International Terrorism Is the Notion

International Terrorism

Terrorism is the notion of inflicting violence or terror on a population to further some kind of agenda without adhering to the rules regulating combat by the Geneva Convention. This is because terrorists often have specific aims, whether political, ideological, or religious in furthering their goals for which are often excluded from the institutions governing politics and society. Terrorists exist, even with often with popular support, as an outsider trying to make their voices heard and their desired outcomes a reality. Considering three distinct forms of terrorism- ideological, nationalist, and religious and case samples exemplifying each group, one can come to conclusions about terrorists. Terrorists act out of necessity, or desperation, and they see terrorism as the last option in competing in a battle in which they are the heavy underdog. While terrorist groups have different aims, courses of actions, and final goals, they share the feeling that they have been repressed by existing institutions and are forced to fight back with terrorism being the next best available option. Additionally, terrorist groups often respond with violence to incidents in which they feel they have been wronged. This is because there are positive expectations, but when not meant, the groups that feel themselves to be oppressed or not benefiting are marginalized and resort to terrorism to achieve their goals. An example of ideological terrorism, the Baader-Meinhof group in Germany became a leading left wing group in West Germany. As West Germany was dominated by United States notions of democracy, the left wing Red Army Faction was thus going against the grain of society. Described by government forces as a terrorist group, it saw itself a military group who was forced to rely on urban guerilla tactics to achieve their aim. The roots of the organization were those who were originally students, but the opposition grew as Communism was outlawed and many ex-Nazi right-wingers came to assume political office. This growing threat of right wing influences in the government motivated the youth as did a series of inciting events including a death of a student, shot by a member of the military. The rising tension led to a strong left opposition and a right counter-response which led to the formation of the Red Army Faction. After training with the PLO, the Red Army Faction returned to stop the urban imperialistic course of Germany instigating a series of bank robberies and arson attacks. The actions of the Red Army faction culminated in the German Autumn in 1977 in which there were substantial amounts of deaths, an important hi-jacking with Arab ties, and the ultimately resulted in the death of many of the key members of the Baader-Meinhof Group. This time was a time of fear among Germans after World War II. The objectives were never clear, but the group was in opposition to the right wing tendencies of West German and was in support of a more leftist government. Thus it was an ideological war being fought that resulted in failure as there was fear, but not substantial gains made by the Red Army Faction. An organization fighting for political gains is that of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in Sri Lanka who seek an independent state within Sri Lanka that is inhabited by Tamils. Sri Lanka is a cleavaged society, and in this case the ethnic cleavage has created a powerful nationalist movement and one in which the terrorist group seeks to achieve. The Liberation tigers are a highly militaristic group whose members are willing to commit suicide attacks and commit suicide if captured. It is a military group, who also maintains administrative control over certain areas of the country. It is thus now its own opposition government one backed with military aims which perhaps help to influence and strengthen its position as a legitimate government. But the Liberation Tigers are considered a terrorist organization as they resort to violence, even against civilians in an attempt to further their goal of independence. They have a record of major attacks against civilians and successful assassinations against political rivals and enemies. Thus it is much more than a separatist movement, but a war against the government of Sri Lanka. But it is not a traditional war, but one encompassed by terrorist notions intended to incite fear and act outside the traditional notions of military action. Furthermore, the group uses child soldiers, tries to rid its areas of those ethnicities which are not Tamil, and has a record of killing prisoners of war. Because of its complete inability to achieve its goal of an independent state, it is forced to resort to even the cruelest and most disdained terrorist activities which have resulted in a failure. Other forms of stealing, extortion, bribery, and illegal activity were conducted by the group. Ultimately, the primary goal failed resulted in a 2001 cease fire in which intermediaries were brought in to broker an agreement for regional autonomy. While is this may seem a step towards the Tamil goal, it has not been fully realized and because terrorism has failed, it will take only an all-out war to gain a Tamil State, and therefore terrorism can be seen as a desperate act that resulted in failure. State terrorism differs from the aforementioned terrorist groups in that state terrorism is that in which a state sponsors or helps a terrorist group to achieve its intentions of violence against civilians. An example of a country that engages in state sponsored terrorism is Iran, whose be classified by the Untied States governments as one of the few in the world to be a contributor to terrorism by a sovereign state (Global Patterns 1996). In fact, Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world and its agents help to plan and execute the activities of terrorists such as the Lebanese Hezbollah. The state government funds and trains terrorist organizations. Furthermore, Iran has engaged in direct terrorist acts by murdering government officials in foreign states that may have possibly posed a threat to Iran. Those who speak out against the clerical regime of the Shah's government are thus at risk for attack by the encouragement of state sponsored terrorism by Iran. State sponsored terrorism is also characteristic of providing help