International Terrorism

Question 1

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - introduction

Answer 1

Terrorism has been given rise to by several social, political and economic factors. Political factors that can lead to terrorism can be due to the way a country is governed, both dictatorships and democracies are vulnerable to terrorism. Economic factors such as poverty and LEDCs can give rise to terrorism. Finally it can be argued that social factors such as religion, radicalisation and ideologies lead to terrorism. This essay will argue that political factors are most likely to cause terrorism.

Question 2

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph one

Answer 2

P - One political cause of terrorism is dictatorships and authoritarian governments.
E - Terrorist groups can easily manifest in dictatorships. Starts with government opposition being banned from peaceful pressure group activity and media restrictions brought into place. Then leads to the opposition increasing pressure group activity which results in government taking more forceful approach and using emergency laws such as arresting leaders/curfews. Eventually opposition turns to violence targeted at government officials and security forces. Opposition is now considered a terrorist group.
E - In 2011, anti-government protests known as Arab Spring uprisings spread across Arabic speaking countries in Middle East and North Africa. The protests were successful and ended up toppling authoritarian governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

Question 3

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph one rebuttal

Answer 3

R - Although governments seemed ready to install democracy in these countries, the uprisings resulted in armed conflict and civil war in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
E - Terrorist groups can take advantage of civil war and political crises. They see it as a chance to gain power over countries that may be weak at the time.
E - Peaceful pro-democracy can be met with government opposition. Syrian government killed and imprisoned many Arab Spring protestors - as a result the country split into factions and sectarian violence broke out. Civil war closely followed. Despite foreign intervention, half of all Syrians were displaced and nearly half a million people were killed.
L - Authoritarian regimes can both give rise to and create conditions for terrorism to grow when citizens fight back.

Question 4

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph two

Answer 4

P - A social cause of terrorism is religion leading to terrorism within a country.
E - Religious causes have been motivation for numerous terrorist attacks throughout history. Religious terrorists want to punish what they see as “ungodly” behaviour or want to avenge attacks on their beliefs. Religious terrorist groups usually want to enforce religious rule on countries and therefore can have a damaging effect on politics.
E - According to GTI 2020, the Taliban is one of the deadliest terror groups in last 10 years and have led insurgency against Afghan government - have slowly been regaining territory. In 2021, Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and renamed it “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’’. The name shows the religious rule the Taliban want to impose on the country.

Question 5

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph two rebuttal

Answer 5

R - Although Taliban ultimately want to establish caliphate in Afghanistan, most recent attacks have been aimed at political figures, showing that although religion is underlying motivation, political motivation is undeniably linked.
E - Most separatist and religiously motivated terrorism in past two decades has taken place within ongoing conflict such as civil war. Taliban turning to target state forces is a feature of their insurgency campaign to undermine state stability.
E - In 2019, Taliban’s main targets were police and military personnel with around 1,835 deaths linked to attacks on police/military. As peace talks progressed in 2019, Taliban continued to clash with pro-government militia, launching 88 attacks resulting in 486 fatalities.
L - Religious terrorism is closely linked with politics as these groups want everyone to follow their religious ideology - in groups such as the Taliban’s case, a claiphate is the way in which they can enforce that.

Question 6

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph three

Answer 6

P - An economic cause of terrorism is poverty in LEDCs.
E - Poorer people in LEDCs are more likely to be angry at political system and feel they have little to lose by joining a terrorist group. Terrorist groups target and recruit individuals in poverty as they are easier to manipulate and have nothing to lose.
E - ISIL has persuaded thousands of people from all over the world to travel to Syria and join cause. In 2017, Syria was ranked as having highest levels of unemployment at 50%. Syria is ranked by GTI as 4th highest country most impacted by terrorism.

