Psychology_of_Terrorism

"One man willing to throw his life away is enough to terrorize

thousands." (Wu Ch'i)

Research Paper on Terrorism,

By, Robert Silva

For, Dr Hanami, for International Security IR 739

Beginning Remarks

Terrorism is a threat to the international security and the security of people.

Terrorist methods are universal through out cultures. How the international system and

states deal with deterring terrorist acts is through outlawing behavior that is considered

terrorism and defining terrorism. The question I have is what could cause a person to

perform an act of terrorism. I began to explore social and political influences,

psychological reasons, and rational calculations of war as possible causes of violent acts.

To define a terrorist could be use how the person perceives themselves and others, and

another method is to look at narratives how the person perceives the circumstance and

how to solve the circumstance. For example dehumanizing, proclaiming to do violent

acts against other ethnic identities and teaching other people lessons about life.

The paper is divided into sections to help promote understanding. The first part of the

paper will begin to define terrorism. Then the paper will begin to explore motivation and

possible causes of terrorism, which would political, sociological and psychological

aspects.

The last part of the paper will be to explore the terrorist identity through,

perceptions, and narratives of existing terrorist groups and individuals.

The methods and sources of the paper draws from are scholarly books, scholarly

articles, legal documents, codified laws, personal interviews, newswire articles and works

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of fictional literature. The goal is to explain and define terrorism and the terrorist identity,

to promote a holistic understanding of terrorism.

To build context and reference the paper with begin the explanation of the groups

that historically used terrorism.

Introduction

The use of guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics could be used by small powers or

groups because they cannot address a full size army. The explanation of definition and

motivation of terrorism could be sum up by a poem by Rudyard Kipling.1 Rudyard

Kipling was a poet that was in the nineteenth century travel through out the world, and

observe militaristic influences on society. A Poem from Kipling.

“Mistletoe killing an oak-Rats gnawing cable in two-Moths making holes in a cloak-How they must love what they doYes-and we little folk too,Working our works out of view-Watch and you’ll see it some day!We are the little Folk –we!Too little to love or to hate.Leave us alone or you’ll seeHow we can drag down the State!”

The characters of the poem are defined as small, insignificant and not seen. They

act like parasites slowly destroying the larger host, like termites working to eat away

nutrients of the system. Terrorism could be inferred to be like a virus that slowly destroys

the everyday functions of society by slowly consuming the structure with it ideas and

1 Philip Jenkins “Images of Terror,” Aldine de Gruyter New York 2002 P.64

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thoughts through violence. Like any machinery a weak part puts strain on other parts

causing them to wear out expediting the destruction of the machine. Sabotage is a method

that works to break down the socio political system by attacking the fabric of the

institutions so the institutions cannot function. The fabric of any institution is the

economic functions, the decision makers and the people.2 This promotes discontent,

because the lack for the system to meet needs. This poem does assert psychological and

sociological aspects, sabotaging or slowly destroying something gives the appearance of

neglect or incompetence, or just corruption by the leaders which could infer the

promotion of distrust of government. The poem has other implication but for the sake of

this example to define terrorism a discontent actor takes on a larger power to slowly

erode the power away through destroying what supports of the dominate power of the

society, its institutions, and the faith of the people for the establishment to protect and

provide. In most realist cases are the economy and institutions support military potential.3

This defines the uses of terrorism and even explains why people use terrorism because it

can drag down the state, by creating a perception of corruption by promoting discontent

by slowly sabotaging the political economic system.

History of Terrorism

State sponsored terrorism history

2Niyi Awofeso, Suicidal Terrorism and Public Health p.288

3 Bruno S. Frey et al… “Calculating Tragedy: Assessing the Costs of Terrorism” p.13-17

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State sponsored terrorism could be considered the first use of terrorism to promote

control over the people. The use of terrorist tactics was to consolidate power, as seen in

France 1793-1794 to counter subversion.4 The Aztec’s used terror to demand obedience,

through the use of human sacrifice to their sun god and ceremonial cannibalism. This

terrified the populace to enforce their imperial rule.5 Adolf Hitler took ideology to the

extreme and killed Jewish people in the name of social Darwinism, because he taught the

Jewish people were an inferior race it was a part of nature this would be use of terrorism

to support a state’s assumption about nature.6 This promotes identity cohesion that a

person should not identify with the Jew but with German or there will be consequence.

This could be used to reduce empathy for the perceived enemy and cause

dehumanization, the creation of the other and us. This is done through the fear of serve

consequences for disobedience to existing regimes thus promoting loyalty to the

established regime and cultural.

“Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an

emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the

general principle of democracy applied to our country's most urgent needs.” Robespierre

The KGB was the secret service of the Soviet Union that used provocateurs to

infiltrate through deception and or impersonation of subversive groups in Russia.7

Rachkovsky the leader of the Czarist secret police the Okhrana which was a predecessor

4 Center for Defense information Terrorism http://www.cdi.org/friendlyversion/printversion.cfm?documentID=1502 accessed 11/15/07

5 Essay on State Sponsored terror http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t0w34terrorism.htm

6 Ibid

7 Philip Jenkins “Images of Terror,” Aldine de Gruyter New York 2002 p.89

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to the Soviet KGB had agents infiltrate subversive groups then identify member of the

opposition group and then the members of the Okhrana instigated and carried out acts of

terrorism. This was to implicate the group in a terrorist act to enable the state to exercise

authority. The external results were to promote the need for stricter security measures to

maintain the status quo of the socio-political system. This also promoted identity by

clarifying who is the terrorist group and who are the establishment. That the sociological

affect is only the terrorists have dissenting opinions, do not dissent. This has major

identity implications.

The historical use of the terrorism was to maintain a political arrangement, by promoting

fear.

Religious Groups of Terrorism History

Religious terrorism could be considered universal among most established

religions. The purpose to show the history of religious terrorist groups is to show it is not

ethnic bound but groups share the same methods of tactics of reinforcing a social

morality.

The Jewish uprising in Rome was when Jewish zealots killed Jewish sympathizers

to Rome with a dagger.8 The Thuggee cults were a religious Indian cult that killed

ritualistically in the name of Kali the goddess of terror and destruction. The Assassins an

Shia Muslim sect which ritualistically took drugs known as Hashish, and perform killings

8 Niyi Awofeso, “Suicidal Terrorism and Public Health” p.287

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in daylight in the name of religion9 and to promote loyalty to the religion in the same

manner as the Jewish Zealot. This was to send a message to others to do the same if they

find leaders or people not following the same practices and rituals in daily and civic life.10

Religious terrorism was to promote a loyalty to a practice and norm to a certain religion

an enforcement mechanism to stop assimilation to another culture rather than a method to

overthrow a government.

Legal Definitions of Terrorism

There is official anti terror laws and certain behavior has been outlaw when it

comes to the conduct of war, interaction between people. 11 The laws assert it is illegal to

intimidate or threaten sabotage of property public or private, personal injury, such as

propaganda for war, ethnic and national violence against an individual or a group.

Patriot Act

The Patriot Act of the United States mostly focuses on acts against transportation

devices, and delves into intimidation and coercion.12 It is illegal to attack transportation of

vehicles that have a cargo of commodities, this could fall under piracy. The threat to use

force to sabotage, to compel compliance to an individual wishes could fall under this law 9 The Patriot Act sections 801-808

10 Center for Defense information Terrorism http://www.cdi.org/friendlyversion/printversion.cfm?documentID=1502 accessed 11/15/07

11 THE CRIMINOLOGY OF TERRORISM: HISTORY, LAW, DEFINITIONS, TYPOLOGIES"One man willing to throw his life away is enough to terrorize thousands." (Wu Ch'i) http://faculty.ncwc.edu/TOConnor/429/429lect01.htm

12 Patriot Act information Web Sitehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/patriotact/ sections 801-803

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as terrorism. Because the prestige of terrorism in this context has proven an effective

practice to use force to stop daily legitimate practices. The fear of pursuing legitimate

habitual behavior because someone threatens to harm to personal body, or property could

be construed as terrorism because it is to intimidate to coerce. The right to put this

person that intimidates under surveillance is because to confirm if threat is feasible and

intended is asserted in this body of law.13 The terrorist restricts human rights by

threatening the use of brutal acts to coerce people to give up entitlements.

