Discussion of Terrorism

Discussion of Terrorism Terrorism, as defined by Title 22 of the United States code, section

2656f(d), is the "pre-meditated, politically motivated violence

perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or

clandestine agents, usually intended to influence and audience."

Islamic terrorism is a serious problem for the United States because

of the threat to national security, innocent civilians, and the

foundations of democratic societies throughout the world.International

terrorism has changed in structure and design over the centuries.

Jewish zealots conducted campaigns against the Romans in the first

century AD, and the Hashshashin, a Shi’ah Muslim group who gave us the

word assassin, systematically murdered those in positions and

leadership during the 19th century. The modern age of terrorism began

in the 1960’s. International terrorism in its current form began in

1968. As the 1970’s passed by, the explosion of extremist groups and

related incidents sparked a new awareness of the dangers of terrorism.

In the 1980’s, Canada was the victim of several terrorist attacks

carried out by Armenian and Sikh extremists, including a bombing of an

Air India flight originating in Toronto, which exploded off the coast

of Ireland, killing 329 people. The Islamic radical movements main

success has been their ability to gain legitimacy from the general

public. During the past two decades, they have had enormous success

with their ability to prese...

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...not from the Taliban

clouded this issue amidst questions of command, control, and

recognition. Additionally, the fact that there is no clear information

regarding whether or not Kenya and Tanzania had given up their right

to try Bin Laden left the committee with questions regarding who had

jurisdiction over the case if it was ever brought forth. Finally, the

fact that most of the justices agreed that there was insufficient

information to determine whether all other measures were taken first

was troublesome. There will be no resolution to this problem in the

near future; meanwhile the gap between the Western world and the Arab

nations will continue to grow. Constant monitoring, careful planning,

and the preservation of the International Court of Justice are our

only means of prevention, or deterrence, against terrorism.