terrorism

What is Terrorism? 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.

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 variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination.

. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict.

As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost.

Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim.

The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that .draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause

The terrorists plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose.

The effectiveness 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 televised event.

The Black September Organization used the high visibility of the Olympics to publicize its views on the plight 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 personnel 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 United States’ decision to withdraw the Marines from Beirut and 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 legitimate 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 regard for human life.

The general public’s view is the most unstable.

The terrorists take great pains to foster a “Robin Hood” image in hope of swaying the general public’s point of view toward their cause.

This sympathetic view of terrorism has become an integral part of their psychological warfare and needs to be countered vigorously.

Simply put, a car bomb on a city street and a jet fighter dropping a bomb on a tank are both acts of violence that produce death and terror.

Therefore any military action is simply terrorism by a different name.

This is the reasoning behind the

famous phrase "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".

It is also a legacy of legitimizing the use of terror by successful revolutionary movements after the fact.

A terror group does not require and rarely has the active support or even the sympathy of a large fraction of the population.

While insurgents will frequently describe themselves as "insurgents" or "guerillas", terrorists will not refer to themselves as "terrorists" but describe themselves using military or political terminology ("freedom fighters", "soldiers", "activists").

Terrorism relies on public impact, and is therefore conscious of the advantage of avoiding the negative connotations of the term "terrorists" in identifying themselves.

different ways that states can engage in the use of terror are:

• Governmental or "State" terror• State involvement in terror• State sponsorship of terrorism

State involvement in terror: These are activities where government

personnel carry out operations using terror tactics.

These activities may be directed against other nations' interests, its own population, or private groups or individuals viewed as dangerous to the state.

In many cases, these activities are terrorism under official sanction, although such authorization is rarely acknowledged openly.

Historical examples include the Soviet and Iranian assassination campaigns against dissidents who had fled abroad, and Libyan and North Korean intelligence operatives downing airliners on international flights.

State sponsorship of terrorism:

Also known as "state supported" terrorism, when governments provide supplies, training, and other forms of support to non-state terrorist organizations.

One of the most valuable types of this support is the provision of safe haven or physical basing for the terrorists' organization.

An example of state sponsorship is the Syrian government's support of Hamas and Hizballah in Lebanon.

Syrian resources and protection enable the huge training establishments in the Bek'aa Valley.

On a smaller, more discreet scale, the East German Stasi provided support and safe-haven to members of the Red Army Faction (RAF or Baader Meinhof Gang) and neo-fascist groups that operated in West Germany.

Wanted members of the RAF were found resident in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Types of Terrorist Incidents The most common types of

terrorist incidents include:BombingsBombings 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.

Kidnappings 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.

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 Firebombings

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.

Terrorist Groups The organizational

structure of a group determines its strengths and weaknesses. A general knowledge of the prevalent models of terrorist organizations leads to a better understanding of their capabilities.

Categories of Terrorist Groups

There are many different categories of terrorism and terrorist groups that are currently in use.

These categories serve to differentiate terrorist organizations according to specific criteria, which are usually related to the field or specialty of whoever is selecting the categories.

Also, some categories are simply labels appended arbitrarily or redundantly, often by the media. For example, every terrorist organization is by definition "radical", as terror tactics are not the norm for the mainstream of any group.

Ethnocentric. Groups of this

persuasion see race as the defining characteristic of a society, and therefore a basis of cohesion.

There is usually the attitude that a particular group is superior because of their inherent racial characteristics.

Nationalistic.

The loyalty and devotion to a nation, and the national consciousness derived from placing one nation's culture and interests above those of other nations or groups.

This can find expression in the creation of a new nation, or in splitting away part of an existing state to join with another that shares the perceived "national" identity.

Revolutionary.

Dedicated to the overthrow of an established order and replacing it with a new political or social structure.

Although often associated with communist political ideologies, this is not always the case, and other political movements can advocate revolutionary methods to achieve their goals.

Political. Political ideologies are

concerned with the structure and organization of the forms of government and communities. ,

While observers outside terrorist organizations may stress differences in political ideology, the activities of groups that are diametrically opposed on the political spectrum are similar to each other in practice.

Religious. Religiously inspired terrorism is on the rise, with a forty-three percent increase of total international terror groups espousing religious motivation between 1980 and 1995.

Social. Often particular social policies or issues will be so contentious that they will incite extremist behavior and terrorism.

Domestic. These terrorists are "home-grown" and operate within and against their home country..

