Terrorists Groups In The Middle East Essay

What have been the most common tactics/weapons and threats used by terrorists/terror groups in the Middle East since 9/11/01? The most common tactics/weapons and threats used by terrorists/terror group in the Middle East since 9/11 are bombings which can include car bombs, improvised explosive devices (IED’s), suicide attacks and explosives. Next we have rocket and mortar attacks, vehicle based attacks which is when they used any motor vehicle to run over people walking or to ram into vehicles. Other common ones are hi-jacking planes, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons, conventional firearms and secondary attacks which are when they have a second type of weapon go off after the original so as to injure the emergency response team. In your opinion, are these tactics, weapons, and threats successful from a terrorist perspective? Why or why not? Explain in detail. Yes I do believe they are successful because they accomplish at minimum what they set out to do. Placing fear and causing panic among the masses is so apparent for terrorists, because how much media attention there is they can watch and enjoy their terror. They have us on the edge of our seats when chaos takes place. They catch us off guard and that too is part of their plan. What do you see as the likelihood of a terrorist organization either acquiring or building a nuclear weapon? Explain in detail. I see the likelihood of a terrorist organization either acquiring or building a nuclear weapon as pretty high likelihood. I do not think for one minute that they are incapable. I do not believe that our government is honest with who we do business with. They have what is called suitcase nukes and they are so small they can fit into a suitcase. Money talks and can buy you anything besides permanent happiness. If you have enough money you can buy materials for a nuclear weapon. If obtained, what do you think would be the top three types of targets on U.S. soil? Explain. I think that businesses, diplomatic offices, and military institutions are the three types of targets on U.S. soil. The first type of target would be businesses. Businesses account for thirty one and a half percent of frequency of attacks. The second type is diplomatic offices and that takes up twenty six percent of frequency of attacks. Last of the targets are military personnel. The United States armed forces can account for nearly forty three percent of attacks against military organizations. What do you think are the factors working in their favor and against their success to obtain WMDs? Explain in detail and be  specific. The factors that I think that the factors that are working in their favor are that they IED’s that can be constructed out of common materials that are easy to obtain. They have eager and loyal followers that have no problem sacrificing their lives for the cause such as suicide bombings and using children as distractions or bait. It is also hard to dif ferentiate the civilians from the terrorists. What is working against their success is the United States has specialized trained elite forces with intelligence gathering techniques. They also have the latest technologize and weaponry such as drones, night vision goggles, tanks, snipers and much more to work against the success of the terrorists. References Kaplan, E. (2006, Sep). Targets for Terrorists: Post-9/11 Aviation Security. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.cfr.org/border-and-port-security/targets-terrorists-post-911- aviation-security/p11397 McCann, Joseph T., 2006, Terrorism on American Soil: A Concise History of Plots and Perpetrators from the Famous to the Forgotten, Sentient Publ. (Boulder, CO). Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://books.google.com/books Sageman, M. (2004). Understanding Terror Networks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Ch. 5 pp. 158-161. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book