BIN LADEN'S TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS

Bin Laden's Terrorist Organisations in Relation with Other Terrorist Organisations



Bin Laden's Terrorist Organisations in Relation with Other Terrorist Organisations

Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) are foreign organisations that are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business. The organisation must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)), or terrorism, as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorisation Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)), or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism. The organisation's terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.

As defined by the United States Department of Defense, terrorism is a very specific type of violence, although the term is often applied to other kinds of violence felt to be unacceptable. Typical terrorist actions include assassinations, kidnappings, bombings, drive-by shootings, lynchings, hijackings, and random killings. It is a political, not military, strategy and is generally conducted by groups not strong enough to mount open assaults, although it is used in peace, conflict, and war. The intent of terrorism is to induce fear in an audience (not its victims) in order to cause the audience (or its government) to alter its behavior. The United States Department of State maintains a list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations (Brauer,. 2002)

American citizens may not knowingly provide "material support or resources" to such organisations; members of such organisations are not allowed to enter the United States and may be deported if found there; and United States financial institutions are required to freeze the assets of such organisations and report them to the government. In the current post-9-11 context, many contend that the word terrorist is overly politicised; they argue that it is used not a reference to a behaviour, but rather as a label to demonise an enemy in terms that convey moral repulsion and outrage. This process of demonisation of an enemy is normal in wartime and serves to solidify public opinion: George W. Bush of the USA, for example, routinely describes "the terrorists" as being "evil" and "without conscience". As well, it should be noted that as long as the term "terrorism" carries with it more rhetorical horsepower than such terms as "war," "assault," "vandalism," "slander," "noncompliance," "dissent," and the like, there will be a motivation for targets of attacks more properly labeled by the lesser terms to find ways to promote their experience to qualify for the stronger term "terrorism" instead. Terrorist attacks, terrorist attack plots, and terrorists. (Gold, 2004)

Terrorism is exceedingly difficult for governments to control or prevent, especially when some of its ...