International or Transnational. Often describing the support and operational reach of a group, these terms are often loosely defined, and can be applied to widely different capabilities. International groups typically operate in multiple countries, but retain a geographic focus for their activities. Hezbollah has cells worldwide, and has conducted operations in multiple countries, but is primarily concerned with events in Lebanon and Israel.

terrorist Behavior There is clearly a wide

choice of definitions for terrorism. Despite this, there are elements in common among the majority of useful definitions. Common threads of the various definitions identify terrorism as:• Political• Psychological• Coercive• Dynamic• Deliberate

PoliticalA terrorist act is a political act or is committed with the intention to cause a political effect.

PsychologicalThe intended results of terrorist acts cause a psychological effect ("terror").

Coercive Violence and destruction are used in the commission of the act to produce the desired effect.

For example, a successful hostage taking operation may result in all hostages being freed unharmed after negotiations and bargaining.

Regardless of the outcome, the terrorist bargaining chips were nothing less than the raw threat of applying violence to maim or kill some or all of the hostages.

When the threat of violence is not credible, or the terrorists are unable to implement violence effectively, terrorism fails.

Dynamic Terrorist groups demand change, revolution, or political movement.

20th Century Evolution of Terrorism

In the early years of the 20th Century nationalism and revolutionary political ideologies were the principal developmental forces acting upon terrorism.

Profiles of Current Terrorist Groups

Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (al-Aqsa)Al-Jihad (AJ)Al-QaidaAl-Qaida in Iraq (AQI)

Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC)Ansar al-Sunna (AS)Armed Islamic Group (GIA)Asbat al-AnsarAum Shinrikyo (Aum Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)Communist Party of Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA)Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)Gama’a al-Islamiyya (IG) Harakat ul-Mujahedin (HUM)HizballahIslamic Jihad Group (IJU)

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)HAMASJaish-e-Mohammed (JEM)Jemaah Islamiya (JI)Kahane Chai (Kach)Kongra-Gel (PKK)LashkareTayyiba (LT)Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ)Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM)

Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK)National Liberation Army (ELN)--Colombia Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ)Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General CommandReal IRA (RIRA)Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)Revolutionary Nuclei (RN)Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N)Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)Shining Path (SL)United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)

Examples of actions Some counterterrorist actions of the

20th century are listed below. See List of hostage crises for a more extended list, including hostage-taking that did not end violently.

Incident Main locale

Hostage nationality

Kidnappers/hijackers

Counter-terrorist force

results

1972Munich Massacre

Munich Olympics, Germany

Israeli Black September

German police

11 hostages, 1 rescuer, 5 kidnappers killed. 3 Kidnappers captured.

1975AIA Hostage Incident

AIA building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

US, Swedish Embassies. Mixed

Japanese Red Army

Malaysian police

All hostages rescued, all kidnappers flew up to Libya.

Incident Main localeHostage

nationalityKidnappers/

hijackersCounter-terrorist

forceResults

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Red_Army

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Red_Army




forceResults

1976 Entebbe raid Entebbe, UgandaMixed. Israelis and Jews separated.

PFLP

Sayeret Matkal Gadsar Tzanchanim Sayeret Golani

all 6 hijackers, 45 Ugandan troops, 3 hostages and 1 Israeli soldier dead. 100 hostages rescued




forceResults

1977Hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181

Spanish airspace and Mogadishu, Somalia

Mixed PFLP

GSG 9, Special Air Service

consultants

1 hostage, 3 hijackers dead, 1 captured. 90 hostages rescued.




forceResults

1980Iranian Embassy Siege

London, UK Iranian

Democratic Revolutionary Movement for the Liberation of Arabistan

Special Air Service

1 hostage, 5 kidnappers dead, 1 captured, 1 SAS operative received minor burns.




forceResults

1981Hijacking of "Woyla" Garuda Indonesia

Don Muang International Airport, Thailand

Indonesian Jihad CommandosKopassus, Thailand military mixed forces

1 hijacker kill himself, 4 hijackers and 1 Kopassus operative dead, 1 pilot wounded, all hostages rescued.




forceResults

1985Capture of Achille Lauro hijackers

International airspace and Italy

Mixed PLOUS military, turned over to Italy

1 dead in hijacking, 4 hijackers convicted in Italy




forceResults

1996Japanese embassy hostage crisis

Lima, PeruJapanese and guests (800+)

Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement

Peruvian military & police mixed forces

1 hostage, 2 rescuers, all 14 kidnappers dead.




forceResults

2000 Sauk Arms Heist Perak, Malaysia2 policemen, 1 army and 1 civilian

Al-Ma'unah

Malaysian Army, Grup Gerak Khas and Pasukan Gerakan Khas mixed forces

2 hostages dead, 2 rescuers, 1 kidnappers dead and all 28 kidnappers captured.




forceResults

2002Moscow theater hostage crisis

MoscowMixed, mostly Russian (900+)

Chechen Russian OZNAZ

129-204 hostages dead, all 39 kidnappers dead. 600-700 hostages freed.




forceResults

2004Beslan school hostage crisis

Beslan, North Ossetia-Alania, (an autonomous republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation).

