An Examination of Terrorism.pdf

An Examination of Terrorism

Haileigh Quinn

Helms School of Government, Liberty University

HLSC 610: Understanding Terrorism & Homeland Security

Dr. Melvin Richards

September 17, 2022

An Examination of Terrorism

Being that terror threats, and terrorism are not a new idea to the world, the risk of issues

facing terrorism have always been active across the United States. Political disagreements used

to be any act that causes harm or instills fear in a vast amount of people. Creating the illusion

talked about in the United States is the 9/11 attack. It was well thought out, planned, and caused

an immense amount of damage all while taking the lives of thousands of Americans, striking fear

into the heart of the nation. Furthermore, when looking into terrorism, different factors must be

considered to ensure the full picture of the whys, how’s, and who’s. The different factors that are

important to take into consideration when learning about terrorists include, but are not limited to,

The History of Terrorism

The ever-changing idea of terrorism comes from the new tactics employed by terrorist

organizations to bypass security and adapt in order to attempt to outsmart precautions taken by

the Department of Homeland Security, or other forms of security management. Tschantret

(2018), describes the evolution of terrorism as the ongoing contention between terrorist

organizations and state opposition. The continuous peril that terrorist organizations embark on is

significant in watching the change over time. The ever-growing wits of terrorist organizations

must be predicted and monitored to warrant the safety of people against future attacks. In order

to fully understand the adaption of terrorists over time, researchers and professional security

teams need to understand the motivation behind terrorist attacks, and how the motivation has

changed over time. Much of the motivation behind terrorist activity is derived from the

motivated, burrows into the loopholes that prevent harmful actions to create destruction

becoming a primary source of information for people all around the world, and can be quickly

accessed by any individual. Terrorists are heavily dependent on the media in our modern era; to

realize their ideological goals, terrorists want to increase legitimacy for their cause, shock as

many people as possible, and instill widespread fear (McEntire, 2019, p. 117). The media allows

terrorists to utilize fear in gaining knowledge for their attacks. Furthermore, terrorists will learn

indifferences. These factors are extremely important to take into consideration when looking

into the history of terrorism and how it has changed over time.

The in depth understanding of motivation behind terrorist activity allows the Department

of Homeland Security to gather means in which to predict terrorist activity. Over time, although

motivators have stayed consistent, the acts of terror, as well the use of terror to instill fear is ever

growing. Sohail et al, (2020) provides insight into the growing damage of terrorist activity. As

weapons become more advanced, so does security. However, when taking preventative security

measures into consideration, studying the use of what weapons have been utilized through

intense security is notable. The attack on 9/11, for instance, was a methodical plan that used

little manpower and weaponry. Terrorists, over time, have conjured the use of force multipliers

and little use of weapons to continue acts of destruction.

According to McEntire (2019), there are literally hundreds of definitions of terrorism.

or key resources, and is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or

other subdivision of the United States; and appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a

civilian population; as well as to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or

coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or

kidnapping (p. 32). Of all the definitions, each sheds a light of significance into the meaning of

between each idea of what terrorism is. A significant portion of understanding terrorism is

finding one definition that fits all horrific acts of terror. Each definition of terrorism, with its

similarities, also means something different based on the context of use. For example, the

definition of terrorism will vary based on acts of war crimes, as opposed to civil crimes.

Essentially, when it all comes down to it, the definitions all insist on the same meaning –

erraticism. Some people call terrorism the use or threatened use of force designed to bring about

a political change (McEntire, 2019 p. 30). With several definitions in the representation of

terrorism, the use of security can become varied. Ultimately, the mutuality of each definition

boils down to the harm of others, therefore creating a somewhat easy basis to develop and adapt

security measures upon.

Terrorist Ideologies and Typologies

to give terrorists the upper hand on security. The type of terror that works best for terrorists and

purpose of these focused attacks as ideologies that groups of people were raised on that prevail

against another. Ideologies from a terrorist perspective are dangerous for people who fit the

profile of targeted terror. Terrorists are irrational and erratic, and those who do not fit their

agenda are potentially always being targeted. Typology is a blanket term used to define what

sources influence a terrorist attack. Examples of this would be in a mass attack, terror is looked

Corn (2017) mentions that in asymmetric warfare training is focused on the consideration

that any enemy is posing a potential threat at any given time. This could mean thinking outside

the box and getting in the mind of the enemy to focus on possible outcomes of terror acts.

