Verified Document

Terrorist Group Leaders Essay

Related Topics:

Terrorist Group Leaders Tools and Techniques Used by Terrorist Group Leaders to Influence their Followers

In his article, War, Psychology, and Time, Friedman (2007) shows how Osama bin Laden employed a psychological strategy in an attempt to create a massive Islamic empire in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The disintegration of the union provided an ideal opportunity for bin Laden to demonstrate to the world that America was actually weak and could be severely hurt. For bin Laden, the Muslim world "suffered from a psychology of defeat" following America's triumph over the Soviet Union and it was therefore important for Muslims to show their might and create terror (Friedman, 2007). The use of psychology to advance terrorist ideologies is not limited to bin Laden and al Qaeda. Indeed, leaders of terrorist groups capitalize on psychological techniques to recruit and influence their followers (Victoroff, 2005). This paper explains the various tools and techniques used by terrorist group leaders (irrespective of ideology, agenda, and motivation) to influence the psychological and behavioral factors of their followers.

Though terrorist leaders and groups are inspired by different ideologies, agendas, goals, and objectives, there tend to be significant similarities in their psychological and behavioral factors. First, terrorist leaders espouse the belief that social and political change can only be achieved through terrorism (Corte, 2007). Using the art of propaganda, terrorist leaders socialize their followers...

Indeed, the spread of terrorism and that of propaganda work in a similar fashion. In most cases, terrorist groups emanate from minority groups that feel marginalized by the majority mainly on political, social, and religious issues. The minorities then attempt to influence the majority to consider their views and interests. Through persistence, the minority may successfully change or influence the majority. Terrorist leaders use a similar approach. By propagating fear and terror via violence, they communicate a certain message and manipulate commonly held perceptions. They see terror as a way of not only advancing their political and religious demands, but also directing the attention of people to certain issues, which may be real, overstated, or fabricated (Corte, 2007).
The belief that social and political change can only be achieved through terrorism has particularly been evident in terrorism directed towards the U.S. Feeling that they cannot openly confront, restrain, or defeat the U.S., adversaries (both state and non-state actors) have used terrorism to oppose or attack the country (Department of State, 2007). These adversaries see the U.S. as particularly prone to the psychological effects generated by terrorism. The U.S., for instance, tends to be excessively averse to casualties and any loss of life is often taken out of proportion. For terrorist leaders, such psychological vulnerabilities are valuable tools for influencing their followers.

Demographically, terrorists do not have a uniform profile.…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Terrorist Groups Since September 11th,
Words: 1230 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Abu Nidal Organization: The Abu Nidal Organization is also known by several other names, such as: Fatah Revolutionary Council, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Black September, or Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims. It is an international terrorist organization that was founded by Sabri al-Banna, otherwise known as Abu Nidal. The organization split from PLO in 1974 and is made up of various functional committees. These include: political, military and financial committees. Founder Abu

Terrorist Groups the Intentions Behind Religious Fundamentalist
Words: 607 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Terrorist Groups The intentions behind religious fundamentalist terrorist activities are varied. It is noteworthy that terrorists are psychologically normal and are neither depressed, severely emotionally disturbed, nor crazed fanatics. In fact to ensure that their members are not clinically psychotic, emotionally unstable individuals are regularly screened out because they can be a security risk. Religious fundamentalist terrorist groups are driven by a sense of giving power to the powerless. Some always want

Terrorist Groups: Terrorism Is Basically Defined As
Words: 688 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Terrorist Groups: Terrorism is basically defined as activities or violence that is carried out to coerce the government or civilian population to change its policies. Such activities are usually carried out due to divergent political, religious and ideological beliefs by individuals or members of an extremist group. However, the federal agencies definitions of terrorism vary depending on their operational roles and missions resulting in the lack of a universally accepted definition

Terrorist Group Factors for Formation and Continued Operations
Words: 2787 Length: 9 Document Type: Research Paper

Hezbollah The Formation and Perpetuation of Hezbollah: Successful Politics and Successful Terrorism The decade following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City has seen some dramatic changes in U.S. And global policy towards terrorist groups and terrorist action, and to public sentiment and attitude regarding these groups and their actions, as well. From the semi-official War on Terror to the recent "Arab Spring" and the attendant turmoil

Terrorist Groups
Words: 2750 Length: 9 Document Type: Capstone Project

causes of terrorism have attracted huge concern among policymakers and the public given the increase in terror attacks across the globe in the recent past. The modern society has been characterized by the increased emergence of terrorist groups and organizations in various places in the world. These organizations have continued to use sophisticated methods to accomplish their goals due to rapid technological advancements. Some of the major examples of

Terrorist Group IRA
Words: 2476 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Intersection of Faith Nationalism and Environment in Ireland Introduction While terrorist groups are rarely defended by non-members, there is often the sense among objective observers that not all members of a religion that may be said to have “spawned” terrorism are terrorists or sympathetic to terrorism themselves. For instance, not every Muslim supports ISIS or al-Qaeda, and not every Irish Catholic supports the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Most Muslims and Catholics view

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now