Terrorism and National Security
Terrorism is an issue for international security as well as domestic security. Terrorists carry out their operations within organized groups and systems that are aware of their objectives. Therefore, it is important to research the causes and ideologies of the different acts of terrorism. In order to determine the information that is most pertinent to national security, the current essay examines three articles that look at the goals and core principles of terrorist organizations.
How Ideological Motivations Affect Target Selection
The article aims to provide a response to the query of how the ideological motivations of the terrorists affect their choice of targets. The study was conducted on the basis that the ideological factors for target selection have been the ground for many pieces of research; however, no empirical data had been generated to answer how the ideological motivations of the terror groups affected their selection of targets. Using novel data on Western terrorism between 1985 and 2005, the author finds that groups' ideologies have been the most reliable predictors for the selection of targets for the terror groups, especially under the strategic constraints encountered by such organizations in executing the attacks.
Tactical Success and Government Responses
The relevance of the article is noted in the comprehension of the evidence predicting that the responses by governments will be mainly influenced by the tactical success of the terror groups. The article's level of internal meaningfulness is quite high as it can be observed in the sense that article defines the concept of ideology as values, principles, and objectives that drive the terror activities. Coherence is noted in the author's attempt to link the findings to the various nationalist and separatist groups in various countries. A relatively high potential for manageability is noted in the fact that the article presents a baseline for predicting possible targets for terror attacks and, thus, leading to the implementation of mitigation measures.
The Influence of ideological motivations on Western youth
"Why are young Westerners drawn to terrorist organizations like ISIS?" by Haque et al. (2015)
The article seeks to explore possible reasons why young people from the western countries would choose to join terror groups with the aim of linking possible ideological motivations that may attract the youth from the developed countries. The article presents deradicalization programs as possible ways of managing the problems associated with ISIS ideologies that appeal to the young people. The main findings of the article indicate the fact that young people suffer significantly from emotional problems, especially during the crucial developmental stages, in which they increasingly seek to find meaning and identity in their life. At the formation stages, it can be noted that the comprehension of one's identity is a serious challenge and a hopeless task. The youth are, thus, tempted to join what seems as a just struggle against perceived oppression in the community.
Predicting Terrorist Recruitment Strategies
The article can be seen relevant to the topic as it addresses the various points that are essential to the subject. The author presents comprehension of the event by predicting that ISIS' spiritual and psychological ideologies will easily appeal to the spiritually impoverished youth. The article is well-organized, with a strong sense of internal coherence, as it logically proves that poverty and religion, regarded as possible causes for joining terrorist groups, in fact, are not so significant due to the fact that the young people usually are not poor and only а minority of over 50 million Muslims from the western countries joins such groups. The article is highly meaningful because a clear reason for the youth joining terror groups is outlined as psychological struggles associated with formation stages.
Challenges in Studying Political Terrorism
"The psychology of terrorism: An Agenda For The 21st Century" by Martha Crenshaw
The article attempts to address the problems that are associated with studying political terrorism as a global problem that entails a breach of international security. The author identifies a collection of empirical data, definition of the concept of political terrorism, avoiding attributing the act of terrorism to irrational disorders, and building of an integrative theory as some of the problems faced in researching the motives and ideologies behind terrorism. Further problems arise due to the fact that analysis of risks involved is normally driven by the concerns of the policymakers or the current events. The article establishes that the problem of defining the concept of terrorist ideologies has hindered the analysis of terrorism studies.
Utilizing Historical Data for Predicting Terror Events
The relevance of the article can be proved by the comprehension of events provided by the analysts who while studying terrorism aim at utilizing over 30 years of the history of political terror to identify the causes of terror attacks. Based on the historical data, the policy makers can then predict possible terror events. The article proposes solutions that are manageable to a large extent. The manageability of the solution is indicated in the sense that future research should critically examine the assumption that there is a new form of terrorism in the 21st century. The article is logically organized with a high sense of coherence noted in the fact that the author has presented chronological historical terror events as means of understanding the terror organizations. A high level of meaningfulness is observed in the fact that the article points to psychological explanations as a way of linking an individual to a terrorist organization.
Conclusion
To sum up, the article by Haque et al. (2015) would be the most suitable to a homeland security officer who is intervening and monitoring potential terrorist attacks. One of the most critical strategies in monitoring terrorism is the understanding why a group of people would want to join the militias. It is important to comprehend the reasons that may make the young people be prone to radicalization agenda of the terror organizations. The reading is further crucial as it may be helpful in providing the guidelines that are necessary to prevent the youth from joining terror groups.
References
Crenshaw, M. (2000). The psychology of terrorism: An agenda for the 21st century. Political Psychology, 21(2), 405-420. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0162-895x.00195
Haque, O. S., Choi, J., Phillips, T., & Bursztajn, H. (2015). Why are young Westerners drawn to terrorist organizations like ISIS? Psychiatric Times, 32(9), 10-37.
Wright, A. L. (2013). Terrorism, ideology and target selection. Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/politics/about/file-repository/public/Wright_on_Terrorism.pdf