Essentially, the thoughts and training are derived from the unknown. This is key when

developing security means to protects against focused terror. In turn, the unknowing is the

biggest threat to the security of the United States and its citizens. A portion of the security that

allows the DHS to execute professional means against a threat is derived from understanding

typologies and ideologies of terrorist organizations. Nemeth (2017), states that identifying,

anticipating, and defending against such a broad band of threats can only be described as

daunting; for if homeland policy makers have learned anything over the last decade, it is that

these concepts, like threat and disaster, have an evolutionary quality (p. 152). Adapting to a

security measures, and more advanced preparedness plans.

common goal, hurting others. Terrorists usually have thought out plans, communicated orders,

appointed leaders, and oftentimes weapons that cause destruction. McEntire (2019), describes

terrorists as people who share similar characteristics; oftentimes, these individuals are brave,

passionate, and bold. They will often dedicate a lot of their time to stand for what they believe

in. Differences are notable in terrorists, and what they choose to represent. A portion of

Forced multipliers in terrorism allow terrorists to increase the size of the attack, and

damage, all without having to increase the size of the group executing the act. A solid example

of this is the Boston Marathon bombing. This is a prime example, because there were two men

involved, who essentially killed, dismembered with a bomb, and reeked chaos in a large group of

people that turned into widespread terror. Furthermore, force multipliers are considered to be the

following, bombs, hijackings, and other acts executed by as little as one radical. This is

noteworthy because a single person, or two people may be harder for the Department of

Homeland Security to determine radical behavior in, as opposed to a terrorist group or

organization such as Al Qaeda. Of the tactics used by terrorists, several are predictable by the

DHS, but the adaptation to security measures is an endeavor that terrorists seek pass when

pulling off their acts of terror.

McEntire (2019), states that “terrorists are criminals that seek personal gain” (p. 73).

form of research was done by Phillips et al (2021) to help identify more subtle means of terrorist

behavior. These tactics involved delving into specific portrayed mannerisms and behavior that

could look like a potential threat. Labels attached to terrorists such as “criminals, crusaders, and

crazies,” are commonly used to define behavior and acts of terrorism. These behavior traits all

boil down to a common denominator. The behavior behind the “crazy” that terrorists can be

determined that terrorist behavior is taught, and can be tracked.

Several methods are employed when doing behavior analysis on terrorist activity. These

methods include looking at word semantics, delving into internet history of individuals, and

looking more closely into erratic behaviors. Certain actions can lead to predictions worth

looking into to mitigate and prepare for potential hazards. Although behavior is a significant

way of understanding potential threatening actions, some pieces of evidence may be overlooked

after background checks. The use of the DHS tools to investigate threats concludes if threats are

likely to occur. Overall, the behavior aspect of identifying terrorists may help law enforcement

and The Department of Homeland Security find potential terrorists and abolish hazardous

activity before destruction occurs.

and consistently alive. Terrorist groups are typically organized by a single, or a handful of

share their beliefs with children, friends, neighbors, sometimes even strangers to develop a group

that all has one goal in mind – executing acts of terror. Throughout the years, terrorist

organizations have grown in quantity, both size of groups and number of active groups. The

DHS utilizes its tools to keep tabs on the progressive terror organizations.

Finance

2022). The illegal activity used mostly to gather monetary abilities include human trafficking,

drug smuggling, weapons dealings, kidnapping, extortion, and credit card fraud. Essentially,

none of the ways that terrorist organizations get funding is practical for anyone who is not a part

of the group. In few cases, terrorist organizations will gather funding from legitimate business

fronts. A portion of funds comes from the members of terrorist organizations, as well. People

who strongly believe in the cause will give everything they have, money, family, assets, and even

their lives to display their devotion to the cause.

Administration

Organizing a terrorist group comes in many forms. Leaders will typically assign one to a

few people to listen to their ideologies. Once the original handful of people has heard, and

agreed to the policies of the organization, they are tasked with finding others that will listen.

and strategies to arrange a plan of attack. There will always be a ringleader in a terrorist

groups involves roles of people surveying, inquiring, testing security, fundraising, acquiring

supplies, dry runs, and deploying assets into position (IN Gov, 2022). The administration

organizes and tasks members of the group to ensure that certain acts of terror can be carried out

to their full potential. These tactics vary based on group, and number of members, as well as the

act to occur. In some cases, the act of terror may take several dry attempts before finally finding

“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (English Standard Version,

1973/2021, Psalm 34:14). God is all knowing and all powerful. His will, will be done at the end

of the day, and He encourages peace amongst His followers. Those who do not follow Him or

intend to inflict harm on others will face Him in judgment. When terror is amongst people, God

is insistent that they lean on Him and his word for guidance. Acts of terror are not His way, but

His word concludes that those who oppose Him will find a way to pose a threat. God will

prevail against evil and wrongdoing against His followers.