IS TERRORISM CONTAGIOUS?

Is terrorism contagious?

Is terrorism contagious?

Introduction

Terrorism was not seen as a significant threat to internal security? and terrorists were viewed more as pawns in global chess game between the superpowers. In addition? terrorism is different from criminal acts or random forms of violence because its goals are political; concerned with how a state is governed or how its people are treated. Terrorism has changed a great deal since the 1960s. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism? the end of Cold War? the global banking network? and the telecommunications revolution have all played their part in changing the motives and methods of international terrorism. With the launch of the war on terrorism? it is likely to change again? adapting itself to a more hostile environment.

Discussion

During the 1990s? there were signs that terrorist groups were outgrowing this lowly status? as more ambitious attacks were launched against Western interests around the world. But it was not until September 11? 2001? that the world finally woke up to the new threat (Rihani pp 678-966). The new threat comes not from the nation-states? but from social? ethnic? or religious groups living within those states? who feel their interests have been ignored. This is particularly true of Islamic fundamentalists in Arab states? but there are other examples. For instance? Timothy McVeigh? who was responsible for a truck bomb that killed 168 people in Oklahoma City in 1995? was a white? lower-middle-class? rural American. His action might be seen as an extreme reflection of the anger of social class who feel sidelined in the rush toward modernization (Piszkiewicz pp 323-369).

The West must now adapt its foreign policy? as well as? its armed forces and security systems? to confront an enemy that occupies no identifiable territory? possesses no towns or cities? is hidden or dispersed in many locations? and is always able to attack with the advantage of surprise. This new kind of confrontation? between nations and terrorist groups? is known as “asymmetric warfare” because it occurs between a large force and much smaller force. Systems developed during the Cold War? such as National Missile Defense (a space-based defensive shield against ballistic missile attack) are of limited use in asymmetric warfare. They will not protect the West from future terrorist attacks? whether they come in the form f bombs? hijacking? or biological warfare (Pillar pp 45-62). The September 11 attacks illustrated? for the first time? some key characteristics of terrorism in the 21st century. These include hitting the enemy at its strategic centers (which include government and military targets) and its symbolic centers. It can be assumed that the fourth plane was heading for one of its centers of political power? either the White House or the Capitol. By contrast? most terrorist organizations are deliberately structured so they have no identifiable centers at which a country can strike back. To achieve the maximum impact? September 11 terrorists aimed to kill as many people as possible. The attacks can also be seen partly as propaganda for the terrorists' ...