The Changing Look of Terrorism

The Changing Look of Terrorism

The purpose of this paper is to study and look at how terrorism has changed from pre 9/11, to post 9/11, to the current and future times. The United States is currently fighting the war on terror. But who is the enemy to the war? Can terrorism actually be considered an enemy? The answers to these questions are difficult to answer and defend, depending on the circumstances. But the key constant to the question is, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear/terror, are perpetrated for an ideological/political goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of civilian targets. The first section of this paper will deal with both views of the changing face of terrorism from pre 9/11, to post 9/11, and to the present day. The next section of this paper will discuss the variables of why terrorism has changed. In conclusion this paper will summarize the study of the changing face in terrorism. Throughout this paper there will be historical facts, evidence, theories, and analysis to support my argument how terrorism has changed over time. The language of terrorism that we, as Americans read it as, on September 11, 2001, two American airplanes flew into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, while yet another suspiciously crashed in a deserted Pennsylvania field. Blasted on our television screens across America, were images of fire, destruction, chaos and death. Framed in colors of red, white and blue, were news headlines such as "The Attack Against America" But the opposing statement always used is "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." The individuals who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, while successfully hijacking another plane which was targeting either the White House or the Capital Building in Washington D.C. were trying to achieve a freedom with jihad. Jihad is a religious duty of Muslims. Jihad requires Muslims to "struggle in the way of God" or "to struggle to improve one's self and/or society. Jihad is furthermore known as the lesser struggle which is the fight for Islam, and with the greater jihad as the personal struggle to be a good Muslim.

The word "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged which compounds the difficulty of providing an accurate definition of terrorism. Some research studies by scholars have shown there to be over 100 different definitions of terrorism. A less politically and emotionally charged meaning of terrorism is a better defined term used for terror. The word "terror" comes from a Latin word meaning "to frighten." My definition of terrorism is a violent act which is intended to create fear, to promote an ideological/political goal, and deliberately target civilians and non civilian targets.

The origins of terrorism can be traced back many centuries to the beginning of the late assassins from the late 13th century to the 1700's. Terrorism can be seen as far back from 55-62 AD where resistance to Roman occupation, terrorists killed Roman soldiers and destroyed Roman property. Terror and barbarism were widely used in those times, which warfare and conflict were always seen, but the key ingredients for terrorism were lacking. Until the rise of the modern nation state after the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the sort of central authority and cohesive society that terrorism attempted to influence barely existed. Communications were inadequate and controlled, and the causes that might inspire terrorism, such as religious schism, insurrection, ethnic strife typically led to open warfare. By the time kingdoms and principalities became nations, they had sufficient means to enforce their authority and suppress activities such as terrorism. The French Revolution provided the first uses of the words "Terrorist" and "Terrorism" (Garrison, 2001). However, the use of the word "terrorism" began in 1795 in reference to the Reign of Terror initiated by the Revolutionary government. The agents of the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention that enforced the policies of "The Terror" were referred to as 'Terrorists". The French Revolution provided an instance to future states in oppressing their populations. It also inspired a reaction by royalists and other opponents of the Revolution who employed terrorist tactics such as assassination and intimidation in resistance to the Revolutionary agents. The Parisian mobs played a critical role at key points before, during, and after the Revolution (Crenshaw, 1995; P77).

Terrorism continued for many decades, most of the terrorism was associated primarily with the assassination of political leaders or heads of state.