UNIT 2

International terrorism

Basic concepts of the unit: atrocity, assault, assassination. Text A: International Terrorism. Text B: The Purpose of Terroristic Acts. Text C.: The Characteristic of Terroristic Activities.

If you are a terror to many, then beware of many.

Ausonius

Basic concepts:

Atrocity the quality or state of being atrocious

Assault 1. a violent, physical or verbal attack

2. threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily

harm on a person that puts the person in immediate danger of

Assassinate 1. to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously

2. to murder by sudden or secret attack usually for impersonal reason

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

Discussion:

1. Who becomes a terrorist and why?

2. What is the difference between a warrior and a terrorist?

3. Is terrorism a useful term in understanding the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?

PRE – TEXT EXERCISES:

I. Practice the pronunciation of the following words:

Intimidating, annihilate, jeopardize, despotism, brutal, perpetrate, target, arena, to victimize, demolishing, illegitimately, anarchist, hostage, psychological, perpetrators, basis, abreast, domain, precaution, persuasion, jurist, appreciated, warrior, regime, paralyze, determine.

II. Practice the pronunciation of the following proper words:

Syria, Hizbullah, HAMAS, Turkish, Sulhi Donmezer, Grand Larousse dictionary, Nechayes, Armenian.

TEXT A

International terrorism

Terror, as a concept, means "intimidating", but this intimidating is in great intensity and capable of creating sudden feelings of fear on individuals explaining the manner of violence.

Even though terror is a frequently used term for the actions in question today, there is no any other definition which is accepted and recognized widespread. There have been many definitions made regarding terror, but in the international arena, no common concept has been determined. This is because the person who is declared as the terrorist by one side is called as the warrior of freedom by the other side.

Terror as the definition, is the act of threatening the purpose of which is to make people adopt certain points and behaviors in the means of intimidation.

The most significant characteristic of terror is that it chooses the target randomly, and this random determination of victim causes the fear they try to achieve on the individuals in greater impacts. If there is no specific precaution taken in case something bad happens, the one who is chosen, as the target will be defenseless. This potential victim has got nothing to do with defending himself not knowing the danger, because, the time and the place of the murderous action are up to the terrorist himself within his rules and aims. All these exhibit the terror operations are not previously anticipated. The other observed characteristics of terror are that they are merciless, destructive, and immoral. Terrorism is an illegal, organized, systematic manner of adopting the terror activities constantly for the aim of changing the present system and order to serve its own political purposes, whereas terror explains the intimidating and highly frightening action involving violence.

Unlike the society's peaceful attitude by means of democratic persuasion and behavior, terrorism, for reaching political targets, is different from traditional political crimes and methodical, organized, systematic acts of murdering, kidnapping, intimidating and destruction. In order to achieve its goal, it is a manner which doesn't respect the authority of the government and its laws, aims to use violence against public getting the democratic authorities out of masses to hide their weakness, applies developed tactics fit out with destructive arms obtained by the help of some hostile foreign forces, seems to have artificial historical tasks to provide public support and rebellion which they are unable to grant by means of their own force and doctrines, despises humanity and human life to get the political targets lacking any moral bases, victimize innocent people.

According to Law of Terror Prevention (dated 12.04.1991 and numbered 3713), Terror is defined as follows: 'Terror is all kinds of activities to be attempted by a member or members of an organization on the purpose of changing the characteristics of the Republic which is stated in the constitution, and the political, juridical, social, secular, economic system, destroying the territorial integrity of the state and the government and its people, weakening or ruining or invading the authority of the government, demolishing the rights and freedom, destroying the public order or peace and security."

The jurist Sulhi Donmezer, defines terror as the usage of violence in an illegal and planned way to provoke the social classes by manipulating their social, national, racial, religious differences to cause contradictions and fights.

In Grand Larousse dictionary and encyclopedia, terror is defined as "the systematic usage of violence and intimidation to make a power and potency accepted by force", and terrorism is defined as "the whole sum of violence activities and political actions which are directed to people, possessions, institutions and base on violence".

According to left organization’s points of view , terror, in practical, is the kind of struggle which takes place between legitimately and illegitimately armed forces of the two sides, aims to diminish the armed enemy forces as the main target, and applies assassinations and political murders.

Gerge Sorel, the founder of Philosophy of labour unionism says that the best way to direct the masses and bring them to the targets that are desired to be attained is making the fear widespread, stating "there is only one weapon in twentieth century, and it is the fear."

The famous anarchist Nechayes in the last century says, "terrorist knows only one science, that is the science of demolishing”

In England, the Law for struggling against terror states that "terrorism is the usage of violence against political institutes or the usage of violence in order to intimidate and repress to frighten some parts of the society."

In France, terror is explained as "any individual or collective activity which aims to subvert the present public order and peace" in the Law for struggling against terror.

Notwithstanding the definitions of terror in many different ways, none of these definitions has managed to explain this issue alone. That is because, despite having many similarities in structure, terror organizations particularly differ in aim.

Some terrorist say that they struggle for national independence, some say they avenge the events that happened in the past, like ASALA, Armenian Genocide Organization, and the others tell that they want to make certain religious, racial, political, social, cultural and economic structures dominant. In addition to this problem, there is a basic application difference the solution of, which is impossible in the activities, defined as terrorism. "The person who is a terrorist for one is a warrior of independence for the other one". Consequently, a person's being considered as a traitor, who committed offensive crimes on one side of the border, while being considered as a hero, a warrior of independence on account of the very same activity on the other side of the border make explaining terrorist and terrorism very difficult

All in all, terror which doesn't have a complete, explanatory definition accepted on the international basis is "a symbolic activity requiring the usage of intimidation and threat for the purpose of causing impact by the means of unnatural behaviours involving political expectation”.