INTRODUCTION TO TERRORISM
The nature and description of terrorism is always changing now and then. However, under the typologies of terrorism it is easy to define and realize acts of terrorism under any definition of terrorism. This is because typologies of terrorism offer the benefit of capturing the variety of terrorist activities better than what most definitions achieve. The typologies are in the scope of mass terror, dynastic assassination, random terror, focused random terror and tactical terror. All the five typologies encompass basing terrorism on the levels of political, historical, social and pathological platforms, which are the basis of terrorism activities.
Mass terror as it sounds is seen in the case where those in power bullies those that are in opposition through any method that will guarantee the opposition is silent. Dynastic terror revolves around attacks on heads of states or a social unit. Random terror involves non strategized killing of masses especially in public places with no aimed target. Focused random terror involves placing of explosives in public places but with a focus on a certain target. Lastly, tactical terror involves strategic use of terrorism to oust the government (Schmid, 2011). The five typologies illustrate that terrorism at all levels is a form of aggressive civil disobedience arousing from conflict of interest. The definition of terrorism suggests that a terror attack usually are composed of any of four basic elements, violence, political motives, desire to create fear and targets is non combatants audience.
On October 23, 1983, a suicide vehicle laden with TNT blew up the U.S. Marine headquarters near the Beirut Airport in Lebanon. Around 230 people were killed by the attack. Majority of those that were killed were unaware and did not expect the attack. Afterwards, the Free Islamic Revolutionary Movement claimed they were responsible for the attack. This was a random terror case as the terrorist targeted the public who were “the wrong place at the wrong time”. As illustrated, the attack incorporated use of non combatants audience, involved violence, had a political motive and created fear with the public due to the high number of deaths.
Focused random terror, on the other hand, focuses on “hitting” the opposition through the hidden platform of the public. In this typology, the terrorist attacks their target in the midst of the public. For example, a focused random terror happened on May 21, 2009, where a suicide bomber hit a market in Doura, a southern Baghdad district, and killed twelve people and wounded twenty five. Amongst the killed were three United States soldiers. In this case, the United States soldiers were the “opposition” being attacked in the midst of public. In this typical sketch, the terrorist had a political motive, created fear in the audience and used the same audience to create fear through violence.
References
Schmid, A. P. (2011). The Routledge handbook of terrorism research. New York: Routledge.