Laws of War

Jus ad Bello, the laws of conducting a just war is the consensus of the sovereigns

to promote a war that does not involve brutal acts, and ensures rights of civilians.14 The

rules of combat deal with theater of operation or where the battle is fought.15 Who is a

military personal and who is a civilian is important because it has to do with treatment of

occupied and captured individuals. Insignia’s and uniforms help define military personal

to civilian. Insignia’s do not have to be from a sovereign but can come from self

determination groups, symbols, flags, and color schemes of clothing are a part of the

defining military or combatant or non combatant. 16To attack non-military targets in the

theater of operation is an act of terror, and operating military operation outside of theater

of operation by attacking non-military targets could be a tool of intimidation because

purpose is not to conquer or neutralize the opposition’s military capabilities thus this

could be construed as an act of terrorism because it does not fit the proper use of the

13 Patriot Act information Web Site http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/patriotact/

14 Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm Oct 195015 Geneva Convention Addition Protocols II 1977 article 75

16 Yale Law School/ http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/hague02.htm#art1 Article 1

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military. The industry that could promote war making capabilities also provides for the

social welfare of civilians is dual use items are considered non military target unless

engage directly in combat or the theater of operations.17 Their must be a direct connection

of the targets to the conflict that attacking non military targets could be viewed to

promote fear rather than subduing a military.

Other sources of law

The post 911 laws of surveillance have to do with stopping individuals that are

proclaiming that they will use violence to solve conflicts to reach goals. This was in the

Patriot Act; 18someone intimidates and then begins to work on a plan to perform an act of

sabotage or willful killing against the victim of the threat. This is to promote prestige be

it infamous but reinforces intent. Plans usually take communications, coordination and

funding which is seen in the laws that allow surveillance. This is to confirm narratives of

suspected terrorist.

Terrorism in some cases could consider propaganda for war, if it s intent is to

promote a full scale war, 19to promote war or racial hatred is illegal to international

standards and this is to subvert the established methods of escalation of use of force, the

United Nations Security Council would be example to the proper escalation for the use of

force plus terrorism undermines existing procedures of peaceful conflict

resolution.20Because it promotes distrust of government and escalates conflicts.17 Rome Statue Article 1 section (b) phrase (iv)

18 Patriot Act, Title 2 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060309-7.html

19 The United Nations International covenant on civil and political rights, Article (20) http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cpr.html20 Masahiro Igarashi Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution Kanazawa University

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The International law and domestic law is different in the cases one creates

regulation for war, and another is trying to stop intimidation and acts of brutal coercion.

They both deal with the individual actor. The regulation of war allows for a state’s right

to self determination and to deter the acts of extortion by an actor threatening to do harm

to civilians and or by destroying public property. Such as the Patriot act does the same on

the individual level. The right to self defense on the state level, and the right exercise

rights without the threat of coercion on the individual level.

The Nurenberg Tribunal sets precedents and practices for individuals that act in

official or unofficial capacity of the state are responsible of acts that breach these

documents that define behavior and conduct during conflict and daily human

interaction.21 The individual is responsible for doing the act of terrorism, that a moral

conscious must be maintain during war that war does not strip away and moral

obligations to humanity. This document applies to individuals that are in official capacity

to execute decisions for states, plus the individuals that act in an unofficial capacity for

the state.22 This also applies to self determination groups and unofficial actors that are

involved in conflict or just belligerent. These documents describe illegal behavior that

goes against international ethics and practices to resolve conflict between state and

individuals. The goal of these documents is to protect civilians and quality of life or the

social welfare. It is assumed military and political leaders start wars not civilians, that

www.unu.edu/HQ/japanese/gs-j/gs2001j/kanazawa1/Lec3-full-e.pdf

21 Principles of the Nuremberg Tribunal, 1950, Principle I –V11 http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-nurem.htm

22 Ibid.

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civilians are bystanders with no executive control. The Nuremberg Tribunal is to promote

the protection of civilian rights, occupied civilians, and minorities in countries which acts

of terrorism breach, to breach human rights could be viewed as an act of terrorism.

Possible Motivations of Terrorism

Terrorism is a complex phenomenon because it was used historically as a tactic to

escalate conflict into full scale war and to maintain a political and social order. This

implies that terrorism can be viewed as propaganda for war and social engineering. The

expression is to incite war transmitted through the actions of violence to demonstrate

desire behavior from viewers of the acts of violence to follow suit. Or to promote

obedience through fear causing people not act in a certain manner. The goal of the

terrorist is to buck pass23 and have other actors to begin to sabotage or reinforce the

establish socio political system through acts that promote fear. The next section will

explore motivations of terrorism and begins to expand the scope of terrorism as a

punishment, a military tactic, and a personal expression.

