The True Meaning of Terrorism Essay - 813 Words

The True Meaning of Terrorism Think of the word terrorism. What is the first thing that comes to mind? One might think of kidnapping, assassination, bombing, or even genocide and guerrilla warfare. Because it is such a broad and complex issue, an all-encompassing definition is hard to formulate. The United States Department of Defence defines terrorism as†¦ The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious or ideological. Terrorism, then, is a type of political crime that makes use of murder and destruction or the threat of such violence in order to promote change. It is a†¦show more content†¦In 1991, The Red Army Fraction assassinated Detlev Rohwedder, the head of the government unit responsible for rebuilding the East German economy. One of the more famous incidents caused by revolutionary terrorists is the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City. [T]he group responsible was demonstrating its hatred of U.S. policies in the Middle East.(4) Political terrorism, or right-wing militants, tend to follow an extreme authoritarian ideology and conduct anti-government activities. Political terrorists in the United States tend to be heavily armed groups organized around such themes as white supremacy, Nazism, militant tax resistance, and religious revisionism.(5) Two of the more famous incidents in the United States are the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Branch Davidian cult standoff in Waco, Texas. Nationalistic terrorism is designed to promote the interests of minority ethnic or religious groups that have been persecuted under majority rule(6) The most popular nationalistic terrorist group would have to be the Irish Republican Army (IRA). This group uses terrorist activities with the goal of unifying Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland under home rule. Nonpolitical terrorism is the term used to describeShow MoreRelatedThe Legal Definition Of Terrorism960 Words   |  4 Pagescitizens would define terrorism as using force to influence or change a political decision, â€Å"the legal definition of terrorism has very high importance† (Hodgson). This is because it determines which actions count as acts of terrorism, and hence who is regarded as a terrorist, but also because the definition of terrorism opens up a range of controversy of police and prosecutorial powers. Terrorism has always been an iffy subject to talk about and define. In its original text, terrorism was closely associatedRead MoreTerrorism is not a derogatory moral classification; rather, it is a mode of warfare1600 Words   |  7 PagesTerrorism is not a derogatory moral classification; rather, it is a mode of warfare. 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It will also focus on how the knowledge on terrorism is sometimes only limited to Islamic terrorism and people can miss other perspectives from various religious groups, who also beget extremists, such as the Saffron Terror and the Westboro Baptist Church. ‘Contemporary Terrorism and the War on Terror’, by Colin Wight focuses on the spread of terrorism and the influences through the years that has made terrorism the way it is today. Wight places a heavy