Running head: TERRORISM 1

Terrorism
Sennet Perkins
HIS 145
May 8, 2013
Chris Fontenot
Good title page.
TERRORISM 2


Terrorism
Terrorism is the use of violence and threats in pursuit of political aims. The United
States defines terrorism as the unlawful use of violence or threats to inculcate fear intended to
coerce government or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious or
ideological ("What Is Terrorism?", 2009). The FBI defines terrorism as the unlawful use of force
and violence against persons or property to intimidate a government civilian population or any
segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives ("What Is Terrorism?, 2009).
The specific events Sennet has chosen are 2004: Commuter train bombings in Madrid, Spain,
2005: Bombings of London underground trains and bus and 2009: Shooting at Fort Hood, Texas,
by Sunni extremist which resulted in 56 wounded or killed. Using these specific events Sennet
will explain why there is heavier activity in certain areas of the world, what do the sites of
terrorist activities have in common and how has the idea of terrorism affected the lives of
individual Americans since 9/11. Good thesis
Why is there Heavier Activity in Certain Areas of the World?
There are several different reasons that terrorist attacks take place in different areas of the
world. Some of the reasons include getting freedom or sovereignty, poverty, starvation and
unemployment. Islamic terrorism is the blame for many acts of terrorism. Research shows East
and South Asia is the area that has heavier terrorism activity and most of the attacks are carried
out because of political reasons such as foreign policies and breakdowns in negotiations. Islamic
groups such as the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the Jihadist are the center of many attacks and
have ties to the Al Qaeda network. The 2004 Commuter train bombings in Madrid, Spain were
carried out by terrorist affiliated with Islamic movement. The bombing took place just days
before Spains general election. A total of 10 bombs detonated during the March 11 morning
TERRORISM 3


rush hour in Madrid, killing 191 persons and injuring more the 1,400. Although this incident did
not result in any American casualties and is not elsewhere summarized in this report, the Madrid
bombing is significant in showing the extension of global jihadist violence outside of
predominantly Muslim nations ("Terrorism", 2002-2005).
INCIDENTS OF TERRORISM, WORLDWIDE

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Attacks worldwide 14,409 11,565 10,858 11,743 10,165
Attacks resulting in at least 1 death,
injury, or kidnapping
11,008 8,338 7,845 8,219 7,463
Attacks resulting in the death of at
least 10 individuals
343 244 246 183 163
Attacks resulting in the death of at
least 1 individual
7,249 5,060 4,791 4,604 4,515
Attacks resulting in the death of only
1 individual
3,872 2,859 2,605 2,591 2,450
Attacks resulting in the death of 0
individuals
7,286 6,523 6,308 6,847 5,885
Attacks resulting in the injury of at
least 1 individual
6,141 4,735 4,440 4,622 4,444
Attacks resulting in the kidnapping of
at least 1 individual
1,266 858 845 1,220 825
People killed, injured or kidnapped as
a result of terrorism, worldwide
69,803 56,290 53,720 62,928 45,990
People killed as a result of terrorism,
worldwide
35,720 19,709 12,411 19,593 10,833
People injured as a result of
terrorism, worldwide
54,103 53,901 22,660 20,684 45,903
People kidnapped as a result of
terrorism, worldwide
4,950 4,666 10,729 6,061 5,754
("Country Reports On Terrorism 2011", 2012)
What do the Sites of Terrorist Activity have in Common?
Many of the sites of terrorist activity have several factors in common. Some of the
common factors include targets close to where they live or travel within a 30 mile radius, places
where there are large numbers of individuals during rush hours or special events in such as
airports or train stations, state or government buildings and military grounds. Despite the areas
TERRORISM 4


where they live and /or travel, terrorist groups prepare and plan for attacks using months of
preparation, surveillance and intelligence meetings, robbery attacks on business and individuals
to raise money to purchase weapons and materials to create bombs ("A Look at Terrorist
Behavior", 2008). The 2005: Bombings of London underground trains and bus killed at least 37
people during rush hour that left the city in turmoil. This attack was much like to attack in
Madrid that claimed the lives of 191 individuals. The attacks were similar, they both happened
during rush hour and during a special event. The bombing in London happened right after the
British were celebrating the winning of the 2012 Olympic competition. Ironically, after all
terrorist attacks take place; videos will surface and have to be translated from the Arabic
language. Same thing happened after the September 11 attacks in New York. Weeks later a
video surfaced with Osama Bin Laden and had to be translated from Arabic to English to find
out what he was saying. Each video will provide a clear message from the attacker about the
attack and may have information leading up to future attacks. After the attack, the United States
immediately increased their security precautions in airports and train and bus stations (Cowell,
2005).
How has the Idea of Terrorism affected the lives of Individual Americans since 9/11?
Many Americans are affected by acts of terrorism in many different ways. Since the
September 11 attacks, individuals are always watching out for suspicious individuals and are
now more cautious when going to airports and train and bus stations. Individuals are also on
high alert for mailbox bombs and other substances when checking their mail. The 2009 Fort
Hood Shooting is another incident that hit close to home for many individuals and was
considered an act of terrorism. The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan an army psychiatrist
opened fire wounding at least 31 individuals and killing 12 which included a mother and her
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unborn child. The shooting took place because he did not want to be deployed to either Iraq or
Afghanistan. This incident affected the generation that is coming out of high school and into the
real world. They are scared to join any branch of service without giving it careful thought and
looking at all aspects. Cite?
Conclusion
In conclusion, terrorism remains a constant threat and keeps individuals on high alert.
Today, individuals are still terrified when away from home because they never know when
something is going to happen. Just recently the bombing at the Boston Marathon was a surprise,
no one was expecting something like that to happen and no one was prepared. As with all other
terrorist attacks, all are unexpected, are during rush hour and spur of the moment.

TERRORISM 6


References
What is Terrorism? (2009). Retrieved from http://www.terrorism-research.com/
Terrorism . (2002-2005). Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/stats-
services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005
Country Reports on Terrorism 2011. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.state.gov
A Look at Terrorist Behavior. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.nij.gov/journals/260/terrorist-
behavior.htm
Cowell, A. (2005, July 7). After Bombings, London is Stunned. New York Times, p 1

Formatting mostly correct with some errors. Items in the list must be in alphabetical order.
Content and Organization (70 Percent) (10.0 pts.)
Assignment covered (discuss 3 events and at least one question), content accurate, central
theme present, points stated clearly and supported, intro, conclusion. Well organized and
meets requirements of discussing three events and answering several questions. 10 / 10

Write a 1,050-to 1,750-word paper in which you consider some of the questions. Use specific
events, including at least three from the list, to support your ideas. Long enough

Readability and Style (15 Percent) (2.0 Pts.)
Transitions, tone appropriate, well-constructed, varied sentences. Well written and easy
to follow. 2 / 2

Mechanics (15 Percent) (2.0 Pts)
APA format, Citations in APA, Headings, font and white space, Grammar, punctuation,
style, capitalization, and spelling. Minor APA errors. 1.9 / 2
Total is 13.9