Definition of terrorism is an exercise that has troubled a body no less than the UN. As Duursma (2008) notes, the UN has variously been called upon to define what the term really stands for as this would make it possible for the entire world to join hands to fight it. The agony associated with deciding what the term stands for is appreciated because what are considered as terrorist activities by one person or group will also be considered as necessary or even heroic activities by another group. At the UN meetings that Duursma (2008) writes about, we learn that attempts to define terrorism are frustrated by the different national perceptions of what constitutes the act. For this reason, a country like Libya would like a distinction made between terrorism and the right to “self-determination” (Duursma 2008), obviously alluding to the Israeli-Palestinian struggles in the Middle East. Despite lack of a universally accepted definition of terrorism, the term stands for a combination of actions and words that are produced with the intention of coercing the other party to take a certain course of action. Terrorist activities include bombing, threats to bomb, hijackings, demands for ransom and assassinations among many other forms. Using fear and intimidation, the terrorist hopes to influence matters that cause economic, political or religious change.
Owing to the confusing nature of deciding what terrorism really is makes much of human activities, especially in the political arena, to acquire an aura of terrorism. In the political arena, terrorism has been evolving and taken even-newer forms in the past 65 years. In the 1940s, groups that would be considered terrorist include the IRA which was fighting for Independence from the British. In Africa, the Mau Mau in Kenya, who were later hailed as Independence heroes were terrorizing the British colonial administration while in Algeria the French were getting similar treatment from local freedom fighters. Over the years, perceived terrorist groups have been evolving into ever-smaller cells which are harder to detect. Rather than have a guerilla army that can be annihilated in an organized operation, today people who risk being branded terrorists gather in inconspicuous cells that raise no suspicion. That helps the groups to survive but also reduces their ability to carry out large scale operations.
The evolution in the operations of terrorist groups is exemplified by the way various groups that are linked to Al Qaeda have changed their operations, especially as relates to the raising and use of funds. In the period slightly preceding and following 9/11, the US government has tried to make it impossible for terrorist groups to obtain funds for their operations. These groups have, however, learnt new ways to raise and spend money to advance their cause. Where accounts of well-known terrorists or their sympathizers have been frozen, charitable organizations have sprung up as conduits for funds. Claiming to work with orphans or to support widows, groups like the International Islamic Relief Organization, (IIRO), have sprung up as have the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development which has been funding Hama (Emerson, 2002). IIRO has ties to Al Qaeda. Using appropriate guises, these groups raise funds from unsuspecting people and through their conduits are able to transfer funds globally. Emerson (2002) shows how the control of the communication network in Somalia enables the terrorist organizations to transfer funds to that country which is now a virtual Al Qaeda district. In addition, terrorist groups are involved in conventional money-laundering activities.
The development of the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan is directly related to the cold war (Eakin, 2004). In fact, Eakin’s (2004) article shows that Osama bin Laden was trained by the CIA. The rise of terrorist groups was not only encouraged but also supported by the US government to help fight governments, which it perceived as supporting the USSR. It is therefore not surprising to note that during the Reagan years, The Mujahideen were addressed as freedom fighters yet today they are considered terrorists (Eakin, 2004). It is historical factors such as this, which makes it very hard to come up with a universally acceptable definition of the term terrorist. Not only is somebody’s terrorist another person’s hero, today’s terrorist might become tomorrow’s hero.
References
Duursma, J. (2008). Definition of terrorism and self—determination. Harvard international review. Web.
Eakin, H. (2004). When U.S. aided insurgents, did it breed future terrorists? The new york times. Web.
Emerson, S. (2002). Fund-raising methods and procedures for international terrorist organizations. (Testimony to the house committee on financial services subcommittee on oversight and investigations). Web.