Modern Flashcards
One political cause of terrorism is the fight for independence
Point – One political cause of terrorism is the fight for
independence.
Explain – In some countries, minority groups feel like
they are not really part of the country that they live
in and may want to become independent. If the
government is not willing to let them, some people
may turn to violence to try and force the government
to listen.
Example – ETA in the Basque Country wanted
independence from Spain and France and tried to
force the government to listen through violence such
as the bombing of a supermarket.
One political cause of terrorism is overthrowing government
Point – One political cause of terrorism is to overthrow
governments.
Explain – Some countries do not have fair elections
where they can change their governments if they are not happy with them. Due to this, they feel that the only way to get rid of the government is to resort to violence. They might attack government targets or innocent people to put pressure on the government.
Example – FARC in Colombia aim to overthrow the
corrupt Colombian government to create a more equal
One social cause of terrorism is religious
Point – One social cause of terrorism is religion.
Explain – This means that groups use violence as they
believe that their religion justifies it. Extremists
believe in a strict, extreme version of a religion that
justifies hurting people that disagree with them.
Religious extremists are often radicalised or
brainwashed into these extreme beliefs.
Example – Islamic State want to establish an Islamic
‘caliphate’ or country which follows strict Islamic
law. They have attacked Muslims who they believe
don’t follow Islam properly and Western countries
that they believe are ‘too involved’ in the Middle
East.
One social cause of terrorism is racial
Point – One social cause of terrorism is because of
white supremacy.
Explain – This means that they use terrorism to attack
other races because they want to hurt or intimidate
them. People who believe in white
supremacism believe that white people are better
than other races and that this justifies acts of
violence against them.
Example – Dylann Roof murdered nine African
Americans in the 2015 Charleston Church Shooting. He
confessed to police that he wanted to start a race
war and owned a website that promoted neo-Nazi
ideology
One economic cause of terrorism is
poverty.
- Point – One economic cause of terrorism is
poverty. - Explain – Terror groups thrive in areas of
instability and are often seen as a way of getting
a stable income in areas of high unemployment or
poverty. People may have no choice but to join
terror groups to earn a wage or support their
family. They might not agree with the group but
may need the financial stability. - Example – An example of this is that the Arab
Youth Survey found that in 8/16 Arab countries, it
was a lack of jobs and opportunities that drew
people towards ISIS instead of religious beliefs.
One economic cause of terrorism is food
insecurity.
Point – One economic cause of terrorism is food
insecurity.
- Explain – Food insecurity is where there is not
enough reliable access to food. This could be
because of famine or drought causing a lack of
food or it could be due to war or conflict stopping
food deliveries.
- Example – Islamic State have been known to take
food from charities and give it out to towns and
villages. This allowed them to gain the trust of
the local people and led to some joining the
group.
One impact of terrorism on victims is a
physical impact.
- Point – One impact of terrorism on victims is a
physical impact. - Explain – Terrorist attacks usually cause a lot
of harm to people that get caught up in them –
many die at the scene and some are left with
severe injuries. These injuries can be treated,
but some are so severe that a victim will need
to adjust key aspects of their life. - Example – One example of this is Martine
Wright, who was caught up in the London
bombings. Martine lost both her legs in the
attack, but went on to represent the UK at the
Paralympics.
One impact of terrorism on victims is a
mental impact.
Point – One impact of terrorism on victims is a
mental impact.
* Explain – As well as potentially being left with
injuries, many victims are left with mental
scars. Many are unable to cope with what they
experienced during an attack. These mental
scars often last longer than any physical
symptoms and can be harder to treat.
* Example – One example of this is 9/11
responder Daniel Moynihan who not only
suffered physical symptoms such as hearing
loss, but he also suffers from PTSD after being
around such a major attack.
One way that terrorism impacts countries
and governments is through an economic cost.
- Point - One way that terrorism impacts countries
and governments is through an economic cost. - Explain – A government has to spend a lot of money
in the wake of an attack. Firstly, terror attacks can
cause a lot of destruction that has to be cleaned up
and building rebuilt. They may also need to spend
more money on supporting victims and their
families. - Example – It took around 8 months to clean up the
debris from 9/11 and cost the U.S. Government over
$750 million.
