Why Has Terrorism Become Such an Important Issue over the Last 40 Years?
WHY HAS TERRORISM BECOME SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS?
There are many reasons why terrorism has become such an important issue over the last 40 years. In this paper I will be exploring the answers to this question through three related topics; 1) the threat from terrorism; 2) why people join terrorist groups and; 3) dealing with terrorism. I will be using the sources provided and historical facts related to three groups; the IRA, the PLO and Al-Qaeda.
Section 1 – The threat from terrorism
Terrorism has been defined in many ways and not everyone agrees with any one definition. The UK government defines it as: “The threat of, for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, of action which involves serious violence against any person or property.”
Over the last 40 years powerful modern states have faced challenges from various terrorist groups using violence and have found it more and more difficult to deal with them. The main threat from terrorism has been serious violence against people and property resulting in deaths and huge damage to properties.
Source 1, a sketch by Stanley Franklin in 1985, illustrates this threat in form of a giant vulture over the globe shown to destroy airplanes belonging to different countries. It refers to some of the airplane hijackings by the PLO that took place in the 80’s. It paints the image of terrorists as pure evil, preying on innocent victims with the ability to strike anywhere. Although this reflects some reality it appears to be slightly exaggerated and one-sided as it doesn’t offer any history or explanations for their actions.
The PLO also used other methods of attacking and threatening the Israelis such as the event in 1972 in which the Black September Organization (part of the PLO) carried out the Munich massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes.
Source 3 is a photograph of the damage done to Canary Wharf, London in 1996 after one of the largest IRA bomb attacks in the UK. It
There are many reasons why terrorism has become such an important issue over the last 40 years. In this paper I will be exploring the answers to this question through three related topics; 1) the threat from terrorism; 2) why people join terrorist groups and; 3) dealing with terrorism. I will be using the sources provided and historical facts related to three groups; the IRA, the PLO and Al-Qaeda.
Section 1 – The threat from terrorism
Terrorism has been defined in many ways and not everyone agrees with any one definition. The UK government defines it as: “The threat of, for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, of action which involves serious violence against any person or property.”
Over the last 40 years powerful modern states have faced challenges from various terrorist groups using violence and have found it more and more difficult to deal with them. The main threat from terrorism has been serious violence against people and property resulting in deaths and huge damage to properties.
Source 1, a sketch by Stanley Franklin in 1985, illustrates this threat in form of a giant vulture over the globe shown to destroy airplanes belonging to different countries. It refers to some of the airplane hijackings by the PLO that took place in the 80’s. It paints the image of terrorists as pure evil, preying on innocent victims with the ability to strike anywhere. Although this reflects some reality it appears to be slightly exaggerated and one-sided as it doesn’t offer any history or explanations for their actions.
The PLO also used other methods of attacking and threatening the Israelis such as the event in 1972 in which the Black September Organization (part of the PLO) carried out the Munich massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes.
Source 3 is a photograph of the damage done to Canary Wharf, London in 1996 after one of the largest IRA bomb attacks in the UK. It