The word terrorism

Definitions of Terrorism

There are many different definitions of terrorism that have been given by different nations, legal systems, and academics around the globe. Performing an illegal act against a country’s citizens with the purpose to instill fear and intimidation for political or religious reasons is referred to as terrorism, according to Zalman (2016). Bombing, the use of biological weapons, arson, kidnapping, hijacking of an aircraft, murder, and sabotage are just a few examples of possible terror attacks. Domestic and international terrorism are the two kinds of terrorism. While the latter refers to terrorist activities against a nation by terrorists from another country, the former implies terrorist activities against one’s own country. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of the international communities in the bid to reduce or stop terrorism.

United States as a Target

The United States is one of the nations targeted by terrorists due to its perceived interference in the Eastern countries. The September 11, 2001, attack in the US is just one of the most remembered terrorist attacks in the history of the American citizens. Therefore, with the formation of the international community, member countries have since shared intelligence information which has enabled the capture of some of these terrorists including their group leaders (Abrahms, 2008). In this regard, terrorists have been apprehended when they move from one country to another hence reducing the attacks.

Importance of Border Security

One of the primary reasons why there were increased terrorist attacks was due to the easy entry and exit at the border. The international community has advocated for the improvement of border security where commissions and committees have been put in place to oversee the implementation of the rules and regulations proposed. The effectiveness and efficiency of the border security are significant in stopping terrorist activities because most of the illegal and bomb making materials enter the countries through the frontier (Abrahms, 2008). Therefore, this reduces the mobility of terrorists thereby reducing the attacks.

Preventing Financing of Terrorist Groups

According to researchers, terrorism may be reduced by a bigger percentage if nations, together with the international community, suppress or prevent the financing of these groups. For instance, if an individual is found guilty by the law of supporting acts of terror, the government should freeze their financial assets and funds. In the long run, terrorist groups will have limited funds to carry on with their activities, which in turn will reduce terrorism in the world.

Security Measures and Public Awareness

The international community is well informed of the threats the terrorists pose to some facilities. Thus, a high-level security protocol should be put in nuclear and radioactive materials facilities to prevent terrorists from gaining access to these sites. It is also essential that the law enforcement agencies within the international community should launch an international campaign against terrorism. The public should be enlightened on the danger terrorists pose to their lives and that of the next generation in the event a nuclear bomb is detonated. This initiative will help the counter terrorist groups since the public will report any suspicious activity within their vicinity.

Conclusion

Terrorism is a major problem for almost all the countries in the world today since the development of the weapons of mass destruction. The international community has tried to prevent terrorist activities to a greater extent even though the challenge arises from nations that sympathize with the terrorist groups. Therefore, future research should aim at ways in which the dynamic of terrorism has changed and how to control the new form of terrorist activities.

References

Abrahms, M. (2008). What terrorists really want: Terrorist motives and counterterrorism strategy. International Security, 32(4), 78-105.

Zalman, A. (2016). Definitions of Terrorism. [online] ThoughtCo. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/definitions-of-terrorism-3209375 [Accessed 31 Aug. 2017].