International terrorism refers to the violent acts committed by criminals or groups of individuals who designated foreign terrorist organizations’ sponsors. The evolution of terrorist threats has been influenced by many factors like the internet and social media. This can be done through online videos, publications, and messaging platforms. Innocent individuals have been recruited into these groups without knowledge, making them victims. Parents have also been traumatized due to the exposures their children have felt and experienced without their knowledge. This research paper addresses the four waves of modern terrorism and counter-terrorism tools and proposes a plan to build and sustain international cooperation on counterterrorism.
The concept of modern terrorism emerged in Russia, and after a decade, it spread to Western Europe, the Balkans, and Asia. Terrorist activities later applied in the form of waves where negative campaigns were launched to plan for destruction. Revolution is the main aim I each wave, whereby a new source of political legitimacy with self-governing rules and regulations. The principle of self-governance later emerged from the American and French revolutionists leading to more freedom. The four waves of international terrorism are discussed below.
Waves of International Terrorism
Creation of a Doctrine
The traditional setup used leaflets and pamphlets to store critical information. However, with the new modern technology, devices such as telephones and online platforms are being utilized for communication. The existence of societies with different cultures and beliefs brought differences in how they viewed events and occurrences (Rapoport, 2013). However, terror was regarded as violent; therefore, punishment rules were established. Modernism and the effects of westernization changed people’s views and followed missionary teachings. In countries like Russia, rebels trained other groups with different political aims. They received financial support from the Japanese, and their doctrine spread increased.
Creation of a New Language
The second wave of modern terrorism was sparked by Word war 1. The principle of self-determination was used to do away with the empires of the states that had been defeated, like in Europe. The United States emerged as a Western power aimed at bringing down existing empires (Rapoport, 2013). The development of the cold war further influenced the process was accelerated. They, therefore, saw a need to develop a new language to hide their identity after discovering that the term terrorism had negative notions. Methodologies used by the terrorists also changed since bank robberies were less and external sources contributed money.
Excessive Internationalism
The agonizing Vietnam War was the political event that stimulated the third world war. Compared to Americans’ advanced weapons, their weak weapons made the system look vulnerable. When the war ended, Viet Cong was made a heroic model for its achievements. Significant similarities existed between the first and third waves in women’s roles in the war. International terrorist activities were done whereby planes were hijacked to secure hostages (Rapoport, 2013). This crisis became a significant event in the third wave as it seems unique and subsequent. The United Nations changed its role in this wave since its interests were being interfered with. In the hidden meaning, an attack on principal officials in the government was made to weaken their powers.
Religious Wave
Religion has become a significant element in modern terrorism as these individuals identify with a particular religion. The Islamic religion is the heart of this wave since the groups have committed deadly international attacks. Political events also contributed to this wave in the event of leaders associating themselves with religion. Jewish tried to do away with Islam and launched assassination troops to murder believers. Christian terrorism emerged due to improper interpretations of the bible and was associated with the Oklahoma City Bombing. This wave has, however, indicated unique international features where terrorist groups have declined.
From the views and perspectives of these papers’ discussion, I think we are experiencing a fifth wave that might be dominated by new tribalism. This is due to the existence of rebels from established waves, an attempt to come up with a new calendar, and a radical quest for purity. Anthony Celso devised a plan to impose fifth waves, such as Islamic State and Boko Haram (Honig & Yahel, 2017). This support from a variety of sources and supplements gives strength and reinforcement. Further, advanced technology in the current error supports the idea of terrorism by providing more energy. People of all ages can access video clips demonstrating procedures of terrorism and destruction.
Counter Terrorism Tools
Diplomatic
Diplomacy can be defined as the application of human intelligence and tactics to create good relations between governments to promote peaceful interactions. It plays the most irreplaceable and significant role in the arrest of modern terror. The use of weapons has been the most used strategy to impact foreign policy in a country. However, human beings have adopted the nation-state communication, which has promoted socialization and sharing ideas. Through this, the citizens focus more on activities such as international trade, which could earn them revenue.
Traditions of diplomatic practice can be traced to countries like Asia, Egypt, India, and China. They were first regulated in ancient Greece, where hegemony was fought by the city-states. The target individuals focused on entering and dissolving alliances, changing the people’s mission. Diplomacy, therefore, has played a significant role in the fight against terrorism negotiations between states which are in conflict, hence creating international relations. Therefore, nations have moved towards the adoption of better conflict-resolving procedures.
Military
Another strategy for counter-terrorism attacks is using threat monitoring by intelligent services and military intervention. Most notably, the US government is at the forefront of encouraging other nations to fight this inhuman act in the modern world. This was unique when compared to the 1970s error when European countries suffered the most and tried to persuade the US to help them. The terror attacks of 11 September 2001 of the twenty-first century invented the military tool. Military strategies are crucial in dealing with these occurrences since the armies have been adequately trained to protect the nation’s boundaries.
Intelligence
Human intelligence has been extensively utilized by criminals to run their dangerous missions. Further, digital paradigms which have emerged in the 21 st century have been of great help. There has been attained mainly through online communication, primarily through social media. Platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, where interactions are done, have led to the creation of emerging terrorists. Bullying and other evil practices can also be attributed to terror. Propaganda and hateful ideologies have created enmity among individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
Financial support operations have been driven unknowingly by other governments which support these attacks. To curb these, online users have been encouraged to be more cautious with the people they interact with on the platforms. Giving out of personal details to strangers in return for job opportunities and businesses should be avoided. Further, strong security passwords should be set to prevent unauthorized individuals from assessing information stored online. This is necessary to protect the privacy and human dignity.
