According to Ramsbotham, Woodhouse, and Mial there are four methods that can be used in the prevention of terrorism. These are prevention, persuasion, denial, and coordination. Prevention involves eliminating and reducing issues that lead to terrorism such as global inequalities, poverty, and lack of equal opportunity. Secondly, persuasion involves reducing the motivation towards terrorism and recruitment. Encouraging terrorists to take up other methods to deal with issues that they may have can achieve this objective. Third is denial, which involves denying individuals engaging in terrorism access to finances, weapons and other factors that encourage terrorism. This also takes into account eliminating terrorist networks and arresting individuals involved in terrorist activities. Lastly, coordination involves applying the right international frameworks in addressing terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic used by individuals, group, and governments to instill fear of their enemies. Terrorism is usually an attack on civilian installations for ideological and military gain. Civilian installations are targeted because they are less protected and are likely to have more casualties. Terrorism is used to force the enemy to retaliate or submit to something the terrorist wants. As said earlier, terrorism can be done by an individual, a group, and even governments.
According to Sandole, there are a number of strategies to deal with terrorism. These are known as counter terrorism strategies. Generally, most counter terrorism strategies involve interception of communications and tracking of individuals. The strategies can include pre=emptive strikes where a government attacks a known terrorist outfit before they can be able to perform the act of terrorism. This strategy is hugely dependent on the collection of information and intercepting messages between terrorists. The government gets to know that a certain group is planning an attack but before the attack can be carried out, the government neutralizes the enemy. This is especially important when dealing with high value targets.
The second strategy for dealing with terrorism is non-military. Terrorists act in a certain way in order to get back at perceived oppression. Non-military strategies involve making the government or oppressor look friendlier to the prospective terrorists. For example, a person may retaliate if he believes that foreigners have taken over their land. However, the foreigner can prevent attacks by providing services to the people to make their lives better. The third major strategy to deal with terrorism includes military response. This usually occurs after an act of terrorism has already occurred and the military pursues the terrorists in their territory. When military response to terrorism takes place, the aim is to destroy the infrastructure of the terrorist group as well as eliminate its leaders.
All these strategies have their advantages and disadvantages. However, some strategies are preferred to others. Pre-emptive is the best way to deal with terrorism according to most people. It deals with attacks before they happen and therefore the public is relatively safe. However, it requires the interception of communications and following suspected individuals. This may result in opposition for human rights. The freedoms of the people are compromised for the greater good.
Non-military strategies are preferred because they are cheap. However, they require the government to be in enemy territory to provide the services that make people change their attitudes. Military intervention is the most controversial. This involves using military means to attack the terrorists on their territory. It usually takes place after a terrorist attack has already taken place. It is usually very expensive and lives of the soldiers and civilian population are put at risk. This is why it is the least preferred counter-terrorism strategy and is mostly used as a last resort.
Work Cited
Sandole, Dennis J. D. Peacebuilding: Preventing Violent Conflict in a Complex World. Cambridge: Polity, 2010. Print.
Ramsbotham, Oliver, Tom Woodhouse, and Hugh Miall. Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2011. Print.
