• The word "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged, and this

greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. Studies have found over 100 definitions of “terrorism". The concept of terrorism may itself be controversial as it is often used by state authorities to delegitimize political or other opponents, and potentially legitimize the state's own use of armed force against opponents (such use of force may itself be described as "terror" by opponents of the state).

• "Terror" comes from a Latin “Terrere” meaning "to frighten“.• Goal is to achieve political, religious or ideological objectives

Terrorist Acts are Often Well Calculated

• Terrorists seek change through the use of fear and intimidation

• Terrorists always ‘play’ to an audience• Specific terrorist tactics are often employed to maximize the

impact of their activities• Terrorism is Directed to a Larger Audience• Terrorism is intended to instill terror in a larger target

audience• Terrorism can also be intended to recruit more supporters• The media are critically important to achieving both of these

goals

Goals Of Terrorism• A terrorist group commits acts of violence to -

• Produce widesrpead fear• Obtain worldwide, national, or local recognition for their cause by attracting the

attention of the media• Harass, weaken, or embarrass government security forces so that the the

government overreacts and appears repressive• Steal or extort money and equipment, especially weapons and ammunition vital

to the operation of their group• Destroy facilities or disrupt lines of communication in order to create doubt that

the government can provide for and protect its citizens• Discourage foreign investments, tourism, or assistance programs that can affect

the target country’s economy and support of the government in power• Influence government decisions, legislation, or other critical decisions• Free prisoners• Satisfy vengeance• Turn the tide in a guerrilla war by forcing government security forces to

concentrate their efforts in urban areas. This allows the terrorist group to establish itself among the local populace in rural areas

Role of the Media in the Genesis of Terror

• Victims of the terrorists’ physical attack provide the ‘signal’

• Media amplify and disseminate the ‘signal’ or message

• Target audience responds with terror, providing the impetus for capitulating to the terrorists’ demands for change

Copyright 2005 Michael A. Bozarth, Ph.D.

The Media Magnifier

LimitedPhysical Attack Media

World-Wide Publicity

Types Of Terrorism

• State Terrorism• Bio Terrorism• Cyber Terrorism• Nuclear Terrorism• Narco Terrorism• Religious Terrorism

State Terrorism• The Encyclopædia Britannica Online defines terrorism generally as "the

systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective", and adds that terrorism has been practiced by "state institutions such as armies, intelligence services, and police.“

• Democide is equivalent to state terrorism.

Bio Terrorism• Bioterrorism refers to the intentional release of toxic biological agents to

harm and terrorize civilians, in the name of a political or other cause. The U.S. Center for Disease Control has classified the viruses, bacteria and toxins that could be used in an attack. Category A Biological Diseases are those most likely to do the most damage. They include:

• Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)• Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)• The Plague (Yersinia pestis)• Smallpox (Variola major)• Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)• Hemorrahagic fever, due to Ebola Virus or Marburg Virus

Cyber Terrorism• Cyberterrorists use information technology to attack civilians and draw

attention to their cause. • This may mean that they use information technology, such as computer

systems or telecommunications, as a tool to orchestrate a traditional attack.

• More often, cyberterrorism refers to an attack on information technology itself in a way that would radically disrupt networked services.

• For example, cyberterrorists could disable networked emergency systems or hack into networks housing critical financial information. There is wide disagreement over the extent of the existing threat by cyber terrorists.

Nuclear Terrorism• Nuclear terrorism" refers to a number of different ways nuclear materials

might be exploited as a terrorist tactic. • These include attacking nuclear facilities, purchasing nuclear weapons, or

building nuclear weapons or otherwise finding ways to disperse radioactive materials.

Narco Terrorism• Narcoterrorism is a term coined by former President Fernando Belaúnde

Terry of Peru in 1983 when describing terrorist-type attacks against his nation's anti-narcotics police.

• In the original context, Narcoterrorism is understood to mean the attempts of narcotics traffickers to influence the policies of a government or a society through violence and intimidation, and to hinder the enforcement of the law and the administration of justice by the systematic threat or use of such violence.

• Pablo Escobar's ruthless violence in his dealings with the Colombian and Peruvian government is probably one of the best known and best documented examples of narcoterrorism.The term is being increasingly used for known terrorist organizations that engage in drug trafficking activity to fund their operations and gain recruits and expertise.

• Such organizations include FARC, ELN, and AUC in Colombia and PCP-SL in Peru.

Religious Terrorism• Religious terrorism is terrorism by those whose motivations and aims

have a predominant religious character or influence.• In the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of

kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism more often involved anarchism, nihilism and revolutionary politics, but since 1980 there has been an increase in activity motivated by religion

• Types:– Islamic– Christian– Jewish

Causes of Terrorism

• Ethnicity: Nationalism/Separatism• Globalization• Non Democracy• Disaffected Intelligentsia• Dehumanization• Religion

Terrorism Tactics • Terrorist tactics and weapons reflect the underground, unsanctioned

nature of the activity. • Methods of attack• Training• Preparation• Cover• Funding• Communication

Methods of Attack• While terrorists act according to different motivations and goals, all such

groups have one tactic in common: intimidation or coercion of the public or the government in order to effect social or political change.

• Terrorism uses violence, or threat of violence, against one portion of a society to compel the greater body of that society or their leaders to make a change out of fear. Terrorism often exploits propaganda techniques to ensure the public receives the intended message.

• The term Propaganda of the Deed, coined by Malatesta, Cafiero, and Covelli, states that the message is most strongly conveyed through violence.

Training• There are and have been training camps for terrorists. The range of

training depends greatly on the level of support the terrorist organization receives from various organizations and states.

• In nearly every case the training incorporates the philosophy and agenda of the groups leadership as justification for the training as well as the potential acts of terrorism which may be committed.

