Terrorism and International Relations Essay

The book “How Terrorism End; Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns”, written in 2011 at the height of Al-Qaeda, the most well-known international terrorist group of our time. The author of this work, Audrey Cronin, at the time of print, served as a professor of strategy at the United States National War College in Washington D.C., and a senior associate at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War Program. Both positions allowed her to impact strategic policy making in the execution of the Global War on Terror by allowing her access to senior military and civilian policymakers. Her previous area of her prior work has been mainly focused on international terrorism with an emphasis on al-Qaeda. She has authored

To understand the convoluted events of Al-Qaeda’s reign of terror on America I had to delve into the history of Al-Qaeda’s origins and

According to multiple studies, ‘lone wolf’ attacks have become more prominent in the past three decades. This rise in attacks is due, in part, to al-Qaeda’s adaptations after their “leadership and middle management were devastated as a consequence of

Although bin Laden was an inspirational leader, Al Qaeda is a religious, separatist organization whose ideology resonates within a wide group of people in the Middle East. Bin Laden’s spiritual teachings brought in members, but he was not their prime-recruiting tool. If Al Qaeda had revolved entirely around bin Laden’s personal logic and ideals it would have collapsed with him, but because of their broad ideology Al Qaeda, has been able to stay strong.

From intellectuals to policy-makers alike. All of the extraordinary output on the subject of al-Qaeda, has recently led to a number of far-reaching theories about the group which remain startlingly unexplored. The two assumptions, this paper examines and reveals each one 's foundational role in assertions as well as debates about al-Qaeda, despite the relatively unexplored status of each. These 2 assumptions relate to: (1) the role of the internet in actual terrorist activity; and (2) the association between combating a

All around the world, many are whispering questions about this new terrorist group ISIS. Are they truly a danger to the United States or any other country or are they only dangerous to the Middle East? Can they be easily defeated or have they gotten too far out of hand to be stopped? Critical thinkers, however, are formulating their opinions on the situation. The naïve disbelieve that this notorious terrorist group poses any real threat to humanity and that all are safe from their reaches and brutality. While others believe they are very dangerous and maybe too strong to completely handle or stop. These analyzers are wise to be skeptical about the IS’s abilities because once one underestimates the strength of its opponent

Al Qaeda uses this imagined war as a rallying cry to convince a small minority in the Muslim world to join its cause, as well as a justification for its actions – casting them as a “defensive jihad” against the enemies of the faith. In situations when the faith is attacked, according to Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, “each Muslim has an individual obligation to join the battle … this must be done by all Muslims,” and as Todd Helmus writes, “Al Qaeda thus calls Muslims to Islam 's defense.” (121)

The only reason why al Qaeda was failing at the time was that they were being defeated by other countries. However, many factors contributed to those defeats, the reason was the strategy, tactics used by al Qaeda and jihadist in general, with the view of the world on which that strategy and tactics were resulted in (McCabe, Thomas R. 2010). To the extremists’ the complete worldview had been on a misguided or unusual assumption that did not have little or no basis of fact. McCabe mentioned the five critical mistakes al Qaeda made, which some were by al Qaeda and the jihadist that in particular was just al Qaeda alone. The mistakes were misreading the situation in the Middle East and the United States. They had misread our weaknesses here in

Nearly all of the extremists have relied on an “intermediary”- like an extremist cleric or a terrorist recruiter- to facilitate and catalyze their radicalization. For instance, Al-awlaki mentored Hasan (Nov 5, 2009); Al-shabaab (Nov 23, 2009) agents appear to have recruited Minnesota Somalis; and one of the five northern Virginia men (Dec 9, 2009) exchanged emails with an alleged Taliban recruiter.

