A Word Study of Terrorism

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A Word Study of Terrorism

• As it relates to U.S. History

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Religious Roots in Ancient Times

• - a Jewish group who generally
  targeted Romans and Greeks by stabbing a victim
  in daylight in front of witnesses to send a
  message to the Roman authorities and Jews who
  worked with the Romans.
• - a Muslim sect who stabbed
  politicians or clerics who refused to adopt the
  purified form of Islam in broad daylight, to send
  a message.
• - an Indian religious sect who
  randomly, and ritually strangled victims as an
  offering to Kali, the Hindu goddess of terror and
  destruction.
• As found in A Brief History of Terrorism
• http//www.cdi.org/document/search/displaydoc.cfm?
  DocumentID1502AtartRow1L...
  

Zealots
Assassins
Thugees
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The Actual Word Terrorism
Regime de la terreur

• The word Terrorism was first used by Edmund Burke
  in response to the frenzied French
  
• Revolutionaries
• Over 40,000 people were executed in the Reign of
  Terror.

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Modern Definitions of Terrorism

• Systematic use of violence, terror, and
  intimidation to achieve an end.
  
• Websters University Dictionary
• The calculated use of violence or the threat of
  violence to inculcate fear intended to coerce or
  intimidate governments or societies in the
  pursuit of goals that are geo-political,
  religious, or ideological.
• U.S. Department of Defense

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The Problem

• There is no __________definition for the word
  terrorism.
  
• According to the two definitions above the
  ______________ would be considered a terrorist
  act.
  
• Who determines who is a _________ _______, and
  who is a terrorist?

international
Boston Tea Party
Freedom
fighter
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The definition that I like best

• Terrorism, according to Carlos Piscanes (is) used
  to
  
• deliver a message to an audience other than
  the target and draw attention and support to a
  _______.
  

cause
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If that is the case then

• What cause were the terrorists of 9/11 trying to
  draw attention to?
  
• Respond below to the best of your ability.

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Possible answers

American military bases in the Holy Land
The U.S. support of the nation of Israel
American foreign policy in the Middle East
American economic policy in the Middle East
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Modern terrorism in the U.S.

• After the American Civil War (1861-65)
• Defiant Southerners formed a terrorist
  organization called the KKK to intimidate
  supporters of Reconstruction.
  
• WWI (July 1916)
• New York harbor "erupted in one of the greatest
  military explosions to date. German saboteurs
  has set off fire bombs on Black Tom Island.

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Modern terrorism in the U.S.

• Wall Street bombing (1920)
• At noon a horse drawn wagon was pulled up in
  front of the financial center of the nation and
  100 pounds of dynamite was exploded, killing 30
  and injuring 300. Anarchists were suspected.
• Capitol Hill shooting (1954)
• Four Puerto Rican nationalists fired 30 rounds
  from the House visitors' gallery, wounding five
  lawmakers on the House floor.

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Modern terrorism in the U.S.

• Capitol Hill bombing (1983)
• Radical students protesting U.S. military
  intervention on the Caribbean island of Grenada,
  exploded a bomb in our nations capitol. The
  blast damaged a conference room near the Senate
  chamber. No one was hurt or injured.
• World Trade Center bombing (1993)
• A car bomb was planted by Islamic terrorists in
  the underground garage below tower one.
  Unsuccessful.

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Modern terrorism in the U.S.

• Oklahoma City bombing (1995)
• A U.S. govt. office in Oklahoma City was
  destroyed by a van bomb, killing 168 people, and
  injuring 800. Timothy McVeigh a militant
  ex-veteran was found responsible, along with
  Terry Nichols.
• 9/11
• A series of coordinated attacks were launched
  against political and economic buildings of
  importance. Total casualties reached close to
  3,000. Al-Queda and Osama bin Laden were linked
  to the attacks.

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Who are terrorists?

• Using only the information contained in the
  slides above write down as many examples of
  terrorists as you can.

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Assignment

• Using notes, previous knowledge, and the help of
  your group create a
  
• Terrorist test
• that will allow you to determine if any given
  group is a terrorist.