Good Political Science Literature Review Example

Terrorism can be defined as use of violence and other forms of intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. Terrorism has become an issue of global concern given the detrimental effects it usually has on economies and lives of people. State terrorism is defined as the terrorist activities carried out by a state against its own people or a foreign state. Currently, state terrorism presents a huge challenge to counter-terrorism. The USA, for example, has been a target for nation-state terrorism. The 9/11 attacks are a perfect example of state terrorism attacks. State sponsored terrorism can take different forms. For example, the Soviet Union was for a long responsible for the financing and training for a number of terrorist groups around the world. This paper would try to examine the different roles a nation/state has in terrorism.
A key question to ask would be why do states support terrorism? Terrorism can be used to serve the strategic interests of a foreign nation, gain the local leaders’ sympathy for ideal reasons, reinforce the leadership domestic positions and communicate ideas and agendas to the world. Many of the countries supporting terrorism lack the instruments of power like the ones possessed by countries like USA and other developed nations. Terrorism, hence, offers much potential than any other means. The motivations for backing a terrorist group may be for strategic, ideological or domestic reasons. Strategic reasons may include among other things advancement in security, fighting wars, weaken and destabilize neighbors, and international prestige among others. Ideological reasons involve a difference in ideologies between two countries. Domestic reasons include domestic politics and strengthening military operations among others.
One of the roles of nation/state in terrorism is offering the terrorist organizations a sanctuary. A country like Afghanistan has for a long time hosted the Al-Qaeda terrorist group without taking any measures to flash it out. The providing ‘safe heavens’ for terrorist organizations is one way that countries support terrorism. Financial assistance is another way a country may play a role in terrorist activities. Offering financial aid ensures that the terrorist groups thrive and are able to purchase their weapons. The Soviet Union, for example, during the cold war era, financed many terror groups as a means of ensuring it emerge victorious in that war. Financial assistance by a state is a direct role in terrorism. The offering of training by a country to terror organizations is another role of a country in terrorism. The example of the Soviet Union offering training to these organizations in the Cold war period also shows how a country can directly involve in terrorism. Also if a country does not take sustained efforts and attempts to crush a terror organization, it would make it have a role in terrorism activities. If a country fails to destroy terrorist activities, then it would imply that it is supporting terrorism.
Terrorism is also closely linked to civil war in a given country. Most of the time, it occurs as a by-product of the civil wars happening in certain countries. The lack of support by the super-powers and developed nations after the cold war prompted a new dimension on how conflicts are fought. This led to this unconventional warfare of terrorism. The rebel groups have employed terrorism as a means of communicating their agendas and making their stands known to the world. Terrorism can be used as a battlefield strategy during civil wars and revolutions like for the case in the Arabic countries. Civil war, hence, is just one of the ways in which a country can play a role in terrorism.