Terrorism as a Tactic

Terrorism is a tactic of guerrilla warfare to escalate armed conflict to disrupt

supply lines, and demoralize armies and populations into surrender. This is supported by

23 John Mersheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, concept throughout book

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displayed tactics of terrorist groups. The attack by Al Qaeda on the banking system in

New York on September, 11 2001 threatened supply line distribution by attacking the

means of resource movement and transportation methods, the attack tried to stop

economic practices which can related to military potential of the country.24 The attack

also created heighten anxiety in the populace which could affect their daily habitual

behavior, the people could choose not go to work or travel because of the threat of being

hurt. This has direct influence of the states security structure because the tax base of the

country to fund the security infrastructure. The Hezbollah bombing of public

transportation in Lebanon in the nineteen eighties could be viewed to demoralize

population and disrupt daily economic routines by attacking the means of transportation,

the bus system. The terrorist acts could be also viewed to promote others to remodel the

behavior of bombing buses because it is an easy method to promote the ethnic cleansing

the Hebrew population from the region. Why is this ethnic cleansing because it makes it

impossible for the Hebrew population to do business or live because of the danger of

being killed and it destroys infrastructure that promote economic prosperity. Ethnic

cleansing does not mean to mass murder a population through state or systemic methods

of killing but it means to drive a population from a region through the threat of violence

or making it impossible for them to provide for themselves through the economic

system.25 Terrorism could be viewed as a tactic to starve armies and populations into

surrender.

24 Thomas Christensen Useful Adversaries :  Grand Strategy Domestic, Mobilization and Sino-American Conflict 1947-1958,  Princeton Studies international Relations P.12

25 Bruno S. Frey et al… “Calculating Tragedy: Assessing the Costs of Terrorism” p.17

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Psychological motivations of terrorism

The Psychological Formula of the terrorist by Diane Perlman describes possible

motivations of terrorism because of extreme mental suffering the terrorist as the victim.26

“An individual suffers , desire for compassion and help, reaching for help, help fails,

dejection humiliation despair and rage, transformation from victim to master of fate,

compensation for helplessness by identification with powerful leader who stands up to

enemy or creator of the suffering, evacuation of suffering into other through acts of

terrorism, retaliation , more suffering a cycle of trauma ensures.”27

This could be explained a person is traumatize and the perceive helper does not

help. This creates the perception of the other. The person feels dejected the person begins

to align with another perceive helper or powerful leader that who stands up to abuser or

neglector. The suffering is transferred into violent acts. The goal is to escape trauma by

releasing it through acts of violence, as a person vomits bad food or viruses out of their

digestive system. The trauma creates a mental illness, like a virus that slowly destroys the

host. The way to remove the trauma is removing the negative emotional feelings and

projecting them in physical acts the ritual of cleansing through destruction. This gets into

one psychological motivation of terrorism, a perverse therapy.

The different psychological motivations the terrorist is trying to express.

26 Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Theoretical Understandings and Perspectives” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002P21 vol 1 p.27-36

27 Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Theoretical Understandings and Perspectives” Praeger Westport, Connecticut,

London 2002P21 vol 1 p27-30

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Clinical motivations of terrorism have been defined, I will begin to go through a

few to help expand the scope of terrorism to the mind, plus how it could affect the

perceptions of people.

Perverse empathy and desire for truth and justice 28 it is a reversal of situation of

emotions to project negative emotions or emotional states upon others to make them feel

how the terrorist feels. The terrorist act could be to humiliate or to make victims out of

perceived masters of fate or the ones they have discontent with. It is to change roles with

in the actor’s inner psychic. They are not the victim because they create the same

negative feelings in the people that were controlling the circumstance that did not help

heal the trauma. This could be to esteem build because of the feelings of inferiority that

could have been caused by trauma.

Traumatize reenactment29 expounded by Freud is driven from the desire for

pleasure it is called repetition compulsion, the actor keeps doing the reenactment, until a

empathic actor meets the needs to provide a method to provide healing or easing the pain.

They keep on doing the act even though it creates pain within them until something

soothes the pain. This could be defined as negative attention obtainment.

The psychological states could be intensified because the establishment does not

help the victim or the traumatized, the traumatize stop identifying with the established

order, therefore rejects the practices and norms. The traumatize wishes to become master

28 Ibid p.27-30

29 Ibid 27-30

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of fate identifies with a leader that opposes establishment. This could be considered a

balancing act in realist thought about the actor’s behavior. Adopts the anti thesis

narratives practices and norms, which transfer trauma into acts of violence to promote

empathy, and to seek justice. This gets into possible psychological motivations of

terrorism. Some terrorist acts are to express suffering and a signal for help but not about

overthrowing governments or inciting war, or maintaining a social and political order.

The symbols of the political symbols are used in post constructivist context, to express

inner meaning and feelings.

