Motivation: A Terrorist Story
Raymond D. Walker III
ENG 122 English Composition II
Prof. Heather Nielson
3 February 2013
Terrorism! The word itself strikes fear into the hearts and minds of anyone that hears it. In the war on terrorism, the terrorists are the enemy, they are an invisible enemy and extremely difficult to identify. One possible way of getting an edge on a potential terrorist is to identify what their motives could be and in turn prepare. If we understand the goals of terrorists and assassins we can analyze what their actions may be. To answer the question “what motivates terrorists and assassins and do their actions affect society?” We must first define the act of terrorism. According to www.dictionary.com terrorism is defined as “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes and the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism.” (terrorism. n.d.). When most people think of the act of terrorism or terrorists they typically think of Jihadist’s or individuals of Arabic heritage. Based on the definition above, the act of terrorism could be committed by anyone with the intent of instilling fear against their target. Terrorists generally know what they are doing. Their targets are generally planned and rational. The victims of terrorism are not the actual targets of terrorists; rather the target is the psychological impact on the government or audience. To accurately determine a terrorist or assassins motivations to commit their heinous actions it is necessary to view multiple aspects. This research paper will give a brief overview of the history of terrorism. It will also attempt to prove that terrorists and assassins are motivated by; Religious reasons, the economic and social status of potential terrorists, the psychological harm it does to the people, they attempt to influence government decisions, and terrorists effect on the United States Military. To better understand a terrorist...