Running head: UNDERSTANDING TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY 1
Liberty University
An Examination of Terrorism
Dr. Melvin Richards
UNDERSTANDING TERRORISM 2
Introduction
Terrorism has become the new normal for the 21st century. From 9/11 to the Boston
Marathon Bombing, to mass shootings at music festivals, shopping centers and schools,
terrorism effects all ages and races and leaves no one unscathed. When you mention the word
terrorism to any adult it conjures images of planes crashing into the World Trade Center on a
beautiful September morning. When that same adult is asked about terrorist groups or terrorist
leaders they respond with Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Landen. It is true that the 21th century view
of terrorism is the face of Osama Bin Laden, his Al Qaeda terrorist network and the horrific
attacks of September 11, 2001. But there is so much more to terrorism. In this paper we are
going to examine the history of terrorism, typologies, ideologies, domestic terrorism and
international terrorism. In order to examine terrorism, we must first define it. Terrorism expert
Walter Laqueur has counted over 100 different definitions for the word terrorism. Through all
the different definitions the only thing agreed upon is that terrorism uses violence or the threat of
violence. For this paper I am going to use the Department of Defense definition of terrorism
“The calculated use of violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to
coerce or intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political,
religious or ideological (“Definition of Terrorism”, 2014).”
History of Terrorism
Terrorism can be traced back to Jewish Zealots who committed some of the first acts of
terrorism during Rome’s occupation of Palestine (McEntire, 2019). Most historians view the rise
of modern terrorism as beginning following the second world war. Terrorists roots began as
religious or political grievances. These grievances began with the establishment of Israel in the
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Middle East post World War Two. It is the establishment of Israel, the wars fought between
Israel and Iran as well as the wars fought between Iraq and Israel that paved the way for today’s
modern Islamic Extremist Terrorists. Following World War Two small terrorist attacks occurred
around the globe, these attacks help changed political agendas or “liberated” land that had been
occupied by another force. These attacks were viewed as victories and more attacks followed.
Even more important to the terrorists than the lose of life or the changing of political agendas
was that their message was carried by the media and heard by millions around the world. This
would eventually lead to more brazen attacks to gain greater notoriety.
Types of Terrorist Groups
The United States Department of State lists approximately 210 groups as terrorist
organizations. These groups can be classified into right, single interest, domestic and
international terrorists. There is also a type of terrorist that does not directly fall into these
groups, and that is the lone wolf terrorist. One of the most recognized lone wolf terrorists in the
United States would be Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
McVeigh had extreme ideologies that were brought about by the government’s raid on the
Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas. This bombing was the worst act of domestic
terrorism in United States history (“Oklahoma City Bombing. 2016”). While McVeigh’s beliefs
may line up with some terror groups, he acted independently and was not part of a larger group.
Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations fall into right wing terrorists, most of these
groups hold white supremacists’ beliefs. According to the Las Angeles Times, more people have
been killed by right wing terrorists than Islamic terrorists since 9/11. These groups also fall
under the classification of domestic terrorists and would include things such as mass shootings
and violence that has occurred at abortion clinics. Trying to classify these groups or lone wolf
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terrorists is complex and hard. There can be as many classifications as there are definitions for
terrorism. One of the easier groups to classify is international terrorism. These are groups that
exist outside the boarders of the United States. Some commonly known international terrorist
groups include HAMAS, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS. These groups may carry out attacks within the
United States or against United States Interest outside of the United States (McEntire, 2019).
Terrorist Ideologies and Typologies
There are five types of terrorists, state sponsored, dissent, left and right, religious, and
criminal terrorists. State sponsored terrorists carry out attacks for foreign governments. The
goal can be to effect foreign policy or simply to do things the government would like to do but
can not actually carry out themselves. Dissent terrorists are groups that carry out attacks on their
own government, think domestic terrorism. Left and Right terrorist ideologies are entrenched in
politics and carry out attacks to further their political views and agendas. Religious terrorist
groups carry out attacks based upon their faith and justify it by referring to their holy book such
as the Koran or the Bible. Think Islamic extremist terrorists for this group. The final is criminal
terrorists which use terrorism to aid them in committing crimes (McEntire, 2019).
Terrorists ideologies run the full spectrum, from being religious to supremacy of a
particular race. When classifying terrorist ideologies, it is best to view propaganda that they
have released to see what their views are or to analyze their grievances. Groups of terrorists can
be classified by their type, ideological beliefs, or by their political beliefs. Often one group can
fit into multiple categories.