Narratives of Terrorism

In narratives of terrorism section I would hope to highlight and show that

psychological, sociological and historical aspects are in the Terrorist narratives. That it is

not all just tactical, nor is legal, but has other human aspects to it.

In narratives of terrorist groups that the lack of right’s enforcement creates

injustices this is seen in the Palestinian people treatment from Israel.30 This narrative is

told by Al Qaeda and the Hezbollah that Israel and its supporter’s the United States

which becomes a symbol for the western civilization or the socio political system,31 is not

following accepted and narrated practices and norms for rights enforcement and

compensation in this socio-political system. The establishment is not protecting or

providing for rights of the Palestinians. Thus, Al Qaeda and the Hezbollah use methods to

30 Louis Richardson, “Roots of Terrorism” St Martin Press P. 145-146

31 Randall Collins “Rituals of Solidarity and Security in the Wake of Terrorist Attack”Sociological Theory,

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show injustice and trauma of the Palestinian people are suffering through extreme

examples, this would be called traumatize reenactments, and perverse empathy could be

the motivation. The use of terrorism here is not promote the undermining of military

potential as seen in past definitions, but is to demonstrate a psychological state, and

express a narrative. The narrative is being expressed through acts of violence which the

existing treatment does not help the Palestinian people well being but hinders them.

Ideas of Terrorist

The statement by Kamel Daoudi, he accepts his label that he perceives himself as

a terrorist, and the group perceives him as a terrorist. His narrative is that he distrusts the

socio-political system and sees it as perverse.32 That there is injustice and it is not fair,

that his relationship with established socio political system is not in an equal or fair

standing, that he views the practices as discriminatory. He rejects one civilization to

promote another civilization. He perceives his relationship with the socio-political

system and accepts how they label him but sees the establishment as abusive and

discriminative therefore not legitimate. That Kamel Daoudi punimania is the result of the

overwhelming desire to punish even if it causes more suffering because the acts of

violence are to punish but does not solve the problem.33 The Idea of Kamel Daoudi could

be that to follow the establish rules while the establishment does not follow the rules is

foolish, the only way to ensure entitlements is to use acts of violence to promote respect

32 Philip Jenkins “Images of Terror,” Aldine de Gruyter New York 2002

33 . Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Public Understanding” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002P.31 Vol 1

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of rights. This could be the Idea of some terrorist, why follow the rules when those who

are supposed to enforce the rules do not follow the laws themselves. To promote a just

order they must remove the existing corrupting influence to promote rights. This could be

idea behind the use of terrorism for some terrorist.

Perceptions of terrorist.

The Palestine’s narrative is Israel is oppressing and occupying and dominating

and not acting within socio political system norms. 34 Suffering formula come in to play,

next thing Palestinians are acting to show trauma through reacting historical traumatic

events. The perception of the terrorist is the United States which is a symbol of Western

Civilization institutions and practices, which has ignored the cries of help of the

Palestinian people and their abusers. 35 The marginalized and traumatized identify with

the opposite symbol of the United States or the establishment which would be Jihadist

groups and the leaders such as Osama bin Laden. George Bush is the symbol of Western

Civilization and Osama Bin Laden the symbol of Islamic international system36

Palestinian’s perception could be the West is not looking out for their well being, but

promoting its own self interest at the sake of the well being of the Palestinians. Maybe

the West could be manipulating the laws to promote the circumstance to legitimize the

use force against the Palestinians to ethnically cleanse them could be the perception. The

motivation would be to stop the invaders from pushing them out of their land by

34 Arena Michael, Arrigo Bruce; “The Terrorist Identity, Explaining the Terrorist threat”, New York University Press 2006 p.127, 130, 134, 136

35Ibid. 147

36 Interview with Dr Manshipouri about the Islam as an alternative

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promoting a full scale war. This would be the method to promote rights, and have ability

to protect rights, but the perception is the western socio political system is not friendly

because it does not promote the well being of the Palestinian people. This goes back to

the trauma cycle, ask for help but does not receive help from the socio political system.

