Terrorism In Americ The Turning Point Of Terrorism

The Turning Point of Terrorism “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation” (Bush, 2001). These words were spoken by President George W. Bush after the the United States of America was rocked by the unexpected attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. This day undoubtedly marked a significant turning point in American history. After spending years transfixed by the Cold War mentality, America was facing a new threat: terrorism. Until the events of 9/11, America viewed terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda as equally threatening as criminals such as arsonists,

The concept of terrorism first emerged into European culture during the French Revolution of 1789 when the government in Paris attempted to enforce its new order upon its citizens (Roberts, 2002). Although not self-proclaimed terrorists, the individuals comprising the Parisian government forced their ideals upon their constituents in order to reach a governmental goal. Terrorism reemerged over a century later when Russian revolutionaries attempted to abolish the Tsarist system by assassinating Tsar Alexander II (Roberts, 2002). Though unsuccessful, the emergence of this terrorist group marked the transition of terrorism from governmentally sanctioned to non-governmentally approved. Through the early 1900s, terrorism continued through the assassination of political leaders, the most memorable being the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria that provided the spark to ignite World War I (Roberts, 2002). Terrorist actions up until this point in history were pointed political statements. After World War II, several terrorist movements developed in European countries to accelerate the withdrawal of colonial powers and intimidate the people of the state into following the leadership of the post-colonial state (Roberts, 2002). It was not until Al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, emerged with statements of religious extremism and contempt for Arab regimes and U.S. power that the shift occurred from direct political terrorism to a terrorism that had little care for the effects of its actions (Roberts, 2002). This obvious shift in the ideology of terrorism has possibly become the most defining between the first millennium and second millennium of the era after Christ. The terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001 marked the vital transition of terrorism from a state 's individual political statement to a violent force of beliefs upon