Russian Chechen Mixed Russian

334 hostages dead and hundreds wounded. 10-21 rescuers dead. 31 kidnappers killed, 1 captured.




forceResults

2007 Lal Masjid siegeIslamabad, Pakistan

Pakistani studentsLal Masjid students and militants

Pakistani Army and Rangers SSG commandos

61 militants killed, 50 militants captured 23 students killed, 11 SSG killed,1 Ranger killed,33 SSG wounded,8 soldiers wounded,3 Rangers wounded, 14 civilians killed




forceResults

2007Kirkuk Hostage Rescue

Kirkuk, Iraqi-Kurdistan

Turkman Child Rescued by PUK CTG Counter Terrorism Group in Kirkuk from Arab kidnappers

Islamic State of Iraq Al Qaeda

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's Counter Terrorism Group

5 kidnappers Arrested, 1 hostage rescued




forceResults

2008 Operation Jaque Colombia MixedRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

15 hostages released. 2 kidnappers captured




forceResults

2008 Operations DawnGulf of Aden, Somalia

MixedSomalian piracy and militants

Royal Malaysian Navy PASKAL and international mixed forces

Negotiation finished. 80 hostages released. RMN including PASKAL navy commandos with international mixed forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden during this festive period.[16][17]

[18]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-terrorism#cite_note-15






forceResults

20082008 Mumbai attacks

Multiple locations in Mumbai city

Mixed, US and British citizens targeted

Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba

300 NSG commandos, 36-100 Marine commandos and 400 army Para Commandos

141 Indian civilians, 30 foreigners, 17 law enforcement officers killed.

9 attackers killed,1 attacker captured and 293 injured

The outer skin of World Trade Center Tower Two that remained standing after an Islamist terrorist attack orchestrated by Al-Qaeda.

4 September 1972 - Munich Olympic Massacre.

18 April 1983 - April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. 63 killed.

26 February 1993 - World Trade Center bombing, New York City. 6 killed.

13 March 1993 - 1993 Bombay bombings. Mumbai, India. The single-day attacks resulted in over 250 civilian fatalities and 700 injuries.

24 December 1994 - Air France Flight 8969 hijacking in Algiers by 3 members of Armed Islamic Group and another terrorist. 7 killed including 4 hijackers.

25 June 1996 - Khobar Towers bombing, 20 killed, 372 wounded.

14 February 1998. The 1998 Coimbatore bombings occurred in the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 46 people were killed and over 200 were injured in 13 bomb attacks within a 12 km radius.

7 August 1998 - 1998 United States embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. 224 dead. 4000+ injured.

12 October 2000 - USS Cole bombing, 56 killed

11 September 2001 - 4 planes hijacked and crashed into World Trade Center and The Pentagon by 19 hijackers. Nearly 3000 dead.

13 December 2001 - Suicide attack on India's parliament in New Delhi. Aimed at eliminating the top leadership of India and causing anarchy in the country. Allegedly done by Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist organizations, Jaish-E-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba.

3 March 2002 - Suicide bomb attack on a Passover Seder in a Hotel in Netanya, Israel. 29 dead, 133 injured

9 March 2002 - Café suicide bombing in Jerusalem; 11 killed, 54 injured.

7 May 2002 - Bombing in al-Arbaa, Algeria. 49 dead, 117 injured. 24 September 2002 - Machine Gun attack on Hindu temple in Ahmedabad, India. 31

dead, 86 injured.

12 October 2002 - Bombing in Bali nightclub. 202 killed, 300 injured. 16 May 2004 - Casablanca Attacks - 4 simultaneous attacks in Casablanca killing 33

civilians (mostly Moroccans) carried by Salafaia Jihadia.