Suicide Bombers

The starting of modern suicide terrorism was on the Marine barracks in Lebanon

April 18 1983.37 The ancient history of suicide terrorism dates back to the beginning of

the millennium, done by Jewish Zealots and other religious groups.38 The difference

could be technology of the weapons, while suicide terrorism in 3 AD would go into

inescapable situation they might lead to death, the modern suicide bomber actually

becomes the vehicle for the explosives. Suicidal terrorism is primarily a weapon of

psychological warfare.39 The goal is to promote intense fear and shock the population.40

The effect of the tactic of suicide terrorism could include loss of well-being and security

and traumatizing the audience by destroying public property and people with the

promotion of hysteria. Hysteria could lead to policies that would erode freedoms and

entitlements of the victim society. This could be motivated by perverse empathy and

reenactment. Possible psychological reasons why people perform violent acts that lead to

37 Niyi Awofeso, Suicidal Terrorism and Public Health p.28738 Ibid. p288

39 Niyi Awofeso, Suicidal Terrorism and Public Health

40 Ibid. p287

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their own death. Entrancement allows for the terrorist to incorporate narratives, ideals and

perceptions of terrorism into their daily lives. It allows for justifications of violence and

enables the removal of guilt by placing blame on the victim. The entrancement allows

distortions of reality replacing rationalist expectations of materialism, replaced with a

fantastic reward based on myths about the afterlife.41 This could be applied to motivations

of suicide bombers or a method a group gets and individuals to do a suicide attacks,

because of the creation of the fantasy world.42 They become the hero of the fantasy world.

Modern Terrorist Groups

Red Faction Army was a leftist organization that operated in the 1960’s and 1970’s in

Germany. The group focused on assassination of key political leaders they perceived in

promoting the imperialist movement of the era. The cult symbols or leaders of the Red

Faction Army were Ulike Mienhorf and Andreas Baader.43 The narrative they promoted

was based in the Marxist Leninist tradition, the book the spread their narrative was called

The Concept of Urban Warfare. The focus of RAF attacks were American bases in

Germany they drawn from experiences of Latin American anti-imperialist movements. In

the later part of the 1970’s the RAF began to plan to recruit and organize high jackings

with people from different parts of the world that were struggling against the perceived

4141Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Public Understanding” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002 p205

42Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Public Understanding” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002 p205

43 Wright Joanne,” Terrorist Propaganda, The Red Faction and the Provisional IRA 1968-86” St Martin’s Press 1990 p. 105

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imperialism in their part of the world. The coordination with other terrorist groups went

into the late eighties that ended with a cease fire in 1992. One could speculate the fall of

the Berlin wall could have triggered this or not.44

Al Qaeda

Begins in the plains of Afghanistan were the mujahedeen or the holy warriors

back by the United States, fought off the Soviet influence. After the defense of

Afghanistan Osama Bin Laden creates a construction company “el Hijrah Construction

and Development Ltd with Sudanese military and National Islamic front.45 Osama

diversified into many business ventures of Investing and Import and Export. In 1998 Bin

Ladin create the overarching group “The Islamic World Front for the struggle against

Jews and the Crusaders” the rhetoric was Muslims were experiencing human rights

violation. Bin Ladin goal was to remove western influence from Saudi Arabia and Gulf

region. Al Qaeda was created to coordinate terrorist activities to promote the removal of

Americans from the Middle East.

Hizbollah

The Hezbollah is claiming that they will not tolerate unequal treatment and

aggression that is passive from western countries.46 They claim a night when thousands of

Palestinians were slaughter by Israeli troops, that no international organization help them

44 The Red Faction Army History, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/61/191.html

45 Al Qaeda History http://www.intellnet.org/documents/200/060/269.html

46 Hezbollah History http://nuralcubicle.blogspot.com/2006/08/history-of-hezbollah-part-2.html

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or recognize the deaths as a travesty. So the Hezbollah is seeking vengeance and justice

and trying to remove the perceived threat through violence. 47

Neo Nazi’s

Neo Nazi’s movement could be based on the survival of the white race since the

white race is the minority to almost two colored human to one white human.48 The fall of

great empires are due to non white races attacking Rome and Greece then infusing their

blood having children with non white women. 49The non white blood is inferior50 Neo

Nazi programs promote intrinsic dependency of the non white human through economic

and the political structure. The concept let them eat scrapes from the white man’s table,

could assert the method to approach economic or capitalist practices to ensure the white

race will survive because of the control of circumstance.51

Don Black is a Neo Nazi leader and a Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan was

involved in the attempt to overthrow the Dominican Republic in the 1980’s.52 Luther

Pierce and David Duke was strong Nationalist that supports a cultural imperialism of the

white ethnic group over socio political system. They spread their narratives through

47Hezbollah History www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/hizballah.htm