Economic
Terrorist activities primarily impact the government and society’s economy. Their economic values can be measured by considering the property and lives lost during attacks. Individuals from low economic profiles suffer the most since they lack enough capital to regain after these destructions (Breton & Eady, 2022). This implies that a country with a stable market value can quickly compensate its citizens for enabling them to continue their everyday lives. However, most developing countries fail to do this since they lack enough capital. Solid military support can also be used as a tool for counterterrorism in well-off nations.
Informational
Information technology in a country can make it vulnerable to attacks due to the exposure of its information. An attack on the IT system can lead to massive destruction and loss of life. This implies that a country with strong IT can launch preventive measures to guarantee security. Some countries prone to destruction are at risk since most have not adopted these strategies, which are crucial in this modern era.
Financial
Terrorists need money in order to fulfill their mission activities in various parts. The UN Security Council has come up with resolutions to address avenues of terrorist financing. They have evaded fundraising by ransom kidnapping and targeting the nexus between organized crime groups and terrorists (Sageman, 2021). Financial intelligence and enhanced coordination between countries are some of the suggested efforts to counter money terrorism. Financial intelligence and enhanced coordination between countries are a tactics that can prevent these groups from carrying out their operations.
Law Enforcement
Many states have tried to come up with laws to deal with terrorist threats. The Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) states to “ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts is brought to justice (Onanuga et al., 2021)”. Further, it emphasizes adherence to domestic and international laws and in cooperation of police in maintaining order and peace. Therefore, every state is required to have operational laws which will dictate actions to be taken for the victims.
Proposed Plan to Build and Sustain Intranational Cooperation
In order to build and sustain international cooperation on counter-terrorism, I will use the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an intergovernmental alliance approach. The organization has done many coverages to encounter terrorism. It was established after World War 2 as a collective security system. Some outstanding features include implementing policy guidelines (2012), a training and education program, and establishing a strong military group. All these are aimed at defending against destructive activities.
In addition to the core function of NATO, cooperative society, collective defense, and crisis management and cooperation are some of the issues dealt with. With the evolving security surrounding of NATO, current priorities have been taken to protect its stability (Hofmann, 2021). Further, the deepening of partnerships with strong hold states has helped manage emerging crises. Most importantly, new technologies have been developed and invented to deal with criminals who, in cooperation, use digital devices such as bombs.
Dedicated individuals who have developed desires to be patriotic have collaborated with NATO’s counter-terrorism team to utilize their roles. They can be used to get crucial information on suspected terror groups either online or physically (Mishra, 2019). Education of individuals has also increased through their efforts to care for their fellow citizens. I would create awareness of what it entails and its main goals and objectives to sustain its activities. This would create platforms for individuals to be more creative and develop self-defense tactics.
Pros of NATO
Despite NATO being a single player in the global approach, it has a solid military interface that reinforces it. Through this, it can be able to handle emergencies within a short period and curb destruction. It has had a long-term fight since it began making it more stable and reliable (Sadık & Yalçın İspir, 2021). The government has also agreed to work with it to provide a backup plan. Support in finance from these nations enables it to partake in its activities with ease in order to achieve set goals and objectives. An example is a united nation that has offered to support NATO in its operation. Some of the pros include peacebuilding, protection from enemies, and promoting democracy among member states.
Cons of NATO
NATO could also present some disadvantages, such as leading people into conflicts. These could arise in cases where members may be forced to join a conflict in case of external attacks. In some setups, testing enemies could be an implication as they may feel insecure. In the urge to protect their privacy, they may form alliances that are against the government. Some government members might be against their operations and therefore agree to cooperate with the criminals.
References
Breton, C., & Eady, G. (2022). Does international terrorism affect public attitudes toward refugees? Evidence from a large-scale natural experiment. The Journal of Politics, 84(1), 554-559. Web.
Hofmann, S. (2021). Elastic relations: Looking to both sides of the Atlantic in the 2020 US presidential election year. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 59(S1), pp. 150–161. Web.
Honig, O., & Yahel, I. (2017). A fifth wave of terrorism? The emergence of terrorist semi-states. Terrorism and Political Violence, 31(6), 1210-1228. Web.
Mishra, S. (2019). Nuclear ban treaty and the Southern Asian ‘Nuclear Troika’. International Journal of Nuclear Security. Web.
Onanuga, A., Odusanya, I., & Adekunle, I. (2020). Terrorism and financial flows in Africa. Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, 13(3), 197-214. Web.
Rapoport, D. C. (2013). The four waves of modern terrorism: David C. Rapoport. In Terrorism Studies (pp. 63-82). Routledge.
Sadık, G., & Yalçın İspir, A. (2021). Comparative analysis of counter-terrorism efforts of NATO and the Shanghai cooperation organization. Information & Security: An International Journal, 48, 115-134. Web.
Sageman, M. (2021). France / United States, two responses to terrorism. Les Cahiers De La Justice, N° 2(2), 284-295. Web.