Groups such as AQ need to constantly be in the headlines in such a way that the world is well informed about its operations and terrorist activities. In the case of AQ, however, not much has been forthcoming in terms of its plans, activities, and even leadership structure. In fact it is not known whether the group is still in existence or has been supplanted. In the recent past, groups such as Boko Haram in West Africa, and Al Shabaab in East Africa, have been reigning supreme, operating freely and almost undeterred (Turner, 2015). This has led to speculation that maybe the US-led ‘War on Terror’ has managed to decimate AQ and this has hampered its operations significantly. It is always wise to keep a close watch on an enemy group, failure to do so can result in disastrous outcomes should the group be planning something bigger in the form of a terrorist attack. The problem, however, is that most of what is known about AQ is based on speculation and no tangible facts have been

(intro)September 11, 2001 is the defining moment in the annals of terrorism. Today, after the large ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terror, US is stronger and better positioned to safeguard and support its interests against the risks of an insecure world. However, he still continues to face new dynamic challenges. I argue that the most pressing national security challenge facing the United States in the next 5-10 years is the violent extremism and terrorism derived from ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) group. MP1.ISIS is posing a persistent threat to our security and terrorist attacks within the US Homeland, but also against US citizens abroad and our Allies raise a grave danger. MP2Moreover, ISIS radical ideology undermines all the democracy values by which we live; the respect for human rights, the freedom of speech and religion. MP3 The two main factors that influenced my interpretation of ISIS challenge are the potential risk that ISIS could attain and use weapons of mass destruction, and MP4 its capability to recruit, radicalize and motivate, especially young people, to terrorist acts. MP5 US should continue to lead the fight with our Allies and partners to dismantle ISIS terrorist organization and its violent extremism ideology.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Arab of Jordanian descent, having trained both himself and his followers in Afghanistan, moved into Iraq from that tattered nation in the year 2001, bringing with him the foundations on which the world’s entire perception of terrorism are now founded. A veteran of the second phase of Afghanistan’s was with the Soviet Union, he, a self-declared Jihadist, valued religious conflict and violence above all else. Although not yet in possession of recognition beyond the borders of his native Jordan, he planned to transform his cause from an effort to be forgotten to section forced into the reaches of the world’s history books. Upon arriving in northern Iraq, after having been forced out of Afghanistan after the Taliban’s fall, he, determined to revive his cause, joined forces with a Kurdish separatist group known as Ansar al-Islam, which, in English, means “Partisans of Islam.” Upon distinguishing himself with much alacrity, he became the foremost commander of that group’s Arabian sect in Iraq, an event which marked the creation of the earliest form of the Islamic State. Although he would later declare himself the leader of al-Qaeda’s Iraqi subdivision and swear his allegiance to Osama bin-Laden, it was in reality this group, Ansar al-Islam, that led to the Islamic State’s

These days, when a news channel makes a report on a terroristic attack or issue, the anchors are most likely talking about ISIS. If a poll was given across the U.S asking what people thought of when they thought of modern terrorism, the majority would say ISIS. If that same poll was given before the rise of ISIS, however, the obvious answer would be Al Qaeda. Throughout the 2000’s, Al Qaeda and terrorism were synonymous terms. One could not have one without the other. So, the question must arise: What happened to Al Qaeda? This question is easier asked than answered. Al Qaeda rose to power through the late twentieth and early twenty-first century very effectively and rapidly, but they lost that power just as quickly by divisions in violent Islamic radicalism.

Al Qaeda’s Center of Gravity has shifted from its more ideological jihadist focus to its finances. Al Qaeda justifies their material losses by comparing them to the much larger financial damage dealt to their enemies. This shows Al Qaeda’s evolution into a terror enterprise, quantifying their gains and losses then calling it a jihad, ex post facto. While it could be said that Al Qaeda is empowered by many Centers of Gravity, to include their charismatic leaders and many, many jihads, it’s their material and financial gains/losses that backs every move, illustrates success and failure, and ultimately supports the decisions of Al Qaeda leadership.

Terrorism and the United States A cloud of anthrax spores looming in the sky of San Diego California