Part 3. Use and Practice of Terrorism

Warm-up

Discuss the following questions in groups of 3 or 4. Share your ideas with the class.

1. What problems of modern world do you consider most vital today? Have they emerged recently for long?

2. How old is the problem of terrorism?

3. Where and who has terrorism been practiced by?

4. What are the aims of terrorists? How do they try to attain them?

Pronunciation

Watch the pronunciation of the following words and phrases

1. to intimidate

2. adversaries

3. nationalistic and ethnic groups

4. adherents

5. to assassinate

6. electrically detonated explosives

7. lethality

8. religious denominations

9. cyber space

10. to access

11. to destabilize societies

12. Palestine

13. Israel

14. Catholics

15. Malaysia

16. Indonesia

Reading

Read the following text and say in what way modern terrorism differs from that of the past.

Terrorism has been practiced throughout history and throughout the world. It may be defined as a systematic use of violence against governments, governmental or public institutions or individuals with the aim of intimidating adversaries to attain a political objective. Terrorism has been resorted to by political organizations with both rightist and leftist objectives, by nationalistic and ethnic groups, by revolutionaries, and by the armies and secret police of the governments themselves.

In the later half of the 19^th century terrorism frequently emerged in direct response to repression and was adopted by adherents of anarchism in Western Europe, Russia and the United States. They believed that the best way to effect revolutionary and political change was to assassinate persons in positions of power.

The 20^th century witnessed great changes in the use and practice of terrorism. It became the hallmark of a number of political movements stretching from the extreme right to the extreme left of the political spectrum. Technological advances such as automatic weapons and compact, electrically detonated explosives gave terrorists a new mobility and lethality.

It has been used by one or both sides in anti-colonial conflicts (Ireland in the United Kingdom, Algeria and France, Vietnam and France, then disputes between national groups over possessions of a contested homeland (Palestine and Israel), in conflicts between different religious denominations (Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland), and in internal conflicts between revolutionary forces and established governments (Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Argentina, etc.).

Terrorism’s public impact has been greatly magnified by the use of modern communication media. Any act of violence is certain to attract television coverage, which brings the event directly into millions of homes and exposes viewers to the terrorists’ demands, grievances, or political goals. Although technology aids in the defense against terrorism, it also provides terrorists with increased opportunities.

Terrorists can operate in cyber space and access all but the most secure data banks, destroy or manipulate information for their own purposes. Access to police and other security files can keep terrorists one step ahead of their government opponents.

Modern terrorism differs from that of the past because its victims are frequently innocent civilians who are picked at random or who merely happen into terrorist situations. Extremists’ violent acts include kidnappings, assassinations, skyjackings and hijackings, bombings and taking hostages. Future terrorism is likely to include higher than ever levels of violence.

The threat of terrorism is ever present and an attack is likely to occur when least expected. Modern terrorism often drives target selection: the greater the symbolic value of the target is, the more public impact the attack brings to the terrorists and the more fear it generates. Anyone, anywhere in the world, can be the target of a terrorist act, indiscriminate but calculated to create a climate of terror and to destabilize societies and states.

Seeking government concessions and more spectacular attacks, terrorists may poison water supplies or create ecological disasters by starting fires and causing chemical spills. They set up bases where states are weak; they find support among people whose economic, social and political situation breeds hatred and despair or hatred. At the same time the use the most important means of communication and the most sophisticated ways to conceal their financial activities.

(abridged from The Guardian)

Scanning

1. Complete the following sentences

1. Terrorists resort to systematic use of violence in order to ………

2. Terrorism has been resorted to by ……… .

3. In the 19th century it was believed that the best way to affect political and revolutionary change was …….. .

4. In the 20^th century a new lethality and mobility were given to terrorists by ……. .

5. The public is affected greater if TV viewers ..…… .

6. While operating in cyber space terrorists have an opportunity to ..…. . That keeps them ahead of their government opponents.

7. The victims of modern terrorists are mostly …….. .

8. Extremists' violent acts include ………. .

9. By acts of violence terrorists seek to ……… and ……… .

10. Increased capabilities of terrorism include ..…….. .

2. Make up 10 questions to discuss the contents of the text with your classmates.

2. Comment on the following statements. Support your viewpoint by the ideas from the text.

1. The 20^th century witnessed great changes in the use and practice of terrorism.

2. Terrorism has most commonly become identified with individuals or groups.

3. Terrorism's public impact has been greatly magnified by the use of modern communication media.

4. The threat of terrorism is ever present.

5. Modern terrorism differs from the past.

Word Study

1. Translate the following phrases from the text from English into Russian

To intimidate adversaries; to attain a political objective; to resort to terrorism; adherents of anarchism; to assassinate; to become the hallmark; technological advances; compact electrically detonated explosives; possessions of contested homeland; religious denominations; to be magnified; to expose viewers to the terrorists’ demands, grievances and goals; TV coverage; to operate in cyber space; to access most secure data banks; to destroy and manipulate information; to pick at random; to drive target selection; to generate fear; to create a climate of terror; to destabilize societies and states; to cause chemical spills; to set up bases; to breed despair and hatred; to conceal financial activities.

