Be Mains Ready

Approach:

• Briefly define terrorism and state with examples of how a new version of terrorism has evolved.
• Discuss the reasons that led to the emergence of new age terrorism
• Suggest way forward how countries should tackle this threat
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction

• Terrorism is the unlawful use of—or threatened use of—force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives.
• However, with the convergence of organised terrorism a lot of new forms of terrorism has been originating:
  
  • Narco-terrorism
  • Financial terrorism
  • Cyber terrorism
  • Use of biological warfare and chemical weapons.
  • Threats posed by the nuclear black market and nuclear terrorism
• Also, New age terrorism got transformed from being regional to trans-national due to ease of communication and transport, spread of internet and social media which enabled radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable youth across borders.

Body

Reasons for the emergence of new age terrorism:

• The advent of social media and the Internet: Social Media and the internet has made a regional phenomenon into a global one.
  
  • WIth increasing reach of social media, radicalisation becomes very easy; also social media is being used for the recruitment process of terror outfits.
• Increased cyber capabilities provide new revenue sources: For example- Bitcoins
  
  • The anonymity offered by bitcoins provides a secure route to do a safe and secure way for terror financing.
  • Also, an intricate network of money laundering provides terror financing.
• State-sponsored terrorism: Terrorism is being used by nations to fulfil their strategic gains. For eg: the proxy war in middle east, Pakistan harbouring terrorism on its soil.
• Use of religion: In name of religion, people are being driven towards terrorism.
• Decentralised from of terrorism: Growing intolerance and hate crime in society have led to an increase in phenomena of lone wolf attack.
• Globalisation: Globalisation has made a borderless world, which has led to the free flow of people, ideas and capital.

With growing trans-nationalism of terrorism, it is difficult for one nation to have a check at these transnational activities. Hence it requires cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies of several nations.

Steps that can be taken by the international community to deal with this global issue:

• Urgent adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN.
• Strengthening of financial bodies like FATF and UN.
• Intelligence sharing agreements can be signed between the nations:
  
  • Like India has signed intel sharing network with China, Iran, USA, Israel, UAE etc.
  • World leaders can negotiate a global body for Intelligence sharing, like Five eyes.
• A multilateral regime under aegis of UN has to established over ownership and control over the internet.
• Use of big data analytics for enhanced intelligence discovery.
• All these steps should be taken in light of human right also.

Terrorism today has become a global issue like climate change, poverty, gender inequality. If nations don't act now in unison than terrorism can consume whole humanity.