Terrorism and Criminal Activity - Term Paper Example

Terrorism and Criminal Activity Terrorism is any act of violent activity aimed at creating fear (terror) to the public. Terrorism, as a criminal activity, is in most scenarios executed for political, religious or even ideological difference goals, which vehemently target the innocent non-combatants such as civilians and neutral militia personnel. The non-state actors may as well undertake terrorism activities in countries where there are diverse socio-political ideological differences and religious suspicion. Terrorism is unlawful activity, which has been fought with a lot of zeal, zest and vigour. The act of terrorism is a humiliation of its kind to the peaceful co-existence of the human race hence grouped in the UN charter as an unlawful violent war activity. This paper focuses on describing the difference between terrorism and criminal activities from economic, security and psychological point of views. Terrorism activities are unknowingly executed, and this usually creates the aspect of its untimely attack nature. In order to mitigate terrorism, every nation has been called upon to act swiftly and boldly towards uplifting their anti-terrorism security apparatus. For example, the following are some of the stringent measures aimed at overhauling globally dreadful terrorism and criminal activities. Firstly, terrorism activity, to some extent, may generate from the minds of terrorists hence it is a psychologically intertwined activity. These activities target overcrowded areas such as passenger related areas, shopping malls, hotels and restaurant. Secondly, an advance passengers’ information and passengers’ name record data has been used as one of the measures to prevent terrorism (Baudrillard et al., 2003). The identification of high-risk travellers in the facilitation legitimate travel has mitigated terrorism acts. Airlines are required by law to provide advanced passengers’ information and Passenger Name Records (PNR) before their departure in order to personally identify the passengers. Through this approach, various terrorism cases have been identified and barred from killing innocent civilians. Travel counter-terrorism activities include visa security programmes, pre-departure vetting, enhanced explosives screening and securing of the travels wholly. In more advanced terrorism activities expectations, the global supply chain security and surface transportation security advancements have been enhanced. Terrorism, as a travelling evil activity, has been in the recent past curbed through an intermodal prevention and response teams. These teams work hand-in-hand in the transportation sectors across the world to prevent and disrupt any looming terrorist activities. An enhanced explosives’ screening also ensures the provision of safety against any tourism activity. Various technologically stable advancements such as explosives detectors have also been able to detect traces explosives and bombs (Frey & Moris, 2001). The visible intermodal preventions also pave a way for the prevention and disruption of any potential terrorism planning activities. Lastly, global countries especially the hegemonic ones have jointly suppressed terrorism activities through the launch of militia activities in the countries hosting terrorists. The pre-emptive incursions like the Operation Desert Storm, in the terrorists’ host countries, play a major role in the mitigation of terrorism activities. This is because, through these operations, individual terrorists can be easily dealt with before undertaking their specific terrorism activities across borders. The methods used in the mitigation of terrorism are complex hence different from the regular methods used to mitigate criminal activities. Terrorism as an activity is flexible and complex depending on the technological advancements. As opposed to regular criminal activities, which can be easily identified, traced and prevented from occurring by the authorities, terrorism is a more secretive activity thus tracing it is highly difficult. The complex nature of terrorism, especially in the technological field, makes this evil activity different from regular criminal activities. This is because it does not necessarily depend on technological advancements in order to achieve its demands or interests (Hoffman, 2006). Some terrorism activities are State funded while criminal activities are not in any way funded by any State. This makes terrorism as an activity intricately tailored as when it is fought to the tooth. For instance, inter-state wars may be experienced in relation to their supporting countries. Terrorism activity, therefore, has been fought not only with single nations, but also with all countries in order to shun the image of States’ funding for this activity. Lastly, terrorism as an illegal activity creates much fear and is destructive more than criminal activities. An acquired terrorists’ activities and its destructive nature have caused humiliation to the civilians as opposed to the regular criminal activities. In cases of terrorism activities, a terrorist undertakes the activities willingly and passionately hence their deaths are the last options they worry about (Howard 2002). Terrorism’s primary aim is to cause fear and destruction to the public hence is a very different activity from other criminal activities, which only target specific places of people. Criminal and terrorism activities are both uncouth acts hence are cruelly and lawfully dealt with in a similar way in order to mitigate their