Discuss the various types of terrorism and what their goals are.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Revolutionary terrorists use violence to frighten those in power and their supporters to replace the existing government with a regime that holds acceptable political or religious views. They take actions such as kidnapping, assassination, and bombing in order to draw repressive responses from governments to expose the government's inhumane nature. Political terrorism is directed at people or groups who oppose the terrorists' political ideology or whom the terrorists define as "outsiders" who must be destroyed or convinced to leave the country. Political terrorists may not want to replace the existing government but to shape public sentiment so it reflects their views. Nationalist terrorism promotes the interests of a minority ethnic or religious group that believes it has been persecuted under majority or colonial rules and wants to carve out its own independent homeland. Retributive terrorism uses violence as a method of influence to get people to accept their social, religious, or political views. Victims are usually selected for their maximum propaganda value, ensuring a high degree of media coverage. The goal is to inflict maximum horror, so it makes sense to choose targets that contain the largest number of victims from all walks of life. State-sponsored terrorism involves the use of force by a repressive government regime that forces its citizens into obedience, oppresses minorities, and stifles political dissent. Death squads and the use of government troops to destroy political opposition parties are associated with this terrorism. Cult terrorism involves leaders who demand their followers prove loyalty through violence or intimidation. Criminal terrorism includes groups involved in common-law crimes such as drug dealing and kidnapping. These illegal activities may become so profitable that they replace the group's original focus.