Terrorism

What is terrorism?

Definitions

Encyclopedia Britannica “The systematic use of terror (such as bombings, killings, and kidnappings) as a means of forcing some political objective.

“Systematic use of violence, terror, and intimidation to achieve an end.” Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary

“Terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine state agents, usually to influence an audience.” U.S. Department of State

Federal Bureau of Investigation “Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

League of Nations Convention (1937) “All criminal acts directed against a State and calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or group of persons or the general public.”

History or Terrorism

he term “terrorism” evolved during a phase of the French Revolution known as the “Reign of Terror”. From 1793 to 1794, one faction of the Revolution used violent methods to weed out “traitors” and to spread “terror” throughout the country. In just six weeks, more than 1,300 people were guillotined in Paris alone. French Revolution

Terrorism is on the rise in recent years.

Time Line 1996, Truck bomb, Manchester England 1988, Pan Am #103 bombed, Lockerbie Scotland 1972 Israeli athletes taken hostage, Munich Germany 1995 Nerve gas released, Aum Shinrikyo 1984 Golden Temple seized, Amritsar India 1979 Diplomats held hostage, Tehran, Iran 1997 Shopping mall bombed, Jerusalem Isreal 1998 U. S. Embassies bomed, Kenya and Tanzania 1992 Two car bombs explode, Lima, Peru 2001 Four airplanes hijacked and crashed, Washington, DC & New York City 1995 Murrah Building bombed, Oklahoma City Oklahoma

1972 Israeli athletes taken hostage, Munich Germany 1979 Diplomats held hostage, Tehran, Iran Recent Terrorism 1970s

ovember, After the exiled Shah of Iran was admitted into the United States for medical treatment, angry Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took scores of American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages were released shortly thereafter, but the others were held for over a year. Tehran Iran

1984 Golden Temple seized, Amritsar, India Recent Terrorism 1984

Amritsar India une, In an effort to establish an independent state, Sikh terrorists seized the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Prime Minister Indoor Gandhi ordered a military campaign to drive out the terrorists. Hundreds were killed.

1988, Pan Am #103 bombed, Lockerbie, Scotland 1995 Nerve gas released, Aum Shinrikyo 1995 Murrah Building bombed, Oklahoma City, OK 1992 Two car bombs explode, Lima, Peru Recent Terrorism

arch, 1995 The terrorist group, Aum Shinrikyo, released nerve gas in a Tokyo subway station to head off a raid by the Japanese government. The terrorist killed eleven people and injured thousands. Tokyo Japan

1996, Truck bomb, Manchester, England 1997 Shopping mall bombed, Jeruselem, Isreal 1998 U. S. Embassies bomed, Kenya and Tanzania 2001 Four airplanes hijacked and crashed, Washington, DC and New York City Recent Terrorism

eptember 11, 2001 was the deadliest terrorist attack in history. Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist organization Al Qaeda hijacked 4 commercial jets. Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon, and the last plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania. All seven original buildings in the WTC complex were destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Three of the buildings collapsed: One World Trade Center, Two World Trade Center, and 7 World Trade Center. The Marriott World Trade Center was crushed by the collapses of 1 WTC and 2 WTC. 4 World Trade Center, 5 World Trade Center, and 6 World Trade Center were damaged beyond repair and later demolished. Three other buildings not part of the complex were also destroyed. Thousands of lives were lost. Innocent citizens of over 80 different nations were attacked and killed without warning, shocking the civilized world. New York City USA

Who are terrorists? Terrorists can be anyone who believes in a cause strongly enough to commit violence to make a point.They can even be your neighbor next door.

What can we do about Terrorism?

The spread of terrorism world wide must be stopped through education. Education about the terrorist groups and why the terrorist incidents happen is crucial, so that these acts can be stopped before they happen. People worldwide need to join together in not allowing these criminals to use intimidation as a means of achieving their goals.

The following graphic organizers will help you research and better understand the terrorists groups and the reasoning behind their intimidation tactics.

Graphic Organizers on Terrorist Incidents Who is the terrorist group? What or who did the group target? When (year) did the action take place? Where (city or country) did the action take place? How was the attack carried out? What was the goal of the terrorist?

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