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Terrorism: The Toughest Issue Facing the US Essay

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Among the security issues facing the United Stated in this age of change and turmoil, terrorism is the most challenging. This is not only due to the nature of terrorism itself, but also to the deliberately narrow focus of the US government and the ways it chose to address this threat. Three major aspects support this thesis. First, Terrorism is an old protean threat with which mankind has always had trouble coping. This often results in people emotionally overreacting. Also, ways taken by the American administration, driven by the wounds of 9/11, focus too much on Al Qaida, even when it is clear that many more terrorist groups are threatening the United States. These ways of dealing with terrorism are not fully relevant and could be easily …show more content…

Given the limited “conventional” means at their disposal, they use asymmetrical attacks against the system for effect to garner support for their cause. Terrorism is purely a tactic to serve a greater cause.
There are as many terrorist groups as there are causes and not all terrorist attacks are directed against the US. Several well-known groups like Irish Republican Army (IRA) or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) are for instance established in Europe. IRA operates primarily in the UK; ETA operates mainly in France and Spain. Each group fighting for its particular cause, employing different methods, in various places and with different internal organizations makes it impossible to generalize. Their versatility is an integral part of their nature and helps them fit into their time. As a result of their adaptability, they greatly benefit from globalization and new media for recruiting and publicizing their actions.
Despite major attacks such as 9/11, London7, Madrid, the effects of terrorism are not as horrific as one would believe. In terms of probability, we have less chance to die from a terrorist attack than from many other causes of death that could easily be avoided. Data released

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