The concept of terrorism has been in existence since the French revolution of 1789 to 1799. It is an act of violence aimed at creating fear amongst innocent civilians. It was initially an issue in some nations, but this notion has changed over time as the concept become global. It is prudent to note that terrorism has adverse effects and is in every part of the world. Nevertheless, the September 11 attack in the United States caught the world by surprise since no one thought that the world super power would be a victim of such terrorist attacks. The attack was well planned, coordinated and executed and hit an enormous global economic power. This attack was just a signal of things to come for the number of terrorist attacks has been increasing every year in different parts of the world.
The September 11 attack was a beginning of a series of attacks that have affected various parts of the world including the world’s super powers. As a result, there have been several theories put across to explain the rising trend of terrorist attacks and how such incidences can be minimized. Historians have cited a correlation between terrorism and globalization. Globalization has come along with technologies such as computerization, digitalization, satellite communication and the Internet which are said to have made a significant contribution to the rising trend in acts of terrorism (Georg Witschel, 2002). It is imperative to note that globalization has brought about increased innovation and mobility from different parts of the world. The enhanced connectivity and speedy means of transport and communication have substantially increased terrorism.
Globalization has also led to change like terrorism. The number of terrorism incidents has been on the rise since 1970 the same time globalization has also been on the rise. Over the same period, there has been an increase in the number of global conflicts during the same period. Also, the concept of globalization has also brought about religious fundamentalism in the acts of terrorism. Most of the modern global terrorist group such as Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab and ISIS are all animated by Islamic religious faith. They are Islamic extremist groups whose agenda has been widely spread through globalization. It is prudent to note that globalization has to a great extent undermined traditional religious values and consequently increased radicalization, especially amongst the youths. There has been a connotation that these extremist groups usually target Christians from western countries. Enhanced technology such as real-time money transfers and international communication has also made it difficult to fight terrorism (Richard Jackson et al 2011). The well coordinated and executed 2001 attack is a clear indication of the high technology used by these groups while executing their attacks. Availability of real-time money transfer technology has also significantly enhanced terrorist activities since money can be easily transferred from one country to another. If the world is to win the war on terrorism, then it will be imperative to look at the concept of globalization with another perspective.
References
Ambassador Georg Witschel, “Global Terrorism: Trends and Response”, keynote speech at the International Conference on Terrorism in South Asia: Impact on Development and Democratic Process, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 23-25, 2002.
Andrew Monaghan, “Energy Security: NATO’s Limited, Complementary Role”, NATO Defence College, Research Division, Research Paper No. 36 (2008), pp. 1-2
“NATO’s Response to Terrorism”, 6 December 2001, quoted in Krassimir Kuzmanov, ‘Does NATO have a role in the fight against international terrorism? Analysis of NATO’s response to September 11’, Information and Security: An International Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1 (2006) p. 78.
Richard Jackson et al, Terrorism: A Critical Introduction (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan 2011) Box 6.4 ‘The terrorist threat in empirical context’
Sarwar Kashmeri, NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete? (Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, 2011), pp. 136 and 137
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