Terrorism is a situation whereby certain individuals use violence to intimidate innocent civilians or a government into giving into their demands. Terrorists have different objectives. Some may want that only their religion should be recognized in their state and only the laws of that religion should be passed. Others may want their regions to secede from the parent state so that they can manage their resources on their own. Counter terrorism refers to actions which are being taken to combat terrorism. The word is preferred to the term “war on terror” because of its active connotation. Despite the dangerous activities terrorists engage in to fight for their wants, very few manage to achieve their demands. The most common way in which terrorists stop their cause is by political negotiation. This means they put down their arms and come to an agreement with the government. The second means by which terrorism ends is by policing. This is where the terrorists are weeded out from the local community, the few who are arrested give the police pertinent information about their activities which in turn makes the police able to act fast and cut off their plans. Policing also aids the police to find the source of funding for the terrorists which they cut off. Without money, terrorists are forced to terminate their activities. Military action is not advisable because of the fact that terrorist do not stop their action when faced with and adversary on the battle field. On the contrary, it strengthens their resolve and adds their numbers. The reason for this is because military action affects the local community. It disturbs their peace and they may end up sympathizing with the terrorists. Governments are urged to share intelligence with other governments in order to flush out any terrorists who may be hidden across the borders of their target state.
Terrorist organizations are willing to negotiate when faced with the possibility of total failure in their cause. In addition, terrorist organizations can only last for long if they are large in number. Hence, the best way to wear them out is to curtail their ability to multiply. The best option would for the police to win over the trust of local communities.This may involve the government showing its willingness to solve their economic issues. The local community will cease their support for the terrorists in the event that the government offers more comfort for them. In France, a terrorist organization waned in its popularity because the government was willing to listen to the protests of angered workers (Crenshaw, 1996).Terrorist activity is highest in regions of high economic inequality. When the police have the trust of the local community, they should identify their source of funding as fast as possible. Terrorist organizations will function poorly without the ability to purchase arms. In addition, without the prospect of remuneration or food supply while fighting, recruits are more likely to resort to co-operating with the government than fight without comfort. Their conviction, as shown by the RAND report is not an issue of note because it is their numbers which matters most. Once a dent has been dealt into their ability to increase in size, the government should either weed the terrorists out and arrest them or negotiate with them depending on their reasons for fighting. Religious interests will be hard to reach a compromise on but interests such policy change or regime change are normally negotiable
References
Jones, S. G., & Libicki, M. A. (2008). How Terrorist Groups End: A Lesson On Encountering al Qa'ida. Arlington: RAND Co operation.
