Terrorism

Terrorism Terrorism The problem of definition of terrorism has raised myriads of interests from various states, international organizations and even ordinary citizens. However, there is no an agreed definition of terrorism that can be used globally to describe various heinous acts as terrorism. Some have described terrorism as an act of using violence and threats for the purpose of intimidating or coercing people for political reasons. Terrorism has also been defined as a constant use of violence towards people in a certain region or country in order to create an atmosphere of fear for the purpose of achievement certain political goals. According to historical data, terrorism has been used by various political organizations in order to destabilize and overthrow the existing political institutions (Griset Mahan, 2002). However, terrorism has also been used by various ruling authorities against its own people, for example, in the Soviet Union, under leadership of Stalin. In the current global environment that is characterized by technological improvements in weapons and ability of the media to disseminate information instantaneously, terrorism has developed to become sophisticated and even more complicated, for example, the 9/11 attack. The UN Security Council has defined terrorism as any criminal acts against civilians, which are committed with an intention of causing death, serious injuries and taking hostages aiming at provoking a state of terror to citizens in a state,group of people, or a person with the purpose of compelling the government or an international institution to abstain or do certain acts (Whittaker, 2012). Terrorism has changed overtime with the current insurgence of various terrorist groups, primarily from Islamic countries fighting for religious and political reasons. They also use various symbols in terms of flags graffiti and communiqus to deepen their unity, create an appeal to likeminded individuals and impose fear on those who oppose the group (Dingley Kirk-Smith, 2002). Financing of terrorist activities has been among the daunting tasks facing the insurgent groups since they are very poor in logistics. Committing a terrorist activity requires a lot of resources in terms of money. Terroristic training camps are located in the segregated areas far from people, where they have to engage in numerous corrupt activities that require high operating costs (Miguel Gomez, 2010). Transfer of funds is another major fuss for the organization, as the funds need to be transferred to their associates in various countries of their target. In conclusion, definition of terrorism has attracted diverse views from various states, international organizations, and individuals. However, there is still no agreement on the generally accepted definition. Complexity and sophistication of terrorism has increased overtime, especially with the development of technology. Financing of terrorist activities has also been a daunting task for the insurgent groups since they require a lot of resources. In addition, it was not easy to transfer illegal funds across the globe.