¶ … 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 groups include Baader-Meinhof, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and the alleged Iranian state-sponsored terrorism. Following my analysis of these groups, I have chosen as my theoretical framework, Margolin's argument that, 'much terrorist behavior is a response to the frustration of various political, economic, and personal needs or objectives' (Joseph Margolin, 1977, 273-4).
My discussion will involve analysis of three terrorist groups across three categories i.e. ideological, nationalist, and religious terrorism. I will use Baader-Meinhof gang, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and the alleged Iranian state-sponsored terrorism for ideological, nationalist, and religious terrorism respectively.
Terrorism
Terrorism has developed to become one of the major threats to global security in recent years as it continues to change because of emergence of new motivations, adversaries, and rationales. However, terrorist groups and acts are carried out for three major reasons i.e. ideological, nationalist, and religious purposes. There are various terror groups that exist across these three categories such as Baader-Meinhof in Germany (ideological terrorism), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka (nationalist terrorism), and the alleged Iranian state-sponsored terrorism (religious terrorism). The hypothesis chosen for analyzing these groups is the frustration-aggression hypothesis, which implies that when frustrations are dealt with, all terrorist activities will end.
Case Studies
Hoffman (1997), argues that terrorism is rapidly changing and has become more accessible to any individual or group with objective, purpose, grievance or any peculiar combination of these factors (p.50). The increased accessibility of terrorism to any individual and group has contributed to its rise to become a major global security issue and threat. The changing nature of terrorism has also generated serious questions regarding much of the conventional wisdom and assumption on terrorists and terrorism. Nonetheless, ideological factors, nationalist objectives, and religion play a crucial role in terrorism motivation, adversaries and rationales. These three categories can be understood through case studies of Baader-Meinhof gang in Germany, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, and the perceived Iranian state-sponsored terrorism.
Baader-Meinhof gang in Germany is a group that represents ideological terrorism that was founded in 1970 and disbanded in 1998. West Germany was the home base of this gang, which was formulated to protest against alleged fascist, middle-class, and bourgeois values in this region. As part of its initial orientation, Baader-Meinhof carried out specific protests of the Vietnam War while showing their support to communist ideals and opposing the capitalist status quo. In its early stages of operation, the gang explained its goals in its first communique on June 5, 1970 and others in the same year. The main intention of the gang was to worsen the disagreement between the state and its opposition ("Who Were the Baader-Meinhof Gang?" 2007). Some of the most notable attacks of Baader-Meinhof gang include bombing of U.S. barracks in 1971, bombing Munich and Augsburg's police headquarters in 1972, a series of murders in 1977, and killing of Siemens executive in 1986.
The Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam or Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka is a nationalist terrorism group that was formulated in 1976 and commenced violence actions against the country's government in 1983. This group chose to name the northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka as Tamil Eelam since they wanted to claim it as independent. Since its inception, Tamil Tigers has been funding itself and purchasing weapons in Europe through various legal and illegitimate means. Some of these methods include drug trafficking, fake humanitarian reasons, and partnership with Indian organized crime. The declared intention of Tamil Tigers terror group is to establish an independent Tamil entity or state in the northern and eastern part in the country. This objective is based on the fact that the group controls most of the areas in this part in addition to carrying out operations across the island. In order to fulfill their objectives, Tamil Tigers target political and military leaders as well as civilians, especially those competing with its militant groups. The most notable attacks carried out by the group include the killing of Indian Prime Minister in 1991 and the 1993 murder of Sri Lankan president.
An example of religious terrorism is the perceived...
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