The Changing Nature and Tactics of Terrorism

Terrorism in the Modern Era

Terrorism is the term used to describe acts of violence or threats made with the intent to intimidate and terrorize the populace of a specific nation, typically for political and religious reasons. Technology development has not only made living on Earth better, but it has also made it necessary to alter the dynamics surrounding terrorist activity. While the changing nature of terrorism has proven to be a challenge in most nations, a number of groups have been established through the international community to combat it in the modern era. As a result, the emphasis of this essay is on modern terrorism and the way that it has changed over time. It also seeks to discuss whether weapons of mass destruction will be most likely to be used in future.

The Forms of Terrorism: Old and New Terrorism

Researchers have identified that there exist two forms of terrorism, the old and the new terrorism. The new terrorism is deemed to be more lethal because of the weapons used to destroy the target population unlike the old terrorism. New terrorism is a phrase that was reignited after the September 11, 2001, attack in the United States, but scholars believe it dates way back during the Second World War when the nuclear weapon was used. The Middle Eastern nations are mostly associated with this new form of terrorism as they perceive the Western countries to be immoral and unfair, especially to the Muslims. Also, the shift in focus from the political to religious ideologies justifies the new form of terrorism (Houghton, 2016).

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Modern Terrorism

In the new terrorism, the terrorists are well trained and have the latest technology to produce weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Some of the WMD include radiological, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons (Hummel, 2016). There have been various steps taken by many nations in the world to control and stop the production and use of these WMD; however, a few countries still possess these weapons. In my view, the WMD is more likely to be employed in the future because of the perceived interference of the Western nations to the countries in the East. Moreover, the innovation of drones by the United States to launch attacks on the Eastern countries is part of the reasons why the WMD will most likely be used by terrorists for revenge purposes.

Conclusion

Almost every country in the world today is afraid of terrorist attacks with WMD. Therefore, to reduce these attacks, individuals should be encouraged to embrace global citizenship which promotes diversity. Besides, equality should be advocated irrespective of the differences in either the religious or political ideologies.

References

Houghton, B. (2016). The Changing Nature and Tactics of Terrorism. Oklahoma Politics, 25, 1-16.

Hummel, S. (2016). The Islamic State and WMD: assessing the future threat. CTC Sentinel, 9, 18-21.