What do terrorists hope to achieve?

[oldnitro]

Do the Muslim terrorists have any sort of agenda or are they just enthralled with the love of killing? I know they have a deep hatred of all things western but even the most strident of their lunatic clerics must realize they can`t convert the world to Islam.

[emmie]

but that hasn't happened here on in US, The Twin Towers was devastation and carnage, but once as say the fog had cleared, it was back to business and so on, London is no different, what is important as said before is you show them they cannot win by terror means. One day maybe soon, a political solution will come about in Afghanistan, The Taliban won't have won, nor anyone else, but a peace of sorts will come, it is we kill them, and they kill us, futile.

[keyplus90]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifZK6SVlQ1Y

[andy-hughes]

The definition of `terrorist`depends whether or not you are in your own country, and whose gun barrel you are staring down.

I would think being a solider of an invading army in Afghanistan (as far as the people are concerned) would mark you down as being a terrorist in their eyes.

By definition, terrorism`s objective is to terrorise, so as far as Bush and Blair were concerned - they are terrorists - they terrorised me anyway!!!!

[DTCwordfan]

absolutely AH

If we had still been under Nazi control (allowing for the definition of site mgt here possibly), how many of us would have been classified as terrorists trying to overthrow them...........

[wolf63]

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"

[KARL]

I agree with the previously expressed sentiment that resorting to indescriminate mayhem and carnage is something of an act of desparation, born out of a sense of impotence, anger and irrational hatred, and more. Terrorists (but not youths duped into putting on explosive charges that are detonated remotely or by themselves for some absurd promise of martyrdom's rewards) see no real prospect of things shaping up as their extremist views would have them so they lash out. Some of them no doubt are more than a little deluded as to "fame", "glory", etc.

I think keyplus' heavily used conspiracy theory, whatever the seedy duplicity engaged in by the CIA and the like, is much too convenient a cleansing/exhonerating of the religious connections that terrorism often springs from. In fact, it is radical and extremist ideology that is most likely to lead to the insanity that begets such things as terrorism. In that, politics and religion are equally guilty (but neither all religious people or all those with political views) and their kin includes anything that leaves the adherant thinking he/she is supremely right and the "others" are abominably wrong.

[David H]

I'd begin agreeing with Ludwig. It's just the act of a brainwashed idiot or lunatic, depending if leading or being led. But the religious teachings (albeit incorrect) that tell you it's part of a holy war for Islam and you'll end up in heaven makes it seem a lot less important to the suicide bomber themself if they don't expect to stop living on another plane. Of course in Christian law if you kill you will indeed end up living on another plane, and not one anyone would want to, including only taking your own life. If any genuine follower stopped to think if a religion would genuinely reward you for killing innocent people then if the answer is yes you wouldn't want to be a member, and if no then don't do it. They haven't a leg to stand on (figuratively that is) whichever way they try and present it.

The IRA and local mafia type groups however do it for power, as nobody would follow their wishes but like kidnappers if you threaten to kill people by blowing people up unless your wishes are fulfilled without either killing yourselves or usually revealing your identity quite a few concessions have been made such as releasing prisoners by both threats and actual bombs. As long as governments respond to protection rackets then terrorist groups will know it's worth continuing, as most are run for organised crime such as drug dealing and gun running (the real purpose of the modern IRA) they are just foreign versions of mafia.