Terrorism FAQ

 

Who are the terrorists?

A terrorist is a person who uses violence against people not involved in caught to put across a political, religious or ideological message. They try to scare people away from doing something or a government into changing its policies or they simply want to gain power or material wealth for themselves.

There is no absolute agreement on what a terrorist is. Some are people oppressed by government and because they cannot fight a war using an army they fight whatever way they can. Sometimes they are individuals or groups with ideas that clash with those of the society or world they live in and seek to change it by any means. Terrorists can be people such as anti-abortionists or organised criminals.

Where do terrorists come from?

They come from many countries including Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sir-Lanka - even from within the US – not just the Middle East. In fact most terrorist incidents in the world happen in Latin America. The worst terrorist problem is in Columbia.  

Are there any terrorists in Australia?

There is evidence of terrorists here, although the lack of serious incidents on Australia soil suggests they are not widely active. Police responsible for security at the Sydney Olympics said there had been 90 incidents involving terrorists in Australia in the past 20 years. The facts there were no incidents at the 2000 Olympics should give cause to feel safe but not complacent.

Terrorism is often based in religious extremism. If religion is about goodness, why do terrorist want to commit such acts of evil?

All religions have the potential for extremes of thought. While the founders of the major religions based their creeds on love and peace, over the centuries many people have used religion to justify dreadful acts. People can take their beliefs very seriously and feel very threatened is confronted by others. In Islam there are those who interpret the ideas of martyrdom for the jihad (holy struggle, not war), as a literal call to lay down their lives attacking non-believes or nations who have attacked Muslim nations.

Most Muslim do not believe this the Koran says it is permissible to defend yourself against attackers but “Allah (god) loves not an aggressor”. Killing civilians in an unprovoked attack is against, the basic beliefs of Islam. While terrorists might claim to be a part of some religion they are almost always acting without official sanction from their church.   

Why attack New York?

Although they can seem random, terrorists select targets carefully. They strike in ways that will make full use of limited resources and where there is maximum symbolic or strategic value. By striking civilians they believe they can force people into pressuring government for change. By striking at a symbol, like the twin trade towers, they believe they can demoralise people and send a message that they are in control.

Why would people kill themselves for a cause?

Many terrorists are conditioned by their culture and circumstances to believe it is good to die fighting for their beliefs. In our culture, it is considered noble to die usually only when it saves lives. Yet sacrifices on the battlefield are also considered virtuous by some, which is the way some terrorists might feel when they are about to give up their lives. Desperation could drive them into believing they have nothing left to lose or violence has become a way of life for them. Some simply become so convinced their cause is right that they feel justified using whatever means possible to attain their goals.

Why do terrorists so often choose airliners for their attacks?

Terrorists choose methods that make the most of their limited resources. When planes are full of fuel they can be a dangerous weapon, equal to the explosive power of a large bomb. They also carry large of people who can be held hostage by the threat to crash the plane. In this way, a small group of people can have a huge impact.

Why were the world trade centre and pentagon attacks different from past terrorist acts?

This was one of the worst single acts of terrorism in terms of numbers of innocent people killed and in scale and reach. Simultaneous hijacks have happened before but not with such ruthless disregard for life. This act required years of planning and showed terrorists across the world cooperating in a new way.