Religious Terrorism: Asymmetric Warfare and Its Use by Religious Based Terrorist Organizations

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.



DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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ABSTRACT

Successful terrorist organizations use asymmetric style warfare to achieve their goals. The only way for conventional armies to combat terrorist organizations is through asymmetric warfare. Asymmetric warfare is not just about finding unconventional ways to wage war but also about finding unconventional ways to wage peace. This thesis examines religious terrorist organizations use of asymmetric warfare and the need for their opponent to also use asymmetric warfare. Asymmetric warfare is warfare in which the combatants have markedly different military capabilities and the weaker side uses non-standard tactics such as terrorism. It is warfare in which an opponent leverages inferior tactical or operational strength against the vulnerabilities of a superior opponent to achieve disproportionate effect with the aim of undermining the opponent's will.

Table of contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 01: HISTORY OF TERRORISM1

Terrorism1

Asymmetric Warfare2

September 11 and its Effect on terrorism5

Changing Tactics of Battle Field6

CHAPTER 02: TERRITORIAL BASED AND RELIGIOUS BASED CONFLICT10

Difference of Objectives11

Involvement of Emotions in Religion Based Conflict13

Religion Based Conflict and Militancy15

Loyalty and Commitment in Religion Based Conflict17

Self Preservation and Overcomes the Fear of Death19

Concept of Damnation in Religious Conflict20

Influence of Leader in Religious Conflict21

Exploitation of Emotions in Religious Conflict23

CHAPTER 03: RELIGIOUS CONFLICT AND CONVENTIONAL WAR26

Emotions in Religious Conflict27

Violence in Religious Conflict29

Obligatory War and Self Defense30

Use of Asymmetric Strategies33

CHAPTER 05: COMBAT ASYMMETRIC WARFARE42

Conclusion44

BIBLIOGRAPHY50

CHAPTER 01: HISTORY OF TERRORISM

Terrorism

Terrorism versus asymmetric warfare is the future of the modern battlefield. Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and roadside bombs planted by local “freedom fighters” have been devastating modern conventional armies while simultaneously winning the hearts of the local populations. Terrorism has evolved in the face of opposition, but so has conventional warfare. The evolution of Western policies and strategies to stay ahead of terrorist organizations will allow us to adapt and combat terrorism and terrorist groups. The modern evolution of terrorism has begun to plague western governments, to include the United States, and is currently the most dangerous and immediate security threat. Technology and the rise of the Information Age have connected terrorists and terrorist organizations and raised them to a level of efficiency and lethality never before seen in history. The Internet has made recruitment, fundraising, and communication to mass, impressionable, audiences easy and effective, and the difficulty faced by governments to track and defend against modern terrorism has turned the battlefield from trenches of mud to trenches of fiber optic cables. Religion is the primary motivator in extremist and ...