Terrorism

Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombing, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can easily be labeled as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. In the recent years, new terrorist groups and organizations have been forming at an alarming rate. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues involving terrorism. One of the major problems in discussing terrorism is "establishing a generally accepted definition." Terrorism can be described as, "the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims." By being so difficult to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty creating policies against terrorism.

A single individual, a certain group, or even governments may commit terrorist actions. Unlike criminals, most terrorists claim to be dedicated to higher causes. Repeated methods of terrorism involve threats, bombings, and the destruction of property, kidnapping, hostages, executions, and assassinations. There are many reasons that political groups attempt to bring radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. Some feel persecuted or oppressed because or their race, or religion. Most often, terrorists are known for their dislike of the government. Groups that use terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in those activities. The use of terror to achieve goals is not a new idea in history. Acts of terrorism have been committed by individuals, or groups who seek national independence. "One such act was the assassination of the Arch Duke of France in 1914. The assassination had sought to win Bosnia form Austrian rule, but failed and led to the outbreak of World War I." Modern Terrorism is similar to terrorism from the past. At the same time, many methods that are more violent are being used in the 21 century. Today, terrorism poses a threat to innocent people, and is a serious threat to democratic forms of government. "One of the characteristics of modern terrorists is their practice of taking hostages in order to force their demands upon a particular government." If demands are not met, the hostages face the threat of death. Hi-jacking commercial airlines and holding their passengers and crews hostage has become a favored method