What are the tactics and objectives of terrorism? Has terrorism increased in the past few decades? Discuss?
Answers
Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a religious or political aim.[1] It is used in this regard primarily to refer to violence during peacetime or in war against non-combatants.[2] The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century[3] but gained mainstream popularity in the 1970s in news reports and books covering the conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Basque Country and Palestine. The increased use of suicide attacks from the 1980s onwards was typified by the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. in 2001.
There is no commonly accepted definition of "terrorism".[4][5] Being a charged term, with the connotation of something "morally wrong", it is often used, both by governments and non-state groups, to abuse or denounce opposing groups.[6][7][8][9][5] Broad categories of political organisations have been claimed to have been involved in terrorism to further their objectives, including right-wing and left-wing political organisations, nationalist groups, religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments.[10] Terrorism-related legislation has been adopted in various states, regarding "terrorism" as a crime.[11][12] There is no universal agreement as to whether or not "terrorism", in some definition, should be regarded as a war crime.[12][13]
According to the Global Terrorism Database maintained by the University of Maryland, College Park, more than 61,000 incidents of non-state terrorism, resulting in at least 140,000 deaths, were recorded between 2000 and 2014.[1
What are the tactics and objectives of terrorism? Has terrorism increased in the past few decades? Discuss?