• State sanctioned training is by far the most extensive and thorough, often employing professional soldiers and covert operatives of the supporting state.

Preparation• Preparation of a major attack such as the September 11, 2001 attacks may

take years, whereas a simpler attack, depending on the availability of arms,resources,and more it may be almost spontaneous.

Cover• Where terrorism occurs in the context of open warfare or insurgency, its

perpetrators may shelter behind a section of the local population. • Examples include the intifada on Israeli-occupied territory, and insurgency

in Iraq. • This population, which may be ethnically distinct from the counter-

terrorist forces, is either sympathetic to their cause, indifferent, or acts under duress.

• Terrorists preparing for the September 11, 2001 attacks changed their appearance to avoid looking radical.

Funding• Funding can be raised in both legal and illegal ways. Some of the most

common ways to raise funds are through front groups, charitable organizations, or NGOs with similar ideologies.

• In the absence of state funding, terrorists may rely on organized crime to fund their activities.

• This has included kidnapping, drug trafficking, or robbery. Additionally, terrorists have also found many more sources of revenue.

Communication• Even though old-school communication methods like radio are still used,

the revolution in communication technology over the past 10-15 years has dramatically changed how terrorist organizations communicate.

• E-mails, fax transmissions, websites, cell phones, and satellite telephones have made it possible for organizations to contemplate a global strategy.

• However, too great a reliance on this new technology leaves organizations vulnerable to sophisticated monitoring of communication and triangulation of its source.

• When Osama bin Laden found out that his satellite phone conversations were being intercepted, he ceased using this method to communicate.

Weapons• AK-47 Assault Rifles• Assassination• Car Bombing• Dirty Bomb• Hijacking• IEDs (improvised explosive devices)• Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs)• Suicide Terrorism

Terrorist Groups

• National Liberation • Left Wing Revolutionary • State Sponsors of Terrorist

National Liberation• The individuals and groups here are associated with national liberation

movements. Some aim to achieve independence from a perceived occupation, such as of Ireland or Kashmir.

• Others want to establish autonomous territory, or to achieve political representation in an existing state, as Hezballah does.

• Abu Nidal (Palestine)• Brian Keenan (Ireland)• ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom)• Hamas• Hezballah• Irish Republican Army (IRA)• Jaysh-e Muhammad• LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)• Menachem Begin (Israel)• PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party)• RIRA (Real Irish Republican Army)• Yasir Arafat (Palestine)

Left Wing Revolutionary

• Leftist ideals and ideologies, such as anarchism and socialism, drove most terrorist activity in the late 19th and 20th century.

• Today, although the specific historic context has been lost to us, the names of the most famous and destructive groups have not, such as Germany's Baader-Meinhof Gang and the American Black Panthers.

• Black Panthers (U.S.A.)• Che Guevara• FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces Group, Colombia)• Weather Underground (U.S.A.)

State Sponsor Terrorism• In 1979, the United State established a list of countries providing either direct or

indirect support to terrorist groups. There are currently four states on the list: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. North Korea was removed in October, 2008.

• State Sponsors Backgrounder• Is State Terrorism a Good Category? Pros & Cons• Cuba• Iran• Syria• Israel

Terrorist Incidents• Bombings• Kidnappings and Hostage-Takings • Armed Attacks and Assassinations • Arsons and Fire bombings • Hijackings or Skyjackings

Bombings• Bombings are the most common type of terrorist act. Typically, improvised

explosive devices are inexpensive and easy to make. • Modern devices are smaller and are harder to detect. They contain very

destructive capabilities; • for example, on August 7, 1998, two American embassies in Africa were

bombed. The bombings claimed the lives of over 200 people, including 12 innocent American citizens, and injured over 5,000 civilians.

• Terrorists can also use materials that are readily available to the average consumer to construct a bomb.

Kidnapping And Hostage Takings• Terrorists use kidnapping and hostage-taking to establish a bargaining

position and to elicit publicity. • Kidnapping is one of the most difficult acts for a terrorist group to

accomplish, but, if a kidnapping is successful, it can gain terrorists money, release of jailed comrades, and publicity for an extended period.

• Hostage-taking involves the seizure of a facility or location and the taking of hostages. Unlike a kidnapping, hostage-taking provokes a confrontation with authorities.

• It forces authorities to either make dramatic decisions or to comply with the terrorist’s demands. It is overt and designed to attract and hold media attention.

• The terrorists’ intended target is the audience affected by the hostage’s confinement, not the hostage.

Armed Attacks and Assassinations• Armed attacks include raids and ambushes. • Assassinations are the killing of a selected victim, usually by bombings or

small arms.• Drive-by shootings is a common technique employed by unsophisticated

or loosely organized terrorist groups. • Historically, terrorists have assassinated specific individuals for

psychological effect.

Arsons and Fire bombings• Incendiary devices are cheap and easy to hide.• Arson and firebombings are easily conducted by terrorist groups that may

not be as well-organized, equipped, or trained as a major terrorist organization.

• An arson or firebombing against a utility, hotel, government building, or industrial center portrays an image that the ruling government is incapable of maintaining order.

Hijackings and Skyjackings• Hijacking is the seizure by force of a surface vehicle, its passengers, and/or

its cargo. Skyjacking is the taking of an aircraft, which creates a mobile, hostage barricade situation.

• It provides terrorists with hostages from many nations and draws heavy media attention.

• Skyjacking also provides mobility for the terrorists to relocate the aircraft to a country that supports their cause and provides them with a human shield, making retaliation difficult.

Preventive Measures

Preventive Measures Against Terrorism

• Protecting and mobilizing civil society• An integrated approach to prevention, preparedness and response to

terrorist attacks• External cooperation• Communicating with the public• Linking up with the law enforcement • Community Security • Research Explosives