Terrorism implies carefully planned actions aimed at causing fear and instability among nations. Terrorists use crude weapons to threaten and kill people for political and social gain. In most instances, terrorism targets civilians, and its consequences include loss of lives in addition to the destruction of property (Dudley, 2014). However, terrorism differs from war, sabotage, and espionage. The latter entails obtaining confidential information from a person, group, or organization without permission. Sabotage refers to deliberate actions aiming at weakening an effort made by a person or a group through disruption, destruction, obstruction, or subversion. Moreover, war is an intense conflict arising between societies, governments, or paramilitary groups. Terrorism can be launched by state actors in response to external threats and attacks. The victory in terrorism is claimed when the enemy is defeated and retreats; thus, the winning party prevails (Dudley, 2014). Insurgency is not supported by legitimacy; it is an act of cowardice that only succeeds if it is not thwarted by countering state.
Currently, the United States has designed measures to protect human rights and ensure peace is guaranteed internationally. Due to the concerted global war on terror, insurgency activities have reportedly decreased. Despite the gains made, there have been cases of human rights violations. For example, the execution of an Iranian officer elicited criticism from the United States administration. Widespread terrorism has also weakened the authority of some countries.
Terrorism as a Tactic and Not Ideology
Terrorism is the actual action propagated by a group of people to unleash suffering and inflict fear. Mostly, terrorism involves hijackings, car bombings, shootings, hostage-taking, and, frequently, suicide bombing. Terror groups execute their planned activities against the target in a cruel manner. However, it is important to list ideologies that condone terrorism to combat it effectively. Terrorism is manifested in the form of hatred, oppression, and violence (Jones et al., 2020). The set of beliefs acts as guides to the terror groups because they motivate them to propagate their terrorist acts to the target population.
Combating Global War Based on Salafi Jihad Ideology
Salafi-Jihad ideology emanated during the wave of modernity and industrialization that emerged in the 19th century. Muslims’ religious awareness was raised among followers and wary of how it was waning (Holtmann, 2014). According to Salafi-jihadists, Islam as a religion declined steadily compared to its peak in the first century of its inception (Holtmann, 2014). Additionally, declining terms included religion, economic, cultural, military, and political. Salafi-Jihadists also identify anti-Islamic alliance and accuse them of constantly humiliating Muslims. Basing on stated tenets, Salafi-Jihad put in place a new identity for its members who are expected to stand out. The notions are profiling and defend waves against Muslims and non-Muslims. The ideologies of terrorist groups have to be controlled to contain terrorism in the world. The terrorism ideologies motivate terrorists to become more resilient and continue with the attacks even after terrible defeat from the military. However, through discrediting their ideologies, it is possible to weaken and contain the terrorist influence across the world.
Impact of Terrorist Groups in the United States
There are three categories of terrorism in the US. The subsets include right-wing, left-wing, religious terrorism, and the ethnic nationalist terror group. The designated groups include the Taliban and Al-Qaida, which do not fall under a state. Additionally, Islamic State in Iran and the Levant pose a serious threat. The first threat is the risks faced by civilians. Terror attacks have occasioned deaths and survivors left in critical conditions. Secondly, this group transits into criminal affairs for their survival. Moreover, the terrorist groups participate in illegal mining activities, human trafficking, and kidnapping.
References
Dudley, S. (2014). Terrorism and crime in America: ‘It’s Business‘. Insight Crime. Web.
Holtmann, P. (2014). Terrorism and jihad: Differences and similarities. Perspectives on Terrorism, 8(3), 140−143.
Jones, S., Doxsee, C., & Harrington, N. (2020). The escalating terrorism problem in the United States. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Web.