TYPOLOGIES OF TERRORISM


There are various typologies of terrorism the Wilkenson typology (cited in Shultz, 1978) divide  terrorism  into three generalized categories. Revolutionary terrorism, sub-revolution”,  terrorism and repressive terrorism.  revolutionary terrorism is aimed at “bringing about political revolution” sub-revolutionary terrorism” is  employed for political motives  other  than revolution” while repressive  terrorism is government  directed terror aimed at “restraining certain groups, individuals  or forms of  behaviours  deemed to be undesirable.

For  Madunagu (2005)  two types  of  terrorism exist-state terrorism and civil society terrorism” the former directed  against  the civil population while the later against the state. At another level, there is inter-state terrorism and intra-civil society terrorism where the former characterizes a  state divided  against  it and   the later described  what is known in Nigeria as communal /inter ethnic  clashes other  are

1.                  State –sponsored terrorism- used by  radical states as  foreign policy tools;  Blodgett(1999)  traced  state – sponsored terrorism to world war I when  Germany launched over 110,000 chemical shells filled with phosgene in their final offensive against  the French in Verdun during the summer of  1916.  It is estimated by historians that the Germans reliance on chemical weapon resulted in deaths that ranged from 300,000 to 900,000 individuals during the World War I (Ciampi, 2005). This implies that   terrorism may occur both in the context of violente resistant to a state as well as in the service of state interests. (Crenshaw, 1981).
2.                  National terrorism- used  by group   seeking  to form a separate state for their own national  group, often by drawing attentions to a fight for national  liberation eg Irish republican army,  Basque fatherland and liberty etc.
3.                  Religious terrorism-= Certain religious groups have been associated with terrorism. they usually seek to use violence to achieve a divine casue  eg. Al- Qaeda network, Palestinian Sunni Moslim  organization HAMAS, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, the  radical Jewish group affiliated  with late Rabbi  Meir Kahane, the Israeli  extremists, branch Gold stein (who machine  ground  muslim worshippers in a Hebron Mosque in 1994) etc.
4.                  Left wing terrorism – left wing developed following the  contradictions of  capitalism. The major of this kind is outright elimination of capitalism and subsequent replacement with a communist or socialist regime  eg. the Baader Mainhef group (Germany), Japanese  Red Army, the  Weathermen (1070’s  America ) and  the Red Brigades (Italy)  with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end to Cold War, left –wing terrorism  is now uncommon.
5.                  Right-wing terrorism – These  groups seek to do away with liberal democratic  government and create fascist  states in their place neo-fascist terrorists frequently  attack immigrants and refugees from the developing world  and  are both racist and anti-Semitic.
6.                  Transnational  and domestic terrorism or   insurgent terrorism (Barkan and Snowden, 2001) is another typ9ology. the  1995 truck bombing of a nine-story  building in Oklahoma city resulting in 168  deaths and more than 200  injured is a typical example of domestic  terrorism  while  1988  bombing of pan-am flight 103  in Lockshire which took the live of  270 people is transnational terrorism (CNN 2001).  others include:
7.                  Agro-terrorism: the malicious use of  plant or animal pathogens to cause devastating  disease in the  agricultural sector.
8.                  Bio-terrorism: it is a terrorism by internal  release  or disseminating of biological agents (bacteria virus  or toxins).
9.                  Eco-terrorism:  These are threats or acts of  violence  both against people and property,  sabotage, vandalism and intimidation committed  in the ideological system.
10.             Nuclear –terrorism- This  denotes the use of nuclear weapons, radiological weapons(duty bombing ) or  attacks against  facilities that handle nuclear materials with the at mass destruction.
Cyber-terrorism: this is unlawful attacks and threats of attack against  computer networks and  information stored therein  to intimidate  or force the government or its people in furtherance  of political or social objectives.
Share on Google Plus

Declaimer - Unknown

The publications and/or documents on this website are provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of these sample documents is subjected to your own decision NB: Join our Social Media Network on Google Plus | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

READ RECENT UPDATES HERE