through weapons, money, and training to terrorist groups and even encourage violence in a violence prone area. The anti-Israeli policy has only further encouraged terrorist groups against Israel by knowing that they have the support of a sovereign state. Iran is thus a continually player in state sponsored terrorism as the leaders of the government have approved terrorist actions and often allow their borders to be a safe house for suspected terrorists. State sponsored terrorism, in Iran, for instance is noteworthy in that the state is a respected entity and can often deny involvement with terrorists. State sponsored terror is thus a small way for a state to encourage its policy and to show resistance to existing conditions. For example, by supporting Hezbollah, the Iranian government can show its dislike for Israel and encourage action against Israel without becoming too heavily involved in an international situation. Thus state sponsored terrorism does not necessarily have winners, but it is a slow process of leading towards a state's foreign policy. But the negative responses can be overwhelming a state is a more susceptible and easier target to hit than an underground terrorist organization and states who sponsor terrorism are therefore put their regime at risk. This is the case with Iran who has drawn increased scrutiny that may threaten its political presence within Iran because of policies that are supporting of terrorists. According to the assumption that terrorism is a last ditch effort to defy the existing conditions in which a group feels they have no impact or expect better, these three groups and therefore the three types of terrorism fit within this model. The Red Faction Army, for instance, in fighting an ideological leftist battle against what they fear to the be right-wing takeover of Germany they are a group that is on the margins and feels that a violent course of action is the only option in realizing their goals. Similarly, The Liberation Tigers have unable to succeed in their goal of creating a sovereign state for the Tamils and thus are forced to radical and irrational acts to bring harm to their opponents and let their voice be heard at any cost. Without the power to fight a traditional war against Sri Lanka, they resort to terrorism in order have a chance that their voice be heard and their goals realized. Iran, when faced with increased international pressure and opposition to its extreme government can only further its international policy by reacting strongly against the established Western influence in international organizations and in their regions. Their only course of action is to fight back, but fighting back a sovereign state will lead to retaliation. Therefore they allow the terrorist organizations to do the fighting while provided support. An all out war against Israel and ultimately the United States would lead in absolute failure, but the terrorists can accomplish some of their goals without direct involvement and thus keeping their regime secure. This means that these groups, despite their different goals and agendas, are often left with no choice but to engage in terrorist activities. The normal course of action has failed and will fail and as marginalized from the normal institutions that govern, a more direct and violent approach is necessary. Lacking the political, technological, and popular support to engage in a real war, terrorism allows for a few who are on the outside to become increasingly heard and their goals are, at least in the moment, furthered. But the results are rarely permanent and the popular backlash may even hurt the cause which would otherwise have had some popular support. This analysis, that those who engage in terrorist activities expect better and when their expectations are not realized they are forced to use terrorism as an action is effective and relevant in helping to explain the causes and understanding of terrorism. If understanding the roots of terrorism, it can perhaps be reduced, and by understanding that even very different terrorist groups all suffer from the same set of conditions, one can work for eliminating the causes of terrorism and thus making a safer world. It is impossible hunt and kill every terrorist; terrorists will keep existing and more problems will lead to more terrorism. It is therefore useful to realize the causes of terrorism to help work towards reducing the impact and threat of terrorism across the world. This understanding that terrorists are an excluded group who have strong objectives but no means to achieve them is true, and can help to prevent further terrorist problems. When a group, whether it be ideological, political, ethnic, or religious, has greater expectations but those expectations are not realized and thus they are powerless to effect change to the situation, terrorism is a last result and this is the case of the aforementioned types and examples of terrorist activity. The analysis of international terrorism as a last course of action for a marginalized group is ultimately true for the three different terrorist organizations mentioned. The Red Faction Army, fearful and oppressed by the right wing sentiment in post-War Germany and the national inclination to go away from the left because of Communism, forced the group to take to radical measures. With the Liberation Tigers, they are a nationalist group who sees itself as an independent government but is unable to make this dream an actual sovereign reality and even attempts at discussion fail to create their ideal statehood. With Iran and state-sponsored terrorism, Iran has international goals and aims which it is not free to pursue as it would cause a direct threat to the regime that is unpopular internationally, and therefore terrorism is the only alternative to encourage international activity in their favor. In comparing all three cases, international terrorism is motivated by one cause, and that is inability to use traditional and accepted and legitimate channels of activity to accomplish the political, ideological, or religious goal of the group. Terrorism is a last resort, and often a sign of desperation, but its effects run deep through all of a society and therefore through terrorism groups whose ideas have fallen out of favor can come to the limelight and have a chance to succeed, although the prospects for success are typically very dim.