48 W Ellis,” The Psychology of American Race Prejudice, “George p12

49 Ibid

50 W Ellis,” The Psychology of American Race Prejudice, “George p12

51 Ibid. 13-35

52 Don Black personal website Stormfront

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books, weblogs and speeches. A famous Neo Nazi group connected with American

politician is National Alliance.53

The tactics of Neo Nazi’s would be to promote distrust in government and do acts of

sabotage, but this could be a tactic to promote stricter controls over society which is

predominately controlled by white men. Nazism is usually considered on the right side of

politics or more conservative could be considered imperialist in nature as oppose to

Marxist philosophies. Neo Nazi terrorism could be seen as hate crimes to intimidate non-

whites to accept social norms and do not strive to compete with in socio economic and

political system. Plus the Dominican Republic incident could be to de stabilize countries,

or to ensure development of social welfare does not take hold allowing the international

establishment a dominate position in the world and in the neighborhood.

Terrorist groups seem to be driven by an idea to promote their perceptions about

the world be it from nature, religion, socio-economic. The relationship could be about the

survival about their identity but they need to chase away the other, the way to do it is

through fear, and if fear does not work then a violent destructive force, to reinforce the

fear. This could be to promote security by chasing away the perceived threat to survival.

Terrorism is warfare that is not chivalrous nor honorable because it does not even test the

courage and strength of the individuals if a person believes in social Darwinism or a

creation theory.

53 National Alliance homepage, http://www.adl.org/learn/Ext_US/N_Alliance.asp

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The conclusion

Terrorism is to promote fear, to cripple the mind so the individual and groups

cannot create a better circumstance this in all cases of the uses of terrorism because

terrorism promote conflict, stagnation and suffering. This is seen in the psychological

aspect of terrorism that the person ability to think and operate is distorted which can

cause them to misinterpret successes and failures and norms about the community. That

psychology can be an influence on perception. This could cause people not to act to

promote prosperity and happiness but only seek to destroy to relieve suffering. This can

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fit within the Co evolution theory that perceptions about the societal norms, past

successes and failures and one perception how to interact to overcome obstacles. The

distortion from mind control and the traumatic affects of terrorism on the individual

minds can send people into abysses of sorrow, belligerents, spinning them in a cycle of

destruction that promote the same type of behavior chaos and havoc, what the individual

must be perceiving the world, and feeling inside their own inner psychic.

According to the CIA handbook on guerilla warfare, to conquer the mind is to win

the war, since terrorism is a psychological war, then to diffuse terrorism in the future one

must remove the suffering and sorrow and the discontent so they mind that directs the

body not to create more suffering. The use of force and violent deterrence could only

reinforces notions about the social political norms, that the programmers have program

within the terrorist mind has taken away survival instincts and replace with a fantastic

image of the world. The actions and symbols are not read as they sender intends but

misinterpret and warp to justify the terrorist actions.

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Interview

With Dr. MAHMOOD MONSHPOURI

1. Is terrorism a social, political, individual, legal problem?

All of them, Middle easterners are motivated because of political marginalization

which could stem and cause resentment. The acts of violence are to promote

expression and to change the situation. It could be rationality from power.

Islam is the centralizing identity source for transnational actors, but does not have

an authoritative interpretation of the Koran, or methods to organize systemic

society, but only interactions between individuals.

Does not have effective civilization goal, but has idea about a civilization goal.

The situation is not working with secular socialism as seen in Central Asia, does

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not like the repetition of Western capitalism, it could be let’s try Islamic morality

as the guiding principles for public society.

2. What do you think the purpose of terrorism is?

Destabilize political environment, to stop the west from helping corrupt states that

promote resentment with in the people.

3. Do you think terrorist actor is creating by circumstance of the social political

environment? Yes it stems from the circumstance create by the corrupt

government, which causes resentment and then desperation and hopelessness.

Then I ask do you think corruption, or the lack of human rights enforcement

causes resentment, if the international community had ability to remove corrupt

leaders then would this lessen the threat of international terrorism?

International law deals with states, states have sovereignty other states do not

have right over other states. It is not possible

In the post WWII era does not the state exist for the purpose to provide for the

needs of their people, it is the state obligation to provide but corrupt leaders

do not provide, therefore not fulfilling their role to the people?

Oh I see where you are going; less corruption would lessen the possibility of

terrorist attacks.

Because a circumstance of desperation would not be created, therefore no

resentment.

4. Suicide Bombers versus Cult leaders is there a distinction between the two?

Cult leaders uses suicide bomber. The Egyptian surgeon was the brain behind the

911 attacks, Osama Bin Laden was the financier and Symbol of identity, could

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have been under the influence of the Egyptian surgeon. The men on the plane

were the suicide bombers, that warfare changes to fit environment. It could be

role of the person.

