11/15/12
Political Science 370
Terrorism Research
Weathermen Group Terrorism dates back to the 11th century when the Shia Muslims were attacked by the Assassins, early in the 19th century The Reign of Terror group was attacking France and the Ku Klux Klan was coming in existence in the United States to oppress African Americans, late in the 20th century Timothy McVeigh a homegrown terrorist from the United States bombed Oklahoma City, and in the 21st century Al-Qaida brought down the World Trade centers, Terrorism has been going on since the beginning of time and will not stop until the end of time. After 9/11 people realized that a large scale terrorist attack was possible on American soil and it was time to rethink the security protocols we had in place. Americans after 9/11 looked at all foreigners differently and it changed the way we think about the Middle Eastern part of the world.
The definition of terrorism can be split into two different types, domestic terrorism and international terrorism. Domestic terrorism is defined by the FBI as “Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives” (FBI). The definition of International terrorism as defined by the FBI is “International terrorism involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. International terrorist acts occur outside the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum”(FBI). To understand the full aspect of terrorism you need to understand the three main types of terrorism. In religious terrorism the group is out to fulfill religious goal, but do not want to overthrow the current government or leave the current state they live in. Separatist/Irredentist terrorism is the separation from a certain geographic area, and wanting to join a different state