Question 7

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - paragraph three rebuttal

Answer 7

R - Clear link between economic disadvantage and terrorism could be argued. However, this is not true of all countries - many countries with high poverty rates yet low terrorism rates.
E - In 2014, former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, claimed that poverty “in many cases is the root cause of terrorism.” This claim is not entirely true.
E - The country of Guinea Bissau is good example of this. The levels of poverty there are considered worst in Western hemisphere at 69.30% and yet is ranked by GTI as one of the countries with lowest levels of terrorism in the world at 135th place.
L - It is when a country is experiencing political instability as well as high levels of poverty when terrorism is most likely to manifest

Question 8

To what extent are some factors which cause this issue more important than others - conclusion

Answer 8

Ultimately, political factors are most likely to give rise to terrorism. Dictatorships, political instability and civil wars due to political crises can all cause terrorism. Social and economic causes are very closely linked with politics showing that political factors are the biggest causes of terrorism.

Question 9

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - introduction

Answer 9

Terrorism can have a huge impact on the lives of individuals and families who have been involved in or witnessed a terrorist attack. It can be very traumatising and can lead to psychological damage which can affect someone for the rest of their lives. Terrorism can also lead to death and physical injury, both directly through attacks and indirectly through terrorist groups control over areas. A final impact terrorism can have is displacement due to war or attacks. Terrorism can lead to reduction in the quality of life of those who have been affected by it.

Question 10

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph one

Answer 10

P - One impact terrorism can have on individuals, families and communities is death and physical injury.
E - Terrorism directly leads to death and fatal injuries. Terrorist groups use multiple methods when carrying out terrorist attack, one being bombing. Bombs can be homemade with things such as nuts and bolts - can be extremely devastating, possibly causing number of deaths at any one time.
E - An attack using homemade bombs was Manchester bombings that took place at singer Ariana Grande’s concert in 2017. An Islamist extremist suicide bomber set off bomb killing 23 people including himself and injured 1,017 people, some of which young children. The attack was described as deadliest attack in UK since 7th July 2005 bombings in London

Question 11

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph one rebuttal

Answer 11

R - Deaths caused by terrorism extend out with attacks. Recent reports suggest polio outbreak in areas of Nigeria controlled by Boko Haram. However, WHO doctors cannot get access to vaccinate them as it is against group’s beliefs. Estimated that 500,000 children are at risk.
E - However, global deaths from terrorism are falling.
E - Since peak in 2014, has been global decline in number of deaths caused by terrorist attacks to 25,673 people which is a 22% improvement. Although it’s an improvement, it is still a significant number of deaths.
L - Even those who survive attacks have catastrophic consequences such as shortened life expectancy or life altering disabilities which can lead to premature death and reduction to quality of life.

Question 12

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph two

Answer 12

P - Another impact terrorism can have on individuals, families and communities is the psychological impact.
E - Post-traumatic stress disorder is mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience. It occurs in people who have witnessed a disturbing, shocking or frightening event. Symptoms include: nervous breakdowns, emotional outbursts, paranoia, reliving event and anxiety. It can have a huge impact on the way someone with PTSD lives.
E - An average of 18% of terror survivors experience PTSD. In Northern Ireland, those who lived during IRA troubles more prone to suicide than those who didn’t. NI has highest rates of self harm in UK and 1 in 200 adults suffer from PTSD.

Question 13

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph two rebuttal

Answer 13

R - PTSD limits sufferers’ ability to cope with stress and they have greater fear of potential threat and develop generalised over reactivity to things that remind them of traumatic event.
E - It can also lead to other mental health issues and as result financial issues. Due to amplified fear, PTSD can lead to other mental health issues - paranoia, depression and anxiety. Unfortunately PTSD can be expensive to treat so many decide only option is to continue on and suffer.
E - On average it costs $8,300 a year to treat someone with PTSD. In a privatised healthcare system like the USA, this can have huge financial impact on a person. Long term illnesses PTSD can manifest itself into chronic pain, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression leading to suicide.
L - These illnesses and financial issues can have a significant impact on a person’s life and can lead to lessened quality of life.