One impact of terrorism on countries and
governments is increased security.
- Point – One impact of terrorism on countries and
governments is increased security. - Explain – Often increased security happens directly
after an attack, or after intelligence services have
stopped an attack happening. It can include greater
checks at airports or more armed police on the
streets. - Example –After a terror plot was stopped that
involved liquids on aircraft, liquids above 100ml
were no longer allowed through security.
One impact of terrorism on countries and
governments is increased security.
- Point – One impact of terrorism on countries and
governments is increased security. - Explain – Often increased security happens directly
after an attack, or after intelligence services have
stopped an attack happening. It can include greater
checks at airports or more armed police on the
streets. - Example –After a terror plot was stopped that
involved liquids on aircraft, liquids above 100ml
were no longer allowed through security.
One way that terrorism impacts countries and
governments is through increased defence spending
- Point - One way that terrorism impacts countries and
governments is through increased defence spending. - Explain – If countries have been attacked, or feel
under threat of attack, they are likely to strengthen
their defences against terrorism. This could be by
increasing spending on the military through
increasing troop numbers or equipment. It could also
be through increasing the intelligence budget so
terrorists could be stopped before they attack. - Example – The 2018 budget saw a funding increase in
cyber security to help tackle online threats and track
terror activity online.
One impact of terrorism on wider society is a
rise in Islamophobia
- Point - One impact of terrorism on wider society is a
rise in Islamophobia. - Explain - This means that there is a rise in negative
attitudes towards Muslims. Islamophobia is prejudice
against those of Muslim faith. Many Muslims can suffer
attacks purely based on their religion. Instances of
Islamophobia attacks increase in the wake of a terror
attack linked to an Islamic group. - Example - After recent coverage of terrorist attacks,
Britain has experienced a rise in Islamophobia. Mosques
have been vandalised and the Guardian reported that
women wearing hijab complained about being spat at
and having their headscarves pulled off.
Another impact of terrorism in wider society is
tension between countries
- Point - Another impact of terrorism in wider society is
tension between countries. - Explain - The majority of countries around the world want to
tackle terrorism however there are a few who have been
accused of harbouring terrorists or even funding them. This
creates tension between countries and can lead to political
threats. Many countries have a list of those who sponsor
terrorism that they update depending on the political
situation. - Example - In 2016 following a terror attack on an Indian air
force base, President Obama urged Pakistan to dismantle
any terror networks working in its borders. Tensions
between Pakistan and the USA over terrorism have been
going on for a long time after Osama Bin Laden was found
hiding in Pakistan.
One military method used to tackle
terrorism is using ground troops.
Point – One military method used to tackle
terrorism is using ground troops.
Explain – This means that countries can send
their armies to directly tackle the terror
groups. This is seen as the quickest way to
take action and it is effective as the troops
are highly trained to deal with terrorists.
However, it is risky as there is a high chance
that some soldiers will lose their lives.
Example – As of July 2021 the USA have sent
around 900 ground troops to fight Islamic
State in Syria.
One military method used to tackle
terrorism is conducting airstrike
Point – One military method used to tackle
terrorism is conducting airstrikes.
Explain – This means that countries can
attack the enemy without putting troops on
the ground – leading to less military
casualties. They can be used to target key
points such as terror bases or training camps,
but sometimes can lead to mistakes where
innocent people are killed.
Example – The UK used airstrikes against
Islamic State in 2015. After the Paris attacks,
France dropped 20 bombs on the Syrian city
of Raqqa – an Islamic State stronghold.
One non-military way to tackle terrorism is
through the PREVENT programme.
Point - One non-military way to tackle terrorism is
through the PREVENT programme.
Explain – This means that the UK government has
designed a strategy called CONTEST which includes the
PREVENT programme. The programme aims to stop
people promoting terrorism or being drawn in to
terrorism. PREVENT has stopped many leaving the
country to go and train with Islamic State, but it has
also been criticised for unfairly targeting Muslims many
of whom have done nothing wrong.
Example – In the year 2015-16, 150 people were
stopped entering conflict zones in Syria and Iraq and
more than 42,000 people were part of a counter-
radicalisation programme.
One non-military way countries can
tackle terrorism is through investing in
intelligence.
