The Use of Tactics by Terrorists

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The Use of Tactics by Terrorists

Terrorists use terror tactics because they ultimately have to as using

non violent techniques often doesn't work in bringing about their

aims. This is because in most cases, it is the only way they can be

heard and gain publicity for their cause or in some cases or more

extreme causes such as using terror to destabilize a country and cause

chaos in hope to undermine people's confidence in their government.

There are 9 reasons for terrorists using terror tactics. Firstly, it

is a method of gaining publicity for a cause or an organisation. An

example of this is the dockland bombings in London, February 6th 1998.

This attack on the British government by the IRA was to make the group

and the cause they were fighting for, in this case the discrimination

of the catholic communities in Ireland by the British government,

appear bigger and give them increased publicity around the world as

well as in the British government. This is also the case for the next

reason which is when small groups with little support use terror

tactics to appear bigger and more important than they really are. The

dockland bombings in London are also an example for another terror

tactic. This is using indiscriminate bombing to undermine the will and

morale of a community. This also links in with the tactic of using

terrorism to undermine people's confidence in their government and in

the forces of law and order to destabilize a country.

Terror tactics are also used in large wars to gain short term aims as

well as increasing government reaction and destabilization of a

government. An example of this is the dropping of atomic bombs on

Hiroshima, 6th August 1945. This was done by the American government

to bring the war to an end and as revenge for Pearl Harbour.

Kidnapping and assassinating representatives of a state is a terrorist

tactic. This tactic is used to get short term aims of publicity,

increasing government action and to appear bigger. This was used in

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