Bibliography

Books

1. Arena Michael, Arrigo Bruce; “The Terrorist Identity, Explaining the Terrorist threat”, New York University Press 2006

2. Wright Joanne, “Terrorist Propaganda, The Red Faction and the Provisional IRA 1968-86” St Martin’s Press 1990

3. Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.1 a Public Understanding” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002

4. Stout Chris, “The Psychology of Terrorism, Vol.3 a Theoretical Understandings and Perspectives” Praeger Westport, Connecticut, London 2002

5. Richardson Louise, “The Roots of Terrorism” Routledge New York, London 2006

6. Philip Jenkins and Aldine de Gruyter, “Images of Terror,” New York 2002

7. Paul T.V, et al. “Balance of Power Theory and Practice in the 21 Century” Stanford Press 2004

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8. Mattern, Bially, “Ordering International Politics, Identity Crisis and Representational force” Routledge 2005

9. Arnold Terell, “The Violence Formula” Lexington Books1988

Scholarly Articles

1.Randall Collins, “Rituals of Solidarity and Security in the Wake of Terrorist Attack”Sociological Theory, Vol. 22, No. 1, Theories of Terrorism: A Symposium. (Mar., 2004), pp. 53-87.

2.Robert A. Pape, “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism” The American Political Science Review, Vol. 97, No. 3. (Aug., 2003), pp. 343-361.

3.Ehud Sprinzak, “Rational Fanatics” Foreign Policy, No. 120. (Sep. - Oct., 2000), pp. 66-73.

4. Barry R. Posen, “The Struggle against Terrorism: Grand Strategy, Strategy, and Tactics” International Security, Vol. 26, No. 3. (Winter, 2001-2002), pp. 39-55.

5. Ruth Wedgwood, “Al Qaeda, Terrorism, and Military CommissionsThe American Journal of International Law, Vol. 96, No. 2. (Apr., 2002), pp. 328-337.

6. David Freedberg, “The Representation of Martyrdoms during the Early Counter-Reformation in Antwerp The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 118, No. 876. (Mar., 1976), pp. 128-138.

7. Emad El-Din Aysha, “September 11 and the Middle East Failure of US ‘Soft Power’: Globalization contra Americanization in the ‘New’ US Century”, American University, Cairo, Egypt

8. Niyi Awofeso, “Suicidal Terrorism and Public Health”

9. Bruno S. Frey et al… “Calculating Tragedy: Assessing the Costs of Terrorism”

Articles

1. “Sectary-General to Brief Member States on Implentation of United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy” Feb 16, US Fed 15, 2007

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2. “UN: Security Council reiterates determination to combat all forms of terrorism, welcomes Counter Terrorism Commitees renewed focus on implementing resolution 1373”, M2 press wire, December 21, 2006

3. “ B’desh to organize itself as fortress against terrorism”, The Press Trust of India June 4, 2007

4. “UN delegation on counter terrorism arrives in Bangladesh June 3, 2007” Sunday BBC monitoring South Asia, Iran News Agency, Tehran, January 16,

5. “An Open Letter” The Hizballah Program

6. National Post (f/k/a The Financial Post) (Canada) March 5, 2007

7. “Tougher tactics on terror driving Muslims apart, says police chief”, John Steele Crime Correspondent NEWS; Pg. 4

8. “Six Nations Seeking more ways to defeat terrorism” Nationwide International News Jakarta, March 8, 2007

Websites

1. Center for Defense Information Terrorism http://www.cdi.org/friendlyversion/printversion.cfm?documentID=1502 accessed 11/15/07

2. Essay on State Sponsored Terror http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t0w34terrorism.htm

3. The Criminology of Terrorism: History, Law, Definitions, Typologies One man willing to throw his life away is enough to terrorize thousands." (Wu Ch'i) http://faculty.ncwc.edu/TOConnor/429/429lect01.htm

4. Red Faction Army Information, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/61/191.html

Nuremberg Tribunal Avalon Project http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/proc/orders.htm

5. Don Black homepage, http://www.stormfront.org/dblack/

6. United Nations Charter, http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/

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7. Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners,http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm

8. Masahiro Igarashi, “Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution” Kanazawa University www.unu.edu/HQ/japanese/gs-j/gs2001j/kanazawa1/Lec3-full-e.pdf

9. Patriot Act information Web Sitehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/patriotact/

Appendix

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Shows number terrorist fatalities to number of incidents over twenty five year span.

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