11 March 2004 - Multiple bombings on trains near Madrid, Spain. 191 killed, 1460 injured. (alleged link to Al-Qaeda)

3 September 2004 Approximately 344 civilians including 186 children, are killed during the Beslan school hostage crisis.

2 November 2004 - Ritual murder of Theo van Gogh (film director) by Amsterdam-born jihadist Mohammed Bouyeri.

4 February 2005 - Muslim militants attacked the Christian community in Demsa, Nigeria, killing 36 people, destroying property and displacing an additional 3000 people.

7 July 2005 - Multiple bombings in London Underground. 53 killed by four suicide bombers. Nearly 700 injured.

23 July 2005 - Bomb attacks at Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort city, at least 64 people killed.

29 October 2005 - 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings. Over 60 killed and over 180 injured in a series of three attacks in crowded markets and a bus, just 2 days before the Diwali festival.

9 November 2005 - 2005 Amman bombings. Over 60 killed and 115 injured, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks on hotels in Amman, Jordan Four attackers including a husband and wife team were involved.

7 March 2006 - 2006 Varanasi bombings. An attack attributed to Lashkar-e-Toiba by Uttar Pradesh government officials, over 28 killed and over 100 injured, in a series of attacks in the Sankath Mochan Hanuman temple and Cantonment Railway Station in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh government officials.

11 July 2006. Mumbai, India. 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured in the attacks.

26 July 2008. Ahmedabad, India. Islamic militants detonate at least 16 explosive devices in the heart of this industrial capital, leaving at least 49 dead and 160 injured. A Muslim group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility. Indian authorities believe that extremists with ties to Pakistan and/or Bangladesh are likely responsible and are intent on inciting communal violence. Investigation by Indian police led to the eventual arrest of a number of militants suspected of carrying out the blasts, most of whom belong to a well-known terrorist group, The Students Islamic Movement of India

26 November 2008. Mumbai, India. Muslim extremists kill at least 174 people and wound numerous others in a serious of coordinated attacks on India's largest city and financial capital. A group calling itself the Deccan Mujaheddin claims responsibility, however, the government of India suspects Islamic militants based in Pakistan are responsible.

Terrorism in Turkey Turkey has been fighting against

the PKK (Kurdistan Worker Party) since 1985.

The purpose of this study is to define what the PKK is, to explain origin of the Kurdish citizen, to define differences between the PKK and the Kurdish citizen and to try to find a solution to this problem within the frame of democratic rule.

Turkey has been the unique target of international terrorism since 1965.

To understand fully Turkey's importance one must take into consideration her geographical location, social and economic potential.

Turkey has always attracted international attention.

It will be probably the same in the future. Turkey is the only Islamic nation in NATO.

It is however; totally secular, democratic and based on free market principles.

On the other hand Turkey was a major obstacle for the ideological and military expansion of the Soviet Union towards the Middle East.

This was the main reason why Turkey had been the main target of terrorism

. The PKK has a close relationship to international terrorism and all kinds of illegal practices.

Turkey has been accumulating a very costly social experience in the last three decades.

International terrorism has been threatening not only Turkey, but also all democratic societies in the world.

On account of this fact, the core of the solution depends on effective measures, which will have to be taken by all democratic societies, governments and institutions. The PKk is not a freedom fighter; it is a terrorist organization.

was announced in mid-97 that The PKK terrorists had murdered 4,276 and injured 5,083 citizens of Turkish & Kurdish ethnic background. 501 children, 512 woman were among the murdered civilians. A total of 3,223 schools where 166,000 students in 22 districts of two provinces, remained shut in 1996 due to repeated PKK attacks. 156 mostly primary school teachers have been killed.

Moreover, the PKK's enemies include not only the Turkish authorities but also, ironically, the two leading ethnic Kurdish groups in Iraq, namely, Masud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party and Celal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Clearly, Abdullah "Apo" Öcalan disguises PKK activities as a romantic campaign for Kurdish independence when, in actuality, the hallmark of his terrorist activity has been a strong commitment to Marxism-Leninism.

Abdullah Ocalan was captured in Kenya (15/1/99) while travelling on a Greek Cypriot passport! Abdullah Ocalan's first hearing at his Island prison awaiting his trial.

As a reprisal terrorist supporters have attacked Greek, Kenyan & UN diplomatic missions and taken hostages around the world. By this aggression against diplomatic compounds and personnel PKK has broken another international treaty against terrorism. In Turkey they have moved their arson/bombing operations to city targets, aiming civilians without care for ethnic origin.

Thank you for attention

Melike Aydın

terrorism

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