Terrorism in the 21st Century

Kerry Hollis
Elgin High Schoo, Elgin, IL l

Abstract

The events of 9/11, in the United States, brought to light the painful reality that the world is in a state where all countries, even the superpowers are vulnerable to terrorist attack. The attack can be launched from within a country and may be supported by different ideologies and parties or can be external launched. Today, many nations are vulnerable to terror attacks. For instance, there have been recent terror attacks in various European nations such England, Germany, Belgium, and France. Developing economies such as Kenya and Burkina Faso are also struggling with the problem. Although it is now more than a decade since the events of 9/11, there is still confusion on various issues concerning terrorism. There are still questions on who “terrorists” are, what “terror” is, and what motivates “terrorism.” There are also questions on the best way to combat terror attack. Besides, scholars from political science, sociology, economics, and psychology field have developed different theories to explain terrorism phenomenon. The study explores the topic of terrorism and various theories explaining the phenomenon. The aim of the paper is therefore to discuss various debates on terrorism, history of terrorism, and causes of terrorism.

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