Are terrorists ideologically driven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Are terrorists ideologically driven - Essay Example Though their tactics may be similar, the objectives and targets are very different. This discussion will explain the reasoning for terrorism using Al-Qaeda and the IRA as models for the ‘new’ and ‘old’ types of terrorism and illustrates the differences. It will also delve into the psyche of the terrorist so as to gain a better understanding of why an otherwise rational individual would offer themselves as a martyr for an ideological cause. According to U.S. President George Bush, the Islamic terrorists ‘hate us because of our freedoms.’ This, of course, is faulty, simplistic reasoning much the same as the logic he used to promote his ‘Global War on Terrorism’ which has served only to increase terrorist attacks. The U.S. approach to terrorism is examined and explains how the Bush administration policies and actions have encouraged a worsening of what was previously an unacceptable global situation. Most terrorists feel that they are doing nothing wrong when they kill and injure people, or damage property. Most seem to share a feature of a psychological condition known as anti-social personality disorder or psychopathic personality disorder, which is an absence of empathy for the suffering of others – they don’t feel other people’s pain. However, they do not appear unstable or mentally ill. Someone who is mentally ill may want to commit an act of terror, but as most terrorism requires cooperating with others, this makes it less likely that a mentally ill person will actually carry out such an act because of the difficulty they have in working with others. Terror groups usually dislike or distrust those who wish to join them, who appear to be unstable. â€Å"It is very rare to find a terrorist who suffers from a clinically defined ‘personality disorder’ or who could in any other way be regarded as mentally ill or psychologically deviant† (Silke, 1998). It is