Question 14

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph three

Answer 14

P - Another impact terrorism can have on individuals, families and communities is displacement.
E - Due to increasing threat of violence from terrorism and war, many people forced to leave their homes and in extreme cases, countries. This then classifies them as refugees. A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster.
E - People have fled ISIS terror and war in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan, and trying to seek refuge in Europe and beyond. Almost 3 million people claimed asylum in the EU in 2015/16.

Question 15

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - paragraph three rebuttal

Answer 15

R - Trying to re-establish a home and identity whilst juggling tasks of daily living is a significant challenge and can lead to long-term effects such as anxiety or depression
E - Approximately 30% of refugees have high levels of distress that might require treatment. These long-term effects can also be caused by trauma of travelling in dangerous situations, such as crossing seas or being subject to exploitation and abuse, to get to another country.
E - Refugees fleeing violence throughout Africa have been captured and sold in slave auctions in Libya. Research suggests that asylum seekers five times more likely to have mental health needs than rest of general population and more than 61% experience serious mental distress.
L - Although refugees may be in a safer place than own country, lasting effects of travelling and other traumatic experiences due to displacement are significant. It can affect refugees in their daily life and stick with them for the rest of their lives

Question 16

Evaluate the impact of the issue on individuals, families and communities - conclusion

Answer 16

Ultimately, terrorism can have a lasting impact on the lives of individuals, families and communities in many different ways. The health impacts, both physical and mental, caused by terrorism can mean someone has a much shorter life expectancy and quality of life. Displacement means someone has to start an entirely new life in a new place whilst trying to come to terms with what they have experienced. All factors can mean an individual or family could have a worsened quality of life.

Question 17

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - introduction

Answer 17

International communities are all affected by terrorism politically, economically and socially. A political effect being an increase in security measures, an economic effect being the financial impact on a country and a social effect being the refugee crisis due to displacement. This essay will argue that the extent to which the country is affected by terrorism depends on how economically developed the country is.

Question 18

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph one

Answer 18

P - Terrorism can have a political effect on governments through the need for greater security measures.
E - Laws and strategies have been made in countries globally to increase security measures and protect their citizens within their country. Governments have increased amount of police officers patrolling events to protect citizens from terrorism and fight off any potential terrorist activity. The use of metal detectors has also been increased at events to make sure nobody is carrying any weapons.
E - After the Manchester bombings that took place at singer Ariana Grande’s concert in May 2017, security measures at concerts were increased in UK, including introduction of metal detectors. The Ariana Grande One Love concert in June of 2017, following attack in Manchester was singers first concert after bombings, so due to fears - significant amount of security.

Question 19

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph one rebuttal

Answer 19

R - However, military action has also had to take place in some instances.
E - Due to the threat of international terrorism, countries have had to deploy armed forces and military in some cases as a response.
E - Following two Islamist related terrorist attacks in France in January 2015, French president declared a state of emergency and deployed 10,000 regular troops in a security mission, Operation Sentinelle, in support of civil authorities. The operation is still ongoing and has the objective of protecting the deemed sensitive points of the territory from terrorism.
L - Therefore, due to security measures being much higher in MEDCs and their ability to protect themselves and their citizens, they are impacted to a much smaller extent than LEDCs, as they can make appropriate political decisions.

Question 20

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph two

Answer 20

P - Terrorism can have a significant economic and financial impact on a country in many different ways.
E - Internationally, financial impact on both developed and developing countries as result of terrorism is significant. For developed countries, could be argued that biggest impact on economy is tourism industry. A rise in terrorism has led to a discussion for Schengen agreement to possibly end. This agreement allows people to travel to all mainland EU countries without having passport checked. Since number of terrorist attacks has increased dramatically in recent years, people began questioning whether ending agreement would be better, so countries could keep track of where people and possible threats are.
E - Both Norway and Denmark reintroduced border control regarding ferries travelling to Germany and Sweden due to terrorist threats from 12th November 2019 to 12th May 2020.