Terrorist tactics
Terrorist use many tactics some are more conventional and what we think of when we
think about terrorist attacks, these are: shootings, bombings, hijackings and suicide attacks. In
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recent years we have seen terrorist attacks occur in the form of cyber terrorism, financial
terrorism and some groups have used vehicles to drive into crowds (Nctc, "Methods & Tactics:
National Counterterrorism Center"). The goal of these attacks is to disrupt a way of life, instill
fear into people, and to get their message across in the media. Terrorist groups have some
intangibles, and these are referred to as force multipliers. Terrorist tactics can be considered
asymmetrical warfare, which is conducted by small, simply armed groups on a nation with an
organized, well-armed military. It is similar to guerilla warfare. An example of this type of
warfare would be the roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and car bombs used by
groups in Iraq and Afghanistan
According to Cambridge English Dictionary, a force multiplier is something that
increases the effect of a force. Force multipliers for terrorists could be funding, personnel,
weapons, or intangibles such as religion, technology and the media. Terrorists use force
multipliers to increase the effectiveness of their message (Terrorism Four Force Multipliers). It
could be done through actions or missions or it can be used to increase the effectiveness of their
message. One huge force multiplier in the 21st century is the use of social media for terrorist
groups. Terrorists use social media to recruit new members, spread their message and instill fear
in society. A simple YouTube video of an attack can be shared online and viewed by millions of
people in a very short time. Terrorists also use social media to recruit the lone wolf terrorists in
foreign countries to carry out simple attacks and spread their message. The advantage to using
the internet to recruit, train and carry out attacks is that terrorists can do this without traveling.
They do not have to worry about exposing the selves during travel and being detained by
authorities (Boot, 2019).
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Terrorist Methodologies
The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management identifies
eight terrorist methods prior to carrying out an attack. Surveillance, elicitation, tests of security,
funding, supplies, impersonation, and rehearsal. Surveillance includes monitoring or recording
activities at the desired target. This can be done through video, pictures or even notetaking.
Elicitation is trying to gain knowledge about the target. This can be done through mail, email,
telephone calls or in person. The goal is to gather firsthand knowledge and information. Tests of
security is exactly that, it is testing the response of any security features of the target. Funding
and supplies are the gathering of necessary resources to carry out the attack. Rehearsal is
practicing before the actual attack. It is important to note that all eight steps do not necessarily
need to occur before a terrorist act is committed.
The Bible
The Bible does not specifically state how Christians should respond to terrorism.
Terrorism is not mentioned in the Bible, however there are other things in the Bible that can help
guide us. Romans 13:4 says “For he (the magistrate, the government’s representative) is the
servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrong doer.” Romans 13:1-2 tell
us that every ruling authority has been established by God (“Post: Back to the Bible”). Romans
13:4 also leads us to believe that war can be conducted to carry out earthly justice against wrong
and to protect its citizens. Governments are to act on the behalf of the good of all people. By
looking through these passages, it tells me that the government has a duty to protect us and may
wage war to do so. So, following the 9/11 attacks we were justified as a nation to wage war and
seek out those that harmed us as a nation. The Bible does however tell us that God’s wrath and
judgement will be final.
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Terrorist can use these force multipliers and tactics to help fund their cause. Hijackings
and abductions can be committed to exploit a person, organization or government out of money.
Terrorist groups can also be involved in the manufacturing, sale and distribution of illegal
narcotics. Terrorists can also be involved in organized crime to fund their activities. One
additional way for a terrorist group to be funded is by a government. This is called state
sponsored terrorism. A government can give money, ammunition, guns, etc. to a terrorist group
to help the group succeed with the missions the terror group carries out on behalf of the
government.
Conclusion
Terrorism is a broad and complex topic. This can be concluded by the fact that there are
over 100 definitions for terrorism. There is no easy way to sort, arrange, or organize terrorist
groups based upon ideological or philosophical beliefs. Terrorists can be a lone wolf, or a large
organized group sponsored by a government. While all of this can be difficult to comprehend,
one thing is certain and that is that terrorists will continue to carry out attacks and instill fear in
the average person. As the world changes and counter-terrorism groups crack down on terror
groups, these groups will continue to evolve and find new ways to carry out their mission.
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References
Boot, M. (2019, March 16). Why social media and terrorism make a perfect fit. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/03/16/why-social-media-terrorism-make-
perfect-fit/?noredirect=on
C., C. (2014, April 8). Definition of Terrorism. Retrieved from
https://www.secbrief.org/2014/04/definition-of-terrorism/
Eight Signs of Terrorism. (2017, June 2). Retrieved from https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhsem/eight-
signs-terrorism
FBI struggles to confront right-wing terrorism. (2019, August 11). Retrieved from
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-08-10/fbi-struggles-to-confront-domestic-terrorism-
by-right-wing-groups
FORCE MULTIPLIER: definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/force-multiplier
McEntire, D. A. (2019). Introduction to homeland security: understanding terrorism prevention and
emergency management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Nctc. (n.d.). Methods & Tactics: National Counterterrorism Center. Retrieved from
https://www.dni.gov/nctc/methods.html#sarin
Oklahoma City Bombing. (2016, May 18). Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-
cases/oklahoma-city-bombing
Post: Back To The Bible. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.backtothebible.org/post/how-should-a-
christian-respond-to-terrorism
Shughart, I., W. (2006). An analytical history of terrorism, 1945-2000. Public Choice, 128(1-2), 7-
40. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s11127-006-9043-y