2. Find the words from the text that correspond to the following

1. to use

2. unexpected act of force

3. to appear

4. to kill for political reasons

5. to accept an idea

6. to put changes into life

7. to become an important point

8. to range from … to …

9. to get information from data banks

10. conflict within a community

11. to capture as a prisoner

12. to upset order

13. to exaggerate

14. without distinction as to

2. Replace the italicized words with the words from the exercises above

1. Terrorism has been applied throughout history and used by political organizations, groups and individuals with the aim to terrorize their enemies to reach various objectives.

2. Terrorism was taken up by supporters of anarchism.

3. Terrorists believe that the best way to put into life political or social change is to kill leaders.

4. Terrorist methods have been used in disputes between national groups over possession of a disputed homeland.

5. Modern communication media have greatly exaggerated the public contribution to terrorism.

6. Television reporting is attracted by any act of force.

7. TV viewers are informed about the terrorists’ demands, sorrows, or political goals.

8. Victims of terrorists are chosen accidentally.

9. The more public effect the terrorist attack brings, the more fear it causes.

2. Complete the text given below in an appropriate form

Select, publicize, stretching from, hallmark, generate, goals, terror, lethality, target(2), public impact, violence, assassinations, to occur, random victim, adherence, unpredictable, practice, commit, threat.

Terrorism is a special type of (1) _____ . It is a tactic used in peace, internal conflict and war. Since the (2) ______ of terrorism is ever present and a (3) ______ attack is likely (4) _____ when least expected, we can call it (5) ______ violence.

Nowadays terrorism (6) _____ on a global scale in its various forms (7) ______ kidnapping and (8) _______ to bombings and (9) _______ elaborate acts of deception of the public. Technological advances gave the violence even greater sophistication and (10) _______, resulting in thousands of deaths. Moreover, modern terrorism tends (11) _______ its grievances and goals.

It (13) _______ its (14) _______ carefully to achieve a greater (15) _______: the greater the symbolic value of the (16) _______, the more fear the terrorist attack (17) ______. Experience proves that anyone can become a (18) ________ of a terrorist attack. Under totalitarianism terror is the (19) _______ of a state policy, though acknowledged legitimately. There are no restraints to encourage (20) _______ to the national ideology of the country.

2. Translate the sentences from Russian into English using the Vocabulary from the text

1. Терроризм прибегает к все более изощренным методам насилия.

2. Террористические акты рождают страх, поскольку каждый может стать их случайной жертвой.

3. Между Израилем и Палестиной идет террористическая война за обладание спорными территориями.

4. Современный терроризм стремится к наибольшему воздействию на общественность.

5. Средства массовой информации часто преувеличивают значимость событий.

6. Средства и способы достижения своей цели у террористов меняются, начиная с похищения людей, угонов самолетов и политических убийств и заканчивая крупномасштабными взрывами с большим количеством жертв.

7. Современное оружие и средства связи позволяют террористам быстро передвигаться и наносить смертельные удары.

8. Террористы тщательно выбирают свои цели.

9. Бедность и нищета порождают отчаяние и ненависть.

Speaking

Speak about terrorism as one of the main threats in the modern world. How have the objectives and methods of terrorists changed in comparison with the previous century?

Role Play “The New Face of Terrorism”

Plenary Session:

Student A: You are the moderator of a plenary session on the topic “The New Face of Terrorism”. Your responsibilities include beginning and ending the discussion on time; defining the purpose of the discussion; making introductions; inviting questions; and summarizing the discussion. Use the phrases below.

Student B, C ……: You are a panelist in a plenary session on “The New Face of Terrorism”. Use the phrases below in your statements and illustrate your answers with specific facts and experiences.

Student D, E …….: You are a participant in a plenary session on “The New Face of Terrorism”. Voice your views and challenge those of the panelists. Use the phrases below.

Useful Phrases:

1. to seek a vast redistribution of global power and geopolitical revolution

2. to fight (against) the existing world order

3. to believe that violent struggle is divinely mandated

4. religiously motivated terror

5. an apocalyptic, quasi-religious ideology

6. to seek massive blood-letting

7. to calibrate violence

8. to cause maximum carnage to deliberately work to maximize the carnage

9. to use massive violence as a psychological tool

10. to use suicide operatives

11. to create a psychological and theatrical dimension through violence

12. to carry out a series of massive blows within a short period of time

13. to emphasize that violence is endless

14. to create an elaborate international network

15. to operate transnationally

16. to operate worldwide through modern technology

17. to have a global reach

18. sophisticated use of computers and telecommunication links

19. to seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction

20. document forgery and theft

21. to possess a sophisticated financial system

22. without making demands and claiming responsibility for vicious act