Terrorism is one of the major threat in the world. It is worth noting that terrorism is a dynamic issue because of various components. This means that there are factors that distinguish between new terrorism and old terrorism. One of the distinguishing features is the way terrorism execute their violent activities. Old terrorism was characterized by the use of conventional ad small arms. The new terrorism uses sophisticated weapons and weapons of mass destruction. In fact, they have adopted the use of advanced technology in terror activities. On the same note, old terrorism was clearly identifiable movements and organization. In the modern society, there are various movement and organization that are associated with terrorism.
The nature of terrorism has also changed. Intelligence and military practitioners assert that old terrorism was more logical ad predictable. In the modern society, new terrorism has become complicated, which makes is unpredictable. New terrorist attacks are surprising and more destructive compared to old terrorism. New terrorism focuses on using weapons of mass destruction (Neumann, 2009). Also, the casualty rates is another factor that distinguishes old and new terrorism. The casualty rate in old terrorism was selective and low, while in new terrorism the causality rate is high and indiscriminate. The target selection in old terrorism was surgical, while that of new terrorism is random and diverse.
The Internet and new technology present terrorist groups with opportunities to execute their activities in a sophisticated manner. The conventional tactics characterized the old terrorism, and this reduced the damages in society. The issue of religion is a distinguishing component between old and new terrorism. In the modern era, religious terrorism has become global matters that affect international community. The radical Islam is believed to carry out a new terrorist. Old terrorism was streamlined towards political ideologies.
In the general perspective, the distinguishing factors include motives, tactics, outcomes, as well as organizational structure. Comprehending the dynamic nature of terrorism is crucial because it helps in developing strategies to prevent terrorism.
References
Neumann, P. R. (2009). Old and new terrorism: Late modernity, globalization and the transformation of political violence. Cambridge [etc.: Polity Press.