Point - One non-military way countries can
tackle terrorism is through investing in
intelligence.
Explain - This means that most countries have
their own intelligence service and investigate
terrorists to try to stop attacks before they
happen. MI5 is the British security service tasked
with protecting the UK. They have a specific
department, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre
(JTAC) which gathers and assesses all
information related to terrorism here in the UK
and abroad.
Example - Between March and May 2017,MI5
disrupted 5 major terror plots in the UK.
One way that the UN tackles terrorism is
through peacekeepers.
Point – One way that the UN tackles terrorism is
through peacekeepers.
Explain – UN Peacekeepers include soldiers,
police officers and civilians who oversee the
peace process in many countries around the
world. Often they go into areas that have a
problem with terrorists and try to keep the
peace. They may work with all sides and try and
negotiate a peace deal to protect innocent
people.
Example – There is a group of peacekeepers
based in the African country of Mali to try and
reduce violence in a region where terrorism is
an issue. These peacekeepers are often
attacked by Islamic terror groups.
One way that the UN tackles
terrorism is through resolutions
Point – One way that the UN tackles
terrorism is through resolutions
Explain – A UN resolution is an official
decision by the UN that members have voted
for and are expected to follow. They have
published many resolutions on terrorism as it
is one of the key issues affecting many
countries around the world.
Example – Since 2001, there have been over
45 resolutions regarding terrorism. Many
have been voted for directly after an attack.
One way that international organisations
have been successful is through peacekeeping.
Point – One way that international organisations
have been successful is through peacekeeping.
Explain – Peacekeepers are made up of soldiers,
police and civilians and therefore are experts in
many fields. They are extremely experienced in
resolving conflict and issues as they have done it
many times before in many different countries.
They are used to negotiating with different groups
and this has helped many countries in the past.
Example – A 2016 report by the Global Crisis group
said that the UN’s most meaningful way of stopping
terrorism was through peacekeepers.
One way that international organisations
have been successful is through cooperation
between countries.
Point – One way that international organisations
have been successful is through cooperation
between countries.
Explain – It is successful because individual
intelligence agencies spend less time investigating
the same individuals. By sharing information,
countries can build up an intelligence picture
quickly and can stop terror attacks before they
happen.
Example – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
has stated that cooperation between countries “has
saved lives and kept all our citizens safe”.
One way that international organisations
have been unsuccessful can be seen through the
use of resolutions.
Point – One way that international organisations
have been unsuccessful can be seen through the
use of resolutions.
Explain – Resolutions are recommendations and not
actual laws. The UN cannot force countries to follow
resolutions and therefore many countries just don’t
listen. Some resolutions can also be difficult for
countries to follow if they are poor or don’t have
the correct resources.
Example –Resolution 2170 called for countries to
stop people joining Islamic State or funding them.
However, this has been difficult to follow and the
group are still receiving money and members.
One way that international organisations
have been unsuccessful is because of wasted
money.
Point – One way that international organisations
have been unsuccessful is because of wasted
money.
Explain – The United Nations has many different
programmes to stop terrorism and countries spend a
lot of money on these. To organise the programmes
however, a lot of the money is wasted on meetings
and reports rather than tackling the issue.
Example – There is little evidence that the $100
million donated by Saudi Arabia has been used to
actually tackle terrorism on the ground.
One reason why international organisations
tackle terrorism is global security
Point – One reason why international organisations
tackle terrorism is global security.
Explain – This means that it is their duty to keep
people safe and protect them from dangers. Many
countries join the fight against terrorism or increase
their funding after a terror attack as they believe
their people are in danger.
Example – After the 9/11 attacks on the USA, NATO
(an international organisation) led by the USA
invaded Afghanistan to try and stop al-Qaeda.
One reason why international organisations
tackle terrorism is for financial reasons.
Point – One reason why international organisations
tackle terrorism is for financial reasons.
Explain – This means that terrorism can impact
countries financially. They have to spend money to
repair damages, support victims and increase
security. Tourists are also less likely to visit and
therefore the amount of money spent within a
country reduces. This would change if terror attacks
stopped.
Example – The French Government stated that in
2016 after the Paris attacks, the country saw a 750
million euro drop in profits. This is why it has
supported helping Syria through the EU.
