Terrorism is not a new phenomenon in the world. For centuries, many people use violence to express their opposition to leaders in power. Nevertheless, this form of opposition is different from terrorism. While this type of violence targets soldiers and leaders, terrorism is aimed at regular citizens. In the recent past, incidence of terror attacks on civilians has increased in different parts of the world. Paris terror attacks, London and Mumbai bombings and the Bamako hotel attack are recent incidents that can be qualified as terror attacks based on the perpertators’ underlying intent and motive https://essaywritingstore.com/write-an-article-for-me

2015 Paris terror attacks constituted a series of armed and bombing attacks on France’s capital city. The attacks left over 350 people injured and another 130 dead. The terrorists carried out simultaneous attacks in six different locations, thus increasing the number of casualties. The motive behind these attacks is the ISIS indirect retaliation that started in 2014. Additionally, the incursion of the French Military into the Middle East triggered these attacks.

Similar to the attacks in Paris, London transit transit bombings in 2005 involved simultaneous attacks in different locations. Unlike Paris bombings, however, London transit line attacks targeted the British transport system. Three bombs affected the metro station and one more went off at a bus station. In total, the attacks led to the loss of 52 lives and left scores injured. The motive behind these attacks was retaliation against Britain's involvement in the Middle East conflict, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since its involvement in the conflict, Britain has increasingly become a target for terror attacks.

The 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai share similarities with the other two since they included a series of attacks. The motive behind these attacks was ideological differences between India and the neighboring Islamic States as well as strengthening of the country’s relationship with the USA. Unlike three other attacks mentioned above, the Bamako hotel attack occurred only in one location. The attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel situated in Mali’s capital Bamako claimed 22 lives. This attack resulted from conflicts between Al-Qaeda and Islamic States, in which the Islamic countries won. Additionally, this attack in Bamako could be linked to Paris attacks as France intervened in Mali in the past.

These four attacks qualify as terror attacks. The Department of Homeland Security defines terrorism as activities involving danger to human lives or potentially leading to the destruction of critical infrastructure. This definition extends to include acts that violate the USA criminal law, translate to coercion of civilian population or influence the government policy through mass destruction, assassinations or kidnapping. Given this definition, the attacks described above should be considered terror attacks. They were an attempt to influence government policies through mass assault. Additionally, the attacks were endangering human lives, and in case of Britain transit attacks, the aim was the destruction of the transport system, which is a critical infrastructure.

In the four terror attacks, the perpertators intentionally targeted civilians with the goal of inflicting as many casualties as possible. In the Britain transit line, Paris and Mumbai attacks, the terrorists strategically planned to conduct simultaneous attacks, which considerably increased the number of casualties. Their underlying intent, therefore, was to target many civilians. The motive of the terrorists, on the other hand, was different. As seen in the Paris and Britain attacks, the perpetrators’ motive was to retaliate against countries for their involvement in the Middle East conflict. The Mumbai and Bamako Hotel attacks, however, occurred due to ideological differences. Understanding the motive and intent of potential terrorists can help predict the nature of the activity in which they will engage. Nevertheless, it is not easy to define the kind of the act the criminals will carry out by only understanding their motive. Thus, in the Paris and Britain cases, the perpetrators had similar reasons but carried out different attacks. Although they used simultaneous attacks targeted at civilians, in case of London bombings, terrorists also targeted to destroy a critical infrastructure. Hence, understanding of the intent can help predict the nature of the activity leading to a terror attack. Therefore, intent is a better determinant of the act of terror.

Currently, terror attacks are on the rise. In the recent past, there have been attacks in Paris, London, Bamako, and Mumbai. These attacks had different motives, which included retaliation and ideological differences. The terrorists, however, had the intentions of causing loss of lives and mass destruction. Therefore, according to the Department of Homeland Security definition, the attacks should be qualified as terror attacks. Though motive and intent are closely related, understanding both terms would lead to a more accurate prediction of the nature of the action or attack that perpetrators will carry out.