Lesson 27 — Activity 2:
History of Terrorism

Warm Up

In this activity, you will understand how many developments that have changed the world have also changed the face of terrorism.

In previous lessons, you learned how technology has impacted the world. Although most changes have been positive, they have also had a negative effects on the environment.

Weapons and changes in the way that wars are fought have increased nations' abilities to defend themselves, but they have also resulted in greater death and destruction when conflicts occur. All these changes have also impacted the way that terrorists carry out their activities. Some acts of terrorism are committed by individuals who have their own personal grudges against some aspect of society. Terrorism is not new, but today's main groups go well beyond previous terrorist activities.

ankara attack

public domain

Ankara terrorist attack: Car bomb kills at least 18 in Turkey capital.

Terrorist organizations are now larger and better organized with more cells that can operate all over the world. The smallest elements of terrorist organizations are the cells that serve as building blocks for the terrorist organization. These terror cells operate independently of each other so that if one is discovered and destroyed, others still operate. Members of one cell have no knowledge of other cells, so authorities must conduct time-consuming investigations for each cell. No one has any accurate information of how many terrorist cells exist.

Better communication has expanded the threat of terrorism to all parts of the world. A terrorist group could once operate only within a limited area of a nation because communication was more local and certainly much slower. The Internet and cell phones have enabled terrorists to plan, coordinate, and implement their activities easily. Communication today is nearly instantaneous and has no boundaries. Although intelligence organizations such as the CIA in the United States or MI5 in Great Britain can track such activity, by the time this happens the act of terrorism has often already been carried out.

The end of the Cold War also had an impact on the growth of terrorism. When the world was divided into two camps based on democracy and communism, the United States and the Soviet Union went to great lengths to influence the activities of governments in many areas of the world.

After this situation changed, many of the nations that had been somewhat formerly controlled by one of the superpowers entered into periods of turmoil with individuals and groups struggling for control. These struggles sometimes aided terrorist organizations. They could now operate without any restrictions, and many weapons of the former Soviet Union nations went on the black market. Terrorist groups were willing and well-financed shoppers. As more sophisticated weapons have been developed, terrorist groups have had the money to buy them. Unlike most police and military forces, terrorist groups feel justified in using them against innocent people to further their causes.

weapons on black market

ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs Office/CC BY

The black market for weapons in Europe serves terror cells.

The combination of these factors has changed the way that terrorists can operate. The goal of terrorist groups is to make as large an impact as possible to draw attention to their cause. The impact depends on their ability to carry out acts that result in the most destruction and greatest loss of life possible. Terrorists can now draw international attention to their cause by carrying out their actions anywhere at any time.

Try This!

Try the question below on your own first, and then click on the tab to check your answer! You may look back at the lesson to find the answer.

Name the ways that developments have changed the face of terrorism.

Click here to check your answer!

technology

terrorist cells that are better organized

better communication (e.g., the Internet, cell phones, etc.)

the end of the Cold War