Essay on Motivations and Causes of Terrorism - 3275 Words

Motivations and Causes of Terrorism Despite the end of the Cold War and the faltering beginnings of a peace process in the Middle East, terrorism still remains a serious threat in many countries, not surprisingly, given that the underlying causes of the bitter ethnic and religious struggles which spawn terrorism pre-dated the Cold War, and most of these conflicts remain unresolved. While the former Soviet Union sponsored terrorism on an opportunistic basis, the idea that all international terrorism was concerted by the KGB during the Cold War is clearly an over-simplification. The overthrow of the communist dictatorships did remove an important cluster of state sponsors of terrorism. However, one of the main attractions of†¦show more content†¦The recent attempt by the Russian Army to suppress Chechen separatism is a dramatic reminder that the Russian Federation itself is full of ethnic groups that bitterly reject Moscows right to rule them. AFRICA The most tragic examples of conflicts in which mass terror has been used are to be found in Africa. In Rwanda it has been seen on a genocidal scale, causing hundreds of thousands to flee or to face massacre at the hands of their tribal enemies. Typically, ethnic wars of this kind are waged by armed militias and are marked by extreme savagery towards the civilian population, including the policy of ethnic cleansing to terrorize whole sectors of the civilian population into fleeing from their homes, and the use of massacre, rape and torture as weapons of war. Ethnic conflict is the predominant motivation of political violence in the post-Cold War era. It is important to recognize that the concept of the security dilemma, conventionally applied by realists solely to relations between states, applies equally well to the rivalries of ethnic groups. When one group looks at its neighbours and decides to enhance its weapons and security forces in the name of self-defence of the group, neighbours are likely to see such moves as a threat to their own security, and will set in train the enhancement of their own power, thus very probably triggering the conflict they sought to avoid. International spilloverShow MoreRelatedCause And Effect Of Terrorism703 Words   |  3 PagesTerrorism has become one of the biggest concerns is today’s society. Terrorism has become a problem in society today, and the government is doing everything they can do to stop it. Hopefully at the end of this paper, you will know what terrorism really is, where it comes from, what terrorist’s goals are, and things like that. â€Å"Terrorism is a very broad field. The Islamic terrorism started in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, when the Cold War was at its peak, and Soviet Union had taken controlRead More Motivations Of Terrorists Essays710 Words   |  3 Pages Discussing terrorism and motivations leading to terrorism brings up thoughts of random acts of violence. These acts are mostly considered to be methods of insane men. Most of these modern terrorists follow their own political agenda with each group trying to achieve a particular goal. There are three types of terrorists in today’s society: the single individual, a certain group, and government funded organization. These terrorists all resemble criminals with one major difference; they are dedicatedRead MoreTerrorism Is Not A New Concept Essay1482 Words   |  6 PagesPearl Harbor, the attack on the World Trade Center was not executed by a state actor. Instead, it was the act of terrorism by a group known as Al Qaida. 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Modern terrorism can be analyzed focusing on issuesRead MoreEssay about What is Terrorism, Who Conducts it, and The Intended Target1590 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s world, terrorism is not an un-known word; terrorism can be tracked back to early recorded history. Nevertheless terrorism definition is universally hard to define (Brown, 2008). Every individual’s definition of terrorism is different some describe it as a strategy and tactic. Another will describe it as sacred obligation, some will say it’s a justified stand against domination. Obviously, it depends on whose point of view is being represented (Brown, 2008). However, AustralianRead MoreReligion Is The Cause Of Recent Suicide Terrorist Attacks Around The World Essay1494 Words   |  6 PagesSurveys shows there has been a majority opinion that religion is the cause of recent suicide-terrorist attack around the world. In the wake of recent terrorist attacks, Western culture has jumped to an easy and apparent conclusion that seeking to eliminate terrorism means realizing the motivations of the terrorists. The perpetrators of most of these terrorist attack, have all claimed motivation from their religion. However, religious beliefs and opinions plays a significant role in the lives of individualsRead More Motives For Terrorism Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pages Terrorism is a type of violence used tactically in peace, conflict, and war. The threat of terrorism is ever present, and an attack is likely to occur when least expected. In trying to find out what factors can cause an individual to choose terrorism, it is first necessary to define wha t terrorism is. The Department of Defense defines terrorism as â€Å"the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of