Question 21

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph two rebuttal

Answer 21

R - This can put possible tourists off visiting certain countries, leading to a decrease in tourism. However, arguably developing countries’ economies are hit harder by loss in tourism due to terrorism, as they might rely on funds from tourism more than developed countries.
E - People are being discouraged from travelling to Tunisia due to terrorist attacks. This is a huge blow to the economy as they heavily rely on the tourism industry.
E - The number of visitors in Tunisia fell by 25% - 5.4 million people - in 2015, and revenue from tourists dropped to $1.1 billion - a decline of 35%.
L - Therefore, LEDCs will always be hit harder economically when experiencing terrorism due to not having the same resources as MEDCs to financially recover and implement appropriate measures.

Question 22

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph three

Answer 22

P - Terrorism can have a social effect on governments through increased ill-health amongst the population.
E - For instance, a terrorist groups beliefs can have an effect on governments ability to provide suitable healthcare. An area controlled by terrorist group with a specific idea on healthcare can result in loss of treatments and inability to provide treatments.
E - An example of this is when terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria stood in way of Nigerian gov. eliminating polio. In 2019, group left nearly 66,000 vulnerable children in remote villages in Northern Nigeria unvaccinated against illness. Dr Ngozi Nwosu said, “Now, healthcare workers are accompanied by the military and vigilantes, to keep them and the vaccines they carry safe. We use satellite imagery to know exactly where to go.”

Question 23

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - paragraph three rebuttal

Answer 23

R - As a result of restrictions on healthcare, it can cause more deaths in a country.
E - Increased deaths can have damaging effect on a country’s economy. Deaths can cost a lot of money and that money could be put towards something else and used in more effective way, such as rebuilding due to destruction. For example, a report from the Cost of Wars project at University of Brown, revealed that since 9/11, terrorism has cost US government $8 trillion and has caused more than 900,000 deaths. However, LEDCs may struggle to recover financially from deaths caused by terrorism.
E - A study of 18 African countries, found that Nigeria suffered the highest economic impacts of terrorism, accounting for 89% of a total US$109 billion cost over a ten year period.
L - Therefore, LEDCs are affected to a much larger extent than MEDCs in the way that they may not have the same levels of money to recover and it can have a devastating effect on an economy.

Question 24

To what extent does the issue have an effect on the wider international community - conclusion

Answer 24

Ultimately, all countries are affected by international terrorism, but overall less economically developed countries are hardest hit politically, socially and economically. This is because they do not have the same level of resources and the same finances as more economically developed countries to be able to recover from the devastating impact of terrorism.

Question 25

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - introduction

Answer 25

International terrorism is evolving and presenting new challenges regularly. There have been and continue to be many attempts from international organisations and governments to tackle the issue of terrorism. The UK government has introduced multiple strategies including CONTEST strategy and the introduction of UK intelligence agencies and the EU have enforced policies to help tackle terrorism. This essay will argue that the response by international organisations and governments have been effective to a certain extent.

Question 26

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph one

Answer 26

P - One response by the UK government has been the CONTEST strategy.
E - CONTEST strategy was first introduced in 2003, has been updated since then - most recently June 2018. Set in framework of the four ‘P’s: prevent, pursue, protect and prepare. The first ‘P’ - prevent - was introduced with intent to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. ‘Prevent’ places duty on local authorities, prisons, schools, universities etc, to prevent extremist radicalisation taking place in their institutions. Activities as part of ‘prevent’ include removing online terrorist material and offering rehabilitation programmes to those likely to become or already involved in terrorist activity, thus decreasing likelihood of terrorism manifesting.
E - Since February 2010, over 300,000 pieces of terrorist material has been removed from the internet as a part of the strategy. As well as this, over 1,000 at-risk individuals have been supported through the Channel Programme since 2012.

