In Module I you were asked to select a terrorist attack that has occurred over the past 4 years and do your best to describe it in terms of the “Units or Instruction” 2 through 10 as listed on the course syllabus. For this Module’s discussion post I would like you to go back to that same attack and analyze the attack in terms of the Three Ts (Type, Tactic and Target). What was the ideology behind the behind the attack and how was that related to the goals of the attack (Type). What was the Tactic that was employed? Why was that particular target chosen? Are the Type, Tactic and Target inter-related if so how, if so how? Please draw your answer from the required readings and at least one outside source.
I will need responses in the Following format I will post them in the drop down below
“Question/Comment”, answer any question I pose to your initial post, ask a question of comment on the other student’s post on your discussion team. For your “Response Posts” respond to and questions or comments on your initial post from the other students.
Utilize proper citation
TITLE: Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues 7th Edition AUTHOR: Martin, GusPUBLISHER: Sage PublicationsDATE: 2020ISBN: 978-1544375861
Post 1 ask a question of comment on the other student’s post on your discussion teamThe National Thowhead Jamath was behind the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. It was founded by Zahran Hashim, however, it was said he was expelled from the NTJ after creating hate speeches (BBC, 2019). The Sri Lankan government stated that there had been several warnings from foreign intelligence agencies about the impending attacks (BBC, 2019). Investigations conducted after the bombings linked numerous families to each other as they acted as a unit. Each unit liaised with other radicalized family groups, forming larger networks. The supposition goes that information was tightly protected within networks of loyalty that transcended ideology (Ethirajan, 2019). National Thowheeth Jama’ath was known mainly for vandalizing Buddhist statues. In March 2017, the group was involved in a violent clash in Kattankudy (Bradsher & Garcia, 2019). The National Thowheeth Jama’ath appeared to consist almost entirely of young people, especially recent graduates of Islamic schools. The group appears to have little hierarchy or organizational structure, and no older leaders (Bradsher & Garcia, 2019). The bombings appeared to have been aimed at an international audience, with the targets chosen for their links to liberalism and western ideas (Drieschova, 2019). A message was meant to be sent to the Catholic community and being the Catholic population in Sri Lanka is so small they were intended to be hurt. Threats were made 10 days before the attacks against Churches from the NJT. The bombings came as Christians and other religious groups have been increasingly targeted in South Asia, where a mix of surging nationalism, faith-based identity politics, and social media rumor-mongering has created a combustible atmosphere (Bastians et al, 2019). The target selection and attack type make me very skeptical that this was carried out by a local group without any outside involvement (Bradsher & Garcia, 2019). Whoever designed the suicide vests used in the Easter Sunday blasts showed considerable expertise and photographs indicate that the bombmaker had access to a lot of military-grade high explosives (Bradsher & Garcia, 2019). Sources:Bastians, D., Gettleman, J., & Schultz, K. (2019, April 21). Blasts targeting Christians kill hundreds in Sri Lanka. The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/asia/sri-lanka-bombings.html.BBC. (2019, April 28). Sri Lanka attacks: Who are national Thowheed Jamath? BBC News. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48012694. BBC. (2019, April 28). Sri Lanka attacks: Who are national Thowheed Jamath? BBC News. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48012694. Bradsher, K., & Garcia, S. E. (2019, April 22). Local Group is blamed for attacks, but Sri Lanka suspects ‘International Network’. The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/world/asia/national-thowheed-jamaath.html. ?Drieschova , A. (2020, February 12). Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday attacks were meant for international audience, but have local consequences. The Conversation Lecturer in International Relations. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/sri-lankas-easter-sunday-attacks-were-meant-for-international-audience-but-have-local-consequences-117704. Ethirajan, A. (2019, May 10). Sri Lanka attacks: The family networks behind the bombings. BBC News. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48218907.
Post 2 ask a question of comment on the other student’s post on your discussion teamHi everyone,At the beginning of the semester, the terrorist attack I chose to discuss in Module I is the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The Youtube video titled, “New Terror Tactic Used in Istanbul Attacks” discusses a fairly recent terror tactic called “Inghimasi.” There is an argument that this tactic of “running up to the enemy and hugging them” is used to achieve the narrative sought out by terrorist organizations. Larger numbers of casualties from terrorist attacks result in more media coverage, further pushing the narratives terrorists intend to put forth. The tactic of Inghimasi is difficult to disrupt in open places, as it is hard to stop an individual from shooting into an open area and quickly running toward the “enemy” to detonate a bomb. The three T’s are type, target, and tactic. Type refers to the group’s ideology, goals, and members. Targets are often related to the group’s ideology, in which one should ask if the target is selected for strategic value. Lastly, tactics may relate to the group’s ideology and possess symbolic meaning, as well as may instill fear into people. According to Gus Martin, “Terrorist violence is rarely random. Targets are specifically selected and represent the outcome of careful deliberation” (“Understanding Terrorism,” 2021, p. 272). This is accurate, as terrorist violence must be carefully thought out and planned with regard to who the target will be, what tactics will be used, and what type of ideologies and goals will be achieved as a result of terrorist attacks.The ideology behind the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting involved the shooter, Nikolas Cruz’s extreme beliefs and viewpoints. According to CNN, “In a private Instagram group chat, confessed school shooter Nikolas Cruz repeatedly espoused racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic views and displayed an obsession with violence and guns” (“Exclusive: Group Chat Messages Show School Shooter Obsessed with Race, Violence and Guns,” 2018). Furthermore, Cruz is known to have expressed hatred toward groups of people such as African Americans, Jewish people, and immigrants. Furthermore, Ivy Schamis, a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who taught Holocaust History, unfortunately witnessed students being shot through the window of her classroom. According to a news article, “After the shooting it was revealed he’d scrawled a swastika, the Nazi symbol, onto one of his ammunition magazines, though Schamis does not believe he was aware he was firing into a Holocaust class” (“Holocaust History Came Alive In Parkland Shooting,” 2018). Cruz is also noted to have had Swastikas drawn onto the magazines of his weapons. The tactic employed by Cruz during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting was that of an armed assault. Cruz was armed with an AR-15, a semi-automatic assault rifle, which was used to evoke fear among his classmates and commit the violence he performed. The targets of Cruz’s attack were his classmates, teachers, high school staff, and community, all of which were either killed, physically injured, fearful, or mentally and emotionally scarred following the shooting. Armed hostage attacks, as revealed in the class lecture, range from large scale attacks that are carried out by multiple terrorist organizations or individuals, to smaller attacks carried out by lone wolves. I believe Nikolas chose his peers as a particular target because he wanted to convey a message to those he encountered in school on a daily basis. I also believe he knew his actions would evoke fear in, and harm not only all individuals who were shot or injured, but also their families and the nation, which attracted immense media attention. With that being said, the type, tactic, and target are interrelated. Most terrorists or terrorist organizations will specifically decide on the tactics used to harm or cause fear in their target(s), which are often specific to said target(s). The type can affect the tactics and target in that in pursuit of a specific goal, an individual or terrorist group may use a certain tactic to target its audience. ReferencesCBS Miami. (2018, April 26). Holocaust History Came Alive in Parkland Shooting. CBS Miami. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/04/26/holocaust-history-parkland-shooting/. CNN. (2016, June 29). New terror tactic used in Istanbul attacks. YouTube. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from Martin, G. (2021). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. SAGE Publications, Inc. Murphy, P. P. (2018, February 18). Exclusive: Group Chat Messages Show School Shooter Obsessed with Race, Violence, and Guns. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/16/us/exclusive-school-shooter-instagram-group/index.html.
0 comments