| Terrorism, the deliberate creation and exploitation | | | | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as the |
| of fear for bringing about political change. All | | | | People's Republic of China, Myanmar, and Laos. |
| terrorist acts involve violence or—equally | | | | In broad terms the causes that have commonly |
| important—the threat of violence. These violent | | | | compelled people to engage in terrorism are |
| acts are committed by nongovernmental groups | | | | grievances borne of political oppression, cultural |
| or individuals—that is, by those who are neither | | | | domination, economic exploitation, ethnic |
| part of nor officially serving in the military forces, | | | | discrimination, and religious persecution. Perceived |
| law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, or | | | | inequities in the distribution of wealth and political |
| other governmental agencies of an established | | | | power have led some terrorists to attempt to |
| nation-state. | | | | overthrow democratically elected governments. |
| Terrorists attempt not only to sow panic but also | | | | To achieve a fairer society, they would replace |
| to undermine confidence in the government and | | | | these governments with socialist or communist |
| political leadership of their target country. | | | | regimes. Left-wing terrorist groups of the 1960s |
| Terrorism is therefore designed to have | | | | and 1970s with such aims included Germany’s |
| psychological effects that reach far beyond its | | | | Baader-Meinhof Gang, Italy’s Red Brigades, |
| impact on the immediate victims or object of an | | | | and the Weather Underground (see Weathermen) |
| attack. Terrorists mean to frighten and thereby | | | | in the United States. Other terrorists have sought |
| intimidate a wider audience, such as a rival ethnic | | | | to fulfill some mission that they believe to be |
| or religious group, an entire country and its political | | | | divinely inspired or millennialist (related to the end |
| leadership, or the international community as a | | | | of the world). (See Millennium). The Japanese |
| whole. | | | | religious cult Aum Shinrikyo, responsible for a |
| Terrorist groups generally have few members, | | | | nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 |
| limited firepower, and comparatively few | | | | that killed 12 people, falls into this category. Still |
| organizational resources. For this reason they rely | | | | other terrorists have embraced comparatively |
| on dramatic, often spectacular, bloody and | | | | more defined and comprehensible goals such as |
| destructive acts of hit-and-run violence to attract | | | | the re-establishment of a national homeland (for |
| attention to themselves and their cause. Through | | | | example, Basque separatists in Spain) or the |
| the publicity generated by their violence, terrorists | | | | unification of a divided nation (Irish nationalists in |
| seek to obtain the leverage, influence, and power | | | | Northern Ireland). |
| they otherwise lack. | | | | Finally, some terrorists are motivated by very |
| The word terrorism was first used in France to | | | | specific issues, such as opposition to legalized |
| describe a new system of government adopted | | | | abortion or nuclear energy, or the championing of |
| during the French Revolution (1789-1799). The | | | | environmental concerns (see Environment) and |
| regime de la terreur (Reign of Terror) was | | | | animal rights. They hope to pressure both the |
| intended to promote democracy and popular rule | | | | public and its representatives in government to |
| by ridding the revolution of its enemies and | | | | enact legislation directly reflecting their particular |
| thereby purifying it. However, the oppression and | | | | concern. Militant animal rights activists, for |
| violent excesses of the terreur transformed it | | | | example, have used violence against scientists and |
| into a feared instrument of the state. From that | | | | laboratory technicians in their campaign to halt |
| time on, terrorism has had a decidedly negative | | | | medical experimentation involving animals. Radical |
| connotation. The word, however, did not gain | | | | environmentalists have sabotaged logging |
| wider popularity until the late 19th century when it | | | | operations and the construction of power grids to |
| was adopted by a group of Russian | | | | protest the spoiling of natural wilderness areas. |
| revolutionaries to describe their violent struggle | | | | Extremists who oppose legalized abortion in the |
| against tsarist rule. Terrorism then assumed the | | | | United States have attacked clinics and murdered |
| more familiar antigovernment associations it has | | | | doctors and other employees in hopes of denying |
| today. | | | | women the right to abortion. |
| CAUSES OF TERRORISM | | | | National governments have at times aided |
| Terrorism has occurred throughout history for a | | | | terrorists to further their own foreign policy goals. |
| variety of reasons. Its causes can be historical, | | | | So-called state-sponsored terrorism, however, |
| cultural, political, social, psychological, economic, or | | | | falls into a different category altogether. |
| religious—or any combination of these. Some | | | | State-sponsored terrorism is a form of covert |
| countries have proven to be particularly | | | | (secret) warfare, a means to wage war secretly |
| susceptible to terrorism at certain times, as Italy | | | | through the use of terrorist surrogates (stand-ins) |
| and West Germany were during the 1970s. | | | | as hired guns. The U.S. Department of State |
| Terrorist violence escalated precipitously in those | | | | designates countries as state sponsors of |
| two countries for a decade before declining | | | | terrorism if they actively assist or aid terrorists, |
| equally dramatically. Other countries, such as | | | | and also if they harbor past terrorists or refuse |
| Canada and The Netherlands, have proven to be | | | | to renounce terrorism as an instrument of policy. |
| more resistant, and have experienced only a few | | | | State sponsorship has proven invaluable to some |
| isolated terrorist incidents. | | | | terrorist organizations—by supplying arms, |
| In general, democratic countries have provided | | | | money, and a safe haven, among other things. In |
| more fertile ground for terrorism because of the | | | | doing so, it has transformed ordinary groups, with |
| open nature of their societies. In such societies | | | | otherwise limited capabilities, into more powerful |
| citizens have fundamental rights, civil liberties are | | | | and menacing opponents. State sponsorship can |
| legally protected, and government control and | | | | also place at terrorists’ disposal the resources |
| constant surveillance of its citizens and their | | | | of an established country’s diplomatic, military, |
| activities is absent. By the same token, repressive | | | | and intelligence services. These services improve |
| societies, in which the government closely | | | | the training of terrorists and facilitate planning and |
| monitors citizens and restricts their speech and | | | | operations. Finally, governments have paid |
| movement, have often provided more difficult | | | | terrorists handsomely for their services. They |
| environments for terrorists. But even police | | | | thereby turn weak and financially impoverished |
| states have not been immune to terrorism, | | | | groups into formidable, well-endowed terrorist |
| despite limiting civil liberties and forbidding free | | | | organizations with an ability to attract recruits and |
| speech and rights of assembly. Examples include | | | | sustain their struggle. |
| Russia under tsarist rule and the Communist-ruled | | | | |