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TYPES OF TERRORISM
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Running head: TYPES OF TERRORISM
TYPES OF TERRORISM
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Introduction
Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the usage of intentional indiscriminate harm as a means of creating terror among many people/population. The intent is instilling fear and mainly regarded as a way to push for violence during peacetime or against combats. In this paper, the research will ground on types of terrorism whereby there shall have news article relaying the different kinds of terrorism.
Types of terrorism
The first article is https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-government-vows-to-fight-muslim-terrorist-group-01082018162620.html is on State-Sponsored terrorism that comprises of terrorist acts on government or state. In this article, the government is fighting against the Myanmar government which has pledged to fight against the renowned Muslim militia group called Rohingya. This group has claimed responsibility for terrorizing the region with recent incidence where it ambushed and left seven people injured. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) stated in this article that it had carried out landmine and attacked by using gunfire on the vehicles transporting ill military officers to the hospital in a town called Maungdaw (www.rfa.org, 2018). In this article, the Myanmar military continues with their heinous crimes like rape, arson and stealing property.
This article spells out the collaboration of the government and this militia with dome individuals setting interest on the warring activities. The report says that the ARSA is left with no other alternative but combating this Burmese State-sponsored terrorism, directed towards the Rohingya people.
According to the government officials, they held a firm stance that ARSA continues mounting attacks on the North of Rakhine State where the soldiers for the government conducted brutal campaigns which targeted residents in Rohingya. This was in response to a deadly ARSA assault on the outposts for police and also an army base as reported on August 25th year 2017. In line with the article, there is continuing campaign championed by the United Nations aimed at cleansing and driving an approximate of 655,000 Rohingya across the Bangladesh border. A U.N official was caught saying that the government has not been responding to terrorists in the same manner with some being silent on their acts and others ambushed immediately they launch an attack on the innocent civilians. The international community inclusive peace agencies like the United Nations have sworn to intervene and help in solving the issues by pressuring Myanmar government by advocating and supporting this war-stricken Nation (www.rfa.org, 2018).
Dissent terrorism is another type of terrorism worth discussing and aims at addressing those groups that have rebelled against the sitting government. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nnorth-east/301400-many-killed-in-boko-haram-attack-on-soldiers-in-gudumbali.html article talks on the Boko Haram attacks that were on soldiers at Gudumbali region on the Borno State which left many soldiers dead. According to this article, Boko Haram has been killing mercilessly. Being the headquarters of Guzumala Local area within Borno State, there was attack claimed to come from Boko Haram militia. This attack also led to a loss of 100 lives of soldiers in the past month. The military spokesperson says that the troops were ambushed by Boko Haram soldiers who crept on the Nigerian armies while they were waiting for their evening meals.
This led to soldiers caught off-guard on that evening when a food truck container which usually brings meals reached the base and soldiers started receiving their rations (www.premiumtimesng.com, 2019). The article spells out the event met the soldiers’ not fully kitted hence opening fire by the enemies. They were fired from all directions thus outnumbered. This led to complete dislodge of the Gudumbali military base. There were about 30 corpses found after this attack by the militia and many soldiers suffering injuries.
Boko Haram has been known to be against the government where it opposes most of the government policies such as uniting all Nigerians irrespective of their religion or even tribal grounding. These terrorists have come up with their ideologies and have sworn to ensure the whole of Nigeria complies and confines to their principles. These militia group takes advantage of the illiterate populace and tries to manipulate them by relaying the Quran and its teaching even without a concrete explanation of the good and evil (www.premiumtimesng.com, 2019). This group has been known to have started in the year 2009 and has spread its operations in many regions of Nigeria.
Differences between State- sponsored and Dissent terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism infers to terrorism activities supported by the government. Here, the government is engaged in terrorism with deliberate reason to use terrorism in its favor or even steering its ideologies/policies to a large mass. This might act as a foreign policy tool fashioned against a group of people or other Nations (Jackson, 2011). It can be either directly or indirectly by State through the provision of sanctuary, weapons, funds or even training. For the State-sponsored terrorism, the State agencies are in its support but will act to the public as if it is not in its favor. Mostly, this is intended to fool the public while the government’s interest is on the front.
The governments with an example of the Islam nations might be intending to promote Islam religion, hence try to push for its policies through militia that attacks the public and instills its ideologies.
On the State-sponsored terrorism, the government might be intending to counter other terrorism groups hence fight them all against each other. Some Countries have many terrorist groups therefore to minimize their number; there need divide and rule strategy set to make them fight amongst themselves (Jackson, 2011). In such a move, the government ideologies are combined with ones for the terrorist group hence bargaining and reaching a consensus. Both interests of the State and the terrorist group are merged, and pact formed whereby each group will act accordingly for parties’ interests. Because the government holds much power compared to the terrorist group, it can opt to terminate this group after the agenda is completed.
On the other hand, dissent terrorism infers to expression conveying dissatisfaction or is opposing policies of the various governing bodies. In this case, dissent terrorism is a militia group that has been formed to suppress any government initiatives and is steering its policies to fight directly and indirectly against the sitting government. One feature of dissent terrorism is sticking strictly on the ideologies. These ideologies are a source of narrative structure through which members of the specific terrorist group interpret all activities happening within their environs. Since most of the terror grouping comprises of the minority who claim to be aggrieved, the ideology is centered on victimhood. The thinking, for example, might be tied to religious doctrines hence captures one as mental slave attached to specific belief (Jackson, 2011). The members of the particular terrorist groups are set as victims of their environment. For example, in Nigeria, Boko Haram claims Islam as the only pure religion and anyone not practicing it is a naysayer to humanity. This means that Christians victimizes the Islam population hence calling for the rebellious move by the Islam. Through religion, people are made compassionate with their faith, therefore, can do anything to ensure no one says a negative statement on their religion or their leaders. In the case of Boko Haram, it is only their idea that sways and no other person’s view can rule the day. The government has tried severally but cannot come into consensus with such a group because the group has set its agenda and interest before anything else.
It is also true to state that dissent terrorist groupings are accustomed to thinking of empathy as a force to achieve their ideas. This empathy is a social glue which arguably is core to enabling a large group of frustrated people together championing for their rights. This dissent group will come with an empathy factor like religious mistreatment hence express it violently. Most of the dissent terrorist groups such as Boko-Haram tries to pursue an individual interest and not for the good of the many. Such groups are dehumanizing and do things such as killing or even mutilating human beings to pass their agenda across the masses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, terrorism is a heinous act whether dissent or State sponsored because there shall occur loss. It is the role of the government to ensure its people are catered hence do not think of rebelling against it. In the case of revolt, it needs to be a peaceful one and call for dialogue to help reach consensus. Terrorism is a waste of resources and should be fought in all ways possible.
References
Jackson, R. (2011). Terrorism: A Critical Introduction. History, 304.
www.premiumtimesng.com. (2019). Many killed in Boko Haram attack on soldiers in Gudumbali. Retrieved from https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nnorth-east/301400-many-killed-in-boko-haram-attack-on-soldiers-in-gudumbali.html
www.rfa.org. (2018). Myanmar Government Vows to Fight the Muslim Terrorist Group. Retrieved from https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-government-vows-to-fight-muslim-terrorist-group-01082018162620.html