occurrences. The benefits of the prevention and enforcement of terrorism activities include the reduction of occurrence of terrorism activities, and the increased awareness of terrorism activities to the public, which also leads to the reduction of threats terrorists impose. Additionally, prevention and enforcement of terrorism has gained a global brand image thus increasing the operationalization of terrorism mitigation. Terrorism activity in the modern world stands to have no chance in the destruction of human lives and creating fear among them. According to O’kane (2007), the prevention versus enforcement of this activity has grown to greater heights with various operations aimed at eradicating terrorism. This has been perceived as an emerging issue because of religious hostility, intolerance and suspicion. Limitations of enforcement versus enforcement terrorism, on the other hand, are largely dependent on corruption, religious differences, and State funding of some terrorism activities. Terrorism has become a religious enmity activity especially between Christianity and Islamic religion. Therefore, the prevention and enforcement of terrorism activity has faced several religious challenges where the Islamic religion believes terrorism is a Christianity entity whereas Christianity believes in the opposite (Malisow & French, 2008). Corruption, which is an emerging issue in the globe, has also inflicted a lot of fear regarding the prevention and enforcement of terrorism activities. Lastly, State funding of terrorism activities further complicates its prevention. This is because of the inter-state legitimacy and boundary laws, which prevent the eradication of terrorism activities within their state boundaries. The overall economy has been greatly drained by terrorism and criminal activities. The world economy has been drained by terrorism and criminal activities because these activities limit tourism activities, create insecure business environment, destroy properties, and lead to the loss of lives of a productive population. Hoffman (2006) presents that tourism, as a major foreign exchange earner in the world money market, has not been in terms with terrorism and criminal activities. Most tourists feel insecure to travel all over the world in fear of terrorism and criminal activities. This has resulted into a drop in the overall state of world economies inclusive of gross domestic products as well employment opportunities. Terrorism and criminal activities create insecure business environments due to the fear they create to business corporate. Limited working hours and business operations have, therefore, been experienced in the world trade economy as a result of terrorism and criminal activities. This fact, therefore, has ultimately affected the current state of the economy a great deal. Lastly, terrorism and criminal activities directly implicate the economy through the overall destruction of properties or even death of productive victims of these activities (Howard, 2002). Various contributing business organizations and buildings have been brought down as a result of terrorism and criminal activities hence largely affecting the world money markets and the economy at large. Terrorism and criminal activities are very difficult psychological topics. The psychological explanations of these subjects are based largely on politically lawful assumption and social prejudices. There are three psychologically accepted approaches towards the explanation of terrorism and criminal activities. These approaches are psychosocial, macro-sociological and psychological approaches, which are largely interrelated scopes of criminal minds studies. Terrorism, as a criminal and illegal activity, is a psychological process because various distinctively conflictive trends and social dysfunctions are the overall self-control system in individuals who conduct it (O’kane, 2007). The cause of terrorism has been overly associated with various roots causes, which are innately driven. Criminality and terrorism may arise as a result of severe traumatising earlier experiences to the individual role players hence a self-revenge aspect of self-image emergence. In conclusion, most commonly experienced psychological explanations of terrorism activities convolutedly involve disruptive and psychopathological-relation distorted personalities. Terrorists are inwardly of an aggressive impulse hence are carelessly driven into undertaking their acts. Additionally, people who willingly join terrorism and criminal activities have different self-driven motivations and personalities. Terrorists and criminals have common psychological attributes, which include lack of empathy to their victims, dogmatic or ideologically mentally perturbed, which inclusively result into the persistent nature of terrorism and criminal activities throughout the world. Seemingly, terrorism and criminal activities are unending if these cases are only dealt with lawfully through court processes unless a more coordinated psychologically therapeutic processes are adopted. References Baudrillard, J., Baudrillard, J., & Baudrillard, J. (2003). The spirit of terrorism and other essays. London: Longman. Frey, R. G., & Morris, C. W. (2001). Violence, terrorism, and justice. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press. Howard, L. (2002). Terrorism: Roots, impact, responses. New York: Praeger. Malisow, B., & French, J. L. (2008). Terrorism. New York, NY: Chelsea House. OKane, R. H. T. (2007). Terrorism: [of groups, states and nations]. Harlow: Longman. Read More