Brief History of Modern Terrorism

Terrorism Defined

As I said earlier in this unit, Terrorism does

not have a clear definition but:

Webster’s defines it as-

the use of force or threats to demoralize, intimidate and

subjugate, especially as a political weapon

World Book:

The use of threat of violence to create fear and alarm.

Political Terrorism

State- The state uses its own weapons

against its own people (Hitler)

State-supported- A state uses its own

weapons to attack another country

Sub-State- A small group within the state is

trying to use violence to accomplish its own

goal

Quotes on Terrorism

“terrorism seeks to hurt a few people and to scare a lot of

people in order to make a point” NYTimes, 1/6/2000

Terrorism has once again shown it is prepared deliberately to stop at

nothing in creating human victims. An end must be put to this. As never

before, it is vital to unite forces of the entire world community against terror. Vladimir Putin

If inciting people to do that [9/11] is terrorism, and if killing those who kill

our sons is terrorism, then let history be witness that we are terrorists. Osama Bin Laden

Watershed Event:

1972: Palestinian

Terrorists take Israeli

Olympic team hostage

at Munich Olympics

Terrorists realized

potential of large

actions and large

audiences

1980s: Shifts in Terror support and tactics

I. State sponsored Terrorism: small states (many former colonies) realized potential of striking at large states through financial support of terrorist groups

$$$ and equipment of terrorist groups increased greatly in the 1980’s.

II. Rise of religiously inspired terrorism

Fundamentalist religious groups began to execute acts of violence in the 1980’s

Who has a ‘terrorist’ problem???

Great Britain----------Irish Republican Army

Russia-------Chechyn Separatists

Indonesia-----Islamic fundamentalists

Spain----Basque Separatists

Israel----Palestinian Fundamentalists

What states sponsor terrorism?

Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)

Abu Sayyaf Group

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade

Ansar al-Islam

Armed Islamic Group (GIA)

Asbat al-Ansar

Aum Shinrikyo

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA)

Continuity Irish Republican Army

Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group)

HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM)

Hizballah (Party of God)

Islamic Jihad Group

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed)

Jemaah Islamiya organization (JI)

al-Jihad (Egyptian Islamic Jihad)

Kahane Chai (Kach)

Kongra-Gel (KGK, formerly Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, KADEK)

Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous)

Lashkar i Jhangvi

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)

Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM)

Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK)

National Liberation Army (ELN)

Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLF)

PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC)

al-Qa’ida

Real IRA

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

Revolutionary Nuclei (formerly ELA)

Revolutionary Organization 17 November

Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)

Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC)

Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso, SL)

Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR) (al-Qaida in Iraq) (formerly Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad, JTJ, al-Zarqawi Network)

United Self-Defense Forces of

Colombia (AUC)

What do religious terror groups have in common???

Vision: they envision the world as a place of decreasing moral and spiritual values…

**largely the result of influence of

Western media***

Most see their struggle as one of Good v. Evil and so their means are justified

Osama Bin Laden’s Complaints against the USA:

US military stationed in

Saudi Arabia (Holy Land)

US support of Israel and

deaths of Palestinians

under Israeli rule

Israel’s existence as a

state

US policies in Iran (1979

rev., Iraq, etc)

What does this mean???

Examples of religiously inspired terrorism:

World Trade Center

1993: Islamic

fundamentalists place

bombs in parking

garage

6 die/thousands

injured

Baruch Goldstein: 1994

Member of Kach

(Jewish terrorist

organization) sprayed

inside of mosque in

Hebron (Israel) with a

machine gun

Killed 29/injured 150

Aum Shinrikyo: 1995

Japanese religious

group released deadly

Sarin gas into

Japanese subway

12 dead/5,500 injured

Murrah Bombing 1995

Timothy McVeigh and

Terry Nichols bomb

OKC Federal Building

Both have ties to the

fundamentalist

Christian terrorist

group: Covenant,

Sword and Arm of the

Lord (CSA)

War on Terror…

How does one fight this?????

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September 11

September 11

On September 11, 2001 America

experienced the largest terrorist attack ever

on American soil

The total number of deaths was 2,976

This total includes the World Trade Center, the

Pentagon, and United 93

The Targets

Members of the

terrorist group Al

Qaeda hijacked 3

commercial airliners

Their goal was to hit

the World Trade

Center, The Capitol

and the White House

The World Trade Center

The Pentagon