Violent non-state actor

changed from the previous wars that shaped our country, our religions and our civilization as a whole. Irregular warfare is defined as “A violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence…” utilizing “indirect and asymmetric approaches…” (DOD Directive 3000.07, pg 11). Two key elements can be derived from this definition; non-state actors and indirect, asymmetric approaches. The significance of these factors ensures two things; we do not always know who the enemy is…

This is far from the truth. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, most violent crimes are “in the heat of the moment” and not-premeditated; no actor will concern himself or herself with the thought of a life sentence in such a passionate state. (American Civil Liberties Union) Furthermore, mandatory minimums feeds into mass incarceration and prison overcrowding by frequently targeting nonviolent drug offenders…

through giving an alternate political message and rallying support. Both of these features require that the terrorist group communicates its goals in an understandable way to the public and government it is trying to influence. As Nicolas O’Berry states, the behaviour of the target population is paramount in determining the success of failure of terrorist activity. Abrhams also corroborates this thought with his focus on the importance of target selection. Freedman too makes a related point…

everybody has this equal moral standing and everyone the ability to make their voice heard in the state, that they have the right to do this in a way that…

everyone is equal and faces no setbacks due to race because of the mixing of races that has occurred in the country. Freire credits this to the fact that he believed that racial relations between masters and their slaves was more fluid than in the United States. Because of this racial mixing, Freire claims that a society was created which free of the racial tensions that other countries had due to slavery. (Black in Latin America) Brazil, up until recently, refused to talk about race, as the…

Currently, the United States has forces in or around much of the Middle East and the Gulf States. In some of these countries, the U.S. is fighting against an armed enemy and attempting to organize a government with the local population. When it comes to the case of the United Arab Emirates, we are supporting their fight in the armed conflicts in neighboring countries. Yet, there still remains a question as to why we are in their country supporting them. Why might America have an interest in what…

race, religion, or ethnic background. Homegrown terrorists such as Timothy McVeigh may be overlooked by profilers when factors other than race are not used. There does appear to be a common link between one’s childhood and the propensity to commit violent acts in their adulthood. Childhood trauma, family traditions in Middle Easterner cultures, and experiences growing up in shaming cultures may exhibit strong ties to a person’s inability to experience empathy and to commit acts of…

link terrorism to failed states or state sponsors of terrorism. In the case of ISIL it is perhaps significant that their aspiration is to create a state and to define themselves as one. Obama, in turn, has pledged to destroy ISIL, to take back their territory, cut their financing power and hunt its leaders. He emphasized that ISIL is only a little group with few arms and power, and more importantly that they will not be capable to strike a mortal blow to the United States. Obama, as realist…

factors, research methods, and legal and non-legal actors all play a key role in the success or failure of the legal systems. Through the use of Bruce Sales’ and Daniel Krauss’ book, “The Psychology of Law,” and classroom lecture by Professor Weiner, I have furthered my understanding of these critical components that affect outcomes of cases in the legal field. Crime Causation Although finding one single cause of crime may be attractive to legal actors and legal systems, there is none. There…

The emotional mechanics of lone wolf terroristic violence Summary Committing a violent act is emotionally difficult for an individual. Microsociological analyses of violence have demonstrated that there exists an emotional barrier that inhibits violence. Violence is only enabled through a number of situational factors. While most forms of terrorism have these enabling factors, lone-wolf terrorism presents a unique challenge for an individual looking to navigate through the emotional barriers…