The History And Background Of Terrorism

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

According to Flynn, terrorists carry out attacks as a way to create fear in citizens and to hold a government hostage by fear of destruction or harm. In the process, terrorists may use the media as an unwilling accomplice to broadcast their propagandas and to spread the impacts on their attacks in order to create more terror (Flynn, 2008). For example, post 9/11; many Americans refused to travel by airplanes because they were afraid that al-Qaeda was going to strike again because of all the stories about terrorism that they have heard from the media (Friedman, 2005). According to Kellner (2006) the news media has been exploiting fear for years and it has become weapons of mass madness that generated great fear in the population that compelled them look apprehensively to the government for protection, rendering the population acquiescent to manipulation. In addition, Perl (2006) explained that media coverage plays a significant role in the success of a terrorist act and it remains a powerful force in confrontations between terrorists and governments.

Furthermore, Pollack and Wood (2010) have outlined that post September 2001 citizens have become paranoid about getting mixed up in some terrorist plot after they learned through the news the media that al Qaeda international terrorist group has been trying to acquire chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons in order to kill millions of Americans. Pollack and Wood further stated that the effects of any terrorist attacks can also create traumatic stress in those who experienced it, including responders, survivors and even those who experienced the event through the news media. Subsequently, those individuals may go into a state of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) whose symptoms include feelings of dissociation or emotional numbing, avoiding being reminded of the events, re-experience the event, anxiety and general distress and impaired functioning in life. Pollack and Wood also highlighted that individuals who have been exposed to an act of terrorism may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) whose symptoms are similar to ASD but they are chronic and remain longer (Pollack & Wood, 2010). Knowing the potential psychological effects of terrorism, terrorists have strived to impose fear in their victims in order to cause some sort of reaction or action by an organization, agency, or group of people. For example, Flynn (2008) has reported that al-Qaeda launched the 9/11 attacks hoping that they "can spawn enough fear to spur Washington into overreacting and self-destructive ways "(Flynn, 2008, p. 3). This paper aims to identify how terrorists use fear as a weapon and how the threat of weapons of mass destruction can create fear in American citizenry.

Fear as a weapon

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the academy literature on terrorists using fear as a weapon. The dictionary defines fear as "a distressing emotion aroused by an impending pain, danger, evil, etc. or by the illusion of such." According to Flynn, fear arises from being aware of a threat and from feeling incapable to deal with it (Flynn, 2008). As previously mentioned, terrorists’ goal is not only to kill and injure and destroy but to terrify Washington into inaction. Terrorists understand that imposing fear will endanger U.S. security by increasing the risk that the United States will overreact to another attack.

Additionally, terrorists want to paralyze America with fear in order to take away some of its element of powers such as the economic power. Fear will keep the country from growing economically, politically and socially because instead of investing in education and other areas, the United States spent billions of dollars every year protecting states and locations that face no significant threat of terrorism. For example, Friedman (2005) recorded that in 2003 Tulsa, Oklahoma received $725,000 in port security funds even though such area face very little terrorist threat.

According to Saad (2011) fear of terrorism is still present in American society even after the recent death of former al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden. However, following Bin Laden’s death, Gallup has reported that fewer Americans believed that terrorist acts are very or somewhat likely to occur in the future. The heroic act of the armed forces in tracking Bin Laden and killed him has increased citizens’ confidence in the United States’ government to protect them against terrorism and it has enabled citizens to develop a resilient mindset (Saad).Nevertheless, many Americans are still very concerned about being the target of a terrorist plot.

Friedman (2005) explained that the U.S. government needs create better strategies to improve security efforts instead of constantly telling Americans to be afraid of terrorism. Friedman in fact underlined that the chances of a person dying in a terrorist attack are close to zero. Friedman also pointed out that there is a greater possibility that a citizen would fall off a ladder and die than being a victim of a terrorist attack (Friedman). As a result, citizens should stop worry about getting entangled in terrorist attack and focus in developing a resilient mindset in order to bounce back when an attack does occur.

Fear of terrorism Post 9/11

Following the terrorist attacks, President Bush has created the Department of Homeland Security to maintain the safety and security of Americans and critical infrastructure. In addition, the government had also implemented other security initiatives to deal with the threat of terrorism. For example, Cherry (2008) highlighted that security measures in the aviation system have made the public to realize that this sector is much safer than it used to be pre 9/11. Furthermore, sophisticated technological devices at airports such as the use of biometrics and full body scanner have enabled Americans to see that it is much more difficult for terrorists to launch another against the aviation sector (Cherry, 2008). As a result, more people started to use the aviation transportation system. However, fear is still exist in the American people but it is not same as it was the day after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center.

Flynn emphasized that it is impossible to eliminate every terrorist threat that creates fear but the American people have the ability to manage their fear and their reactions. In return, they would undermine the incentives terrorists have for incurring the costs and risks of targeting the United States (Flynn, 2008). Flynn further stated that one of the greatest strengths of Americans is their resiliency to cope with a negative event and return rapidly to a healthy level of functioning.

Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, or Radiological Threats

The emergence of modern technology has made it somewhat possible for state sponsor of terrorism countries to procure weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to Perl (2006) all of the seven officially state sponsors of terrorism were known or suspected to have program for the development of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. Such weapons can be used by terrorists to cause harm and inflict fear among states and people. For example, in March 1995, Sarin, a deadly nerve gas was used in an attack on the Tokyo subway which resulted in the death of 12 people and 5,000 were injured (Perl). Furthermore, in 2001, terrorists use the biological warfare agent anthrax in the U.S. mail which increased fear of terrorism in the United States.

Additionally, weapons of mass destruction are more likely to cause greater fear in American citizenry than an attack using a more traditional weapon because more people will be killed and it can bring harm to the environment and critical infrastructure. United States security officials have literally view the use of WMD by terrorists as the worst case scenario because of its aftermath. As a result, it is extremely important to keep WMD out of the hands of the adversaries in order to protect the American way of life.

Conclusion

Terrorist attacks occur to create fear in the general public and to hold a government hostage by fear of destruction or harm. Terrorists use fear as an ultimate weapon to destroy the American way of life. However, Americans should be aware that while terrorism poses great threats to national security, the chances of anyone of them dying are very slim. Instead of worrying, Americans should develop a resilient mindset in order to bounce back after an attack.