Terrorism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Terrorism - Term Paper Example Similarities and differences with insurgency Insurgency is not a conventional war or terrorism. It shares with terrorism the use of force to obtain a political end. Difference that arises between the two is the degree of violence. Terrorism does not lead to political change on its own but insurgency tries to bring forth change use of force of arms. Insurgents use ways like hit and run attacks and laying ambushes on the security forces. Insurgency unlike terrorism gets significant support from a large portion of the population. Insurgency is a movement or a political effort that has an aim. The major difference between terrorism and the insurgency is the intent of their activities. Insurgency contains nothing inherent that will need the use of terror. However, there exist other successful insurgencies that used terrorism and the terror acts, other formed into conflicts where the tactics of terror and terrorism became predominant. Other insurgencies renounced the use of terrorism total ly in their movement. The choice of using terrorism is to inspire increased resistance, destroying the government efficiency, and to mobilize support (Sageman 20). The goal of an insurgency is, to adequately challenge the present government for the control of the entire or a portion of its territory. Insurgents can also force different political concessions in sharing of political power. Insurgencies, however, need the tactic or active support of a portion of the involved population. The insurgents could also require support from foreign countries. This, however, does not bother them at all. A terrorist group does not need and minimally has empathy or support of a big fraction of the population. While the insurgents describe themselves frequently as guerillas or insurgents, the terrorists will never refer to themselves or their organization as terrorists. They describe or portray themselves using political or military terminology such as activists and freedom fighters. Terrorism dep ends on public impact, and relatively conscious of the benefits of avoiding the negative impacts of the term terrorists’ when identifying themselves (Simic 15). Terrorism acts do not try to fight the government forces directly, but will tend to change the perceptions as to the legitimacy or the effectiveness of the government in question. They achieve this by ensuring the greatest knowledge of terrorist acts of violence. The terrorists do not attempt to control any region, as this identifies them to a location which reduces their security and mobility. The terrorist avoid direct confrontations with the forces of government. Insurgents can have something to achieve from clashing with the government forces, like proving that they can efficiently challenge the government military and test their effectiveness. Terrorist organizations have nothing to gain from clashing with the governments. The terrorists groups will not engage in anything that resembles a fair fight or a war itse lf. They use ways that will neutralize the powers of the conventional forces. Terrorists tactics include; bombings of civilian targets where the military spend off duty time, ambushes of conveys that are not defended and the assassinations of poorly guarded individuals (Sageman 24). Insurgencies do not need the targeting of civilians, despite the fact that they expand the required legal definition of combatants to include the police and other security personnel