Question 27

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph one rebuttal

Answer 27

R - This shows ‘prevent’ section of CONTEST strategy has been mostly effective as access to terrorist material has been restricted, meaning less people are likely to fall into supporting or becoming a terrorist. However, it is not entirely effective.
E - Many critics claim that ‘prevent’ strategy will not tackle genuine terrorists who will continue to work in secret and continue to work without intention of stopping, no matter how hard it is. Critics are also worried that ‘prevent’ will foster a climate in which all Muslims are seen as potential terrorists.
E - According to a 2017 Guardian article, some teachers expressed concern that it could backfire and that, rather than preventing vulnerable young people from being drawn into terrorism, it risked fuelling a sense of being marginalised by state and society among Muslims.
L - Therefore, whilst ‘prevent’ as a part of the CONTEST strategy is effective in tackling smaller issues related to terrorism, it is not getting to root cause and more serious concerns surrounding potential terrorists are not being addressed.

Question 28

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph two

Answer 28

P - Another response by the UK government are intelligence agencies.
E - The agencies that are key and specific to tackling terrorism are Security Service MI5 and Special Intelligence Service MI6 (SIS). MI5 - responsible for responding to threats to national security, including terrorism, espionage, cyber threats and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. SIS’s role - detect and disrupt terrorist threats overseas to UK and its interests. SIS works closely with Security Service in efforts to disrupt threats in UK, where threat has an international angle. SIS recruits agents who provide key intelligence on terrorists’ plans and organisations.
E - In 2016/17, the boss of MI5 confirmed that 9 terrorist attacks had been successfully prevented, showing effectiveness of special intelligence agencies.

Question 29

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph two rebuttal

Answer 29

R - However, the terrorist threat level in the UK stays consistently high.
E - Despite government interventions, the terror threat level almost always remained at ‘severe’ from 2014 until 2021. If terror threat level is at ‘severe’, it means a terrorist attack is highly likely.
E - Between 2014 and 2017, there were over 100 terrorist attacks each year in the UK. Although MI5 have prevented a number of terrorist attacks, in comparison to how many terrorist attacks take place each year, they have not prevented that many.
L - Therefore, government responses have only been successful to a certain extent as terrorist attacks are being prevented, but not as many as there should be.

Question 30

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph three

Answer 30

P - Another response by an international organisation are the interventions of the EU.
E - The European Union have increased their rules and actions in fight to combat international terrorism, and there are signs they have been successful. Some sanctions include increase in arresting people in EU member states on suspicion of terrorism-related offences, establishing a ‘terrorist list’ which identifies groups of people involved in acts of terror and subject to restrictive measures, and more recently, ability to freeze assets and ban travel of terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda and IS groups. Combating radicalisation online has been increased focus of the EU, with violent extremists and networks more frequently exploiting social platforms for recruitment.
E - In 2015, EU Internet Referral Unit - based at Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre - was established, one of key duties being flagging terrorist content. In late 2019, unit worked with nine online service providers, including Telegram, Google, Twitter and Instagram, to dismantle Islamic State group’s propaganda network. Around 5,000 terrorist accounts were removed from Telegram alone, and jihadists have struggled to rebuild their networks ever since.

Question 31

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - paragraph three rebuttal

Answer 31

R - This suggests the EU’s battle online against terrorism, has been successful, as less people are likely to come across any terrorist material and possibly be radicalised. However, offline radicalisation is still a big concern in European countries.
E - Offline radicalisation is harder to combat as it can manifest in places such as prisons, which can be harder to take control over.
E - Reports in the Netherlands suggests jail time presents an opportunity for jihadists to form new networks. In 2020, at least five jihadist attacks in Europe involved recently released convicts. Despite this, terrorist attacks in EU member states have decreased. In 2020, there were 119 terrorist attacks, which is a decrease from 2017 (205) and 2018 (129).
L - Therefore, responses from international organisations have been successful to a certain extent as the number of attacks has reduced and radicalisation is being restrained. However, the number of terrorist attacks is still high.

Question 32

Attempts to resolve this issue have been successful. Discuss - conclusion

Answer 32

Ultimately, responses by international organisations and governments have only been effective in tackling terrorism to a certain extent. Whilst strategies have been partly successful in tackling radicalisation, they have not been completely successful. They have been successful in tackling online radicalisation but not offline. Governments and organisations are not getting to the root causes of terrorism which are a lot more complex, and so terrorist incidents and attacks are still happening frequently.