Terrorism Awareness

In this day and age, terrorism awareness is something that every citizen should possess.

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Understanding Terrorism

Terrorism is not an ideology; rather it is a method to instill fear in a group for political reason. It is generally used against civilians and is considered psychological warfare. Most acts of terrorism have a similar model. It involves violence or the threat of violence. Not all acts of violence are considered terrorism, however. Acts that are not intended to produce bodily harm are generally not considered to be terroristic. Although some acts, such as the ones carried out by eco-terrorist groups intended to destroy property, are considered acts of terror.

Another characteristic is that the act is designed to have great psychological effect inflicting fear. The groups attempt of give themselves legitimacy by undermining existing governments. Sometimes this is accomplished by attacking national monuments and symbols. Most attacks are designed to affect the greatest number of people possible.

These acts are also designed to achieve a political goal. Most attacks occur so that the terrorist can bring publicity to the cause he represents. In many cases, a person will resort to terrorism if he feels his cause has been treated unjustly. A terrorist believes in the importance of his cause to the extreme that any action is justified. These people will not hesitate to destroy property, inflict bodily harm or even kill to further their cause.

Generally terroristic acts target civilians. These civilians do not pose a threat, rather they are targeted to increase the fear tactic used by terrorists. Often, if a government is not able to protect its citizens from terrorism, it undermines the power of the government and increases the perceived power of the terrorist. Civilians are considered symbolic of something that the terrorist is fighting against.

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Terrorists typically disguise themselves as non-combatants. They will dress like and hide among civilians. They will use innocent bystanders as shields, fighting from behind them. This makes them difficult to fight against, often resulting in high civilian casualties.

Profile of a Terrorist

Terrorism awareness begins by understanding the groups involved in terrorism. There are two major types of terrorists, domestic and foreign. Domestic terrorists originate in the US. They typically receive all their support from within the US as well. This type of terroristic group will form due to political differences and controversial issues. These groups include white supremacists, anti-government groups, and groups centered around one issue. Although it is not a crime to have different opinions regarding political and social issues, many groups will resort to violence to get their point across. They also commit their crimes in the US.

The other type of terrorist is foreign terrorists. These groups do not originate within the US, but have typically infiltrated into our society. They tend to get most of their support from international sources, as well as some domestic ones. They will attack on American soil as well our international interests. These groups engage in terrorism mainly because of differing religious beliefs. They find our freedom of religion threatening.

The general public can be helpful in the fight against terrorism. By reporting suspicious activity, civilians can aid law enforcement in combating terrorism. Terrorism awareness is the first step for the public to be helpful in the fight against terrorism.