Terrorism A Comparison Of Al Shabaab And Boko Haram...

Terrorism: A comparison of Al shabaab and Boko Haram Terror Networks. Introduction Heightened attention is paid to terrorism since September 11, 2001 terror attacks on World Trade Center and the Pentagon by Al Qaeda terror network. The act of terror and terrorist groups however have existed for centuries. Terrorism as Ted Gur would explain is a tactic used by the weak to intimate the strong and by the strong to intimidate the weak (Gur in White, 2002, p.205). It is believed that when a group resorts to terror against its own citizens or another state, it is admittance that they do not have the power or strength to deal with the issue therefore results to use of violence, such as guerilla or unconventional warfare, to challenge the legitimacy or in Weber’s term legitimate, violence† (Couto 2010, P. 68). Irish Republican Army in the 1960s and 70s carried out various terrorist act in their demand for British withdrawal and unification of Ireland. They strategically attacked pubs, town centers and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. They also was involved i n international terrorism because they strategically carried out attacks in England. Likewise, Palestinian Liberation Organization whose aim was to liberate Palestinians through arm struggle carried out terrorist activities in Israel, and against Israelis in Munich Olympics (Cristie, 2011). Causes of Terrorism The root cause of terrorism is still a subject of debate across most spheres of study that deals with human