Women and Terrorism - Essay Example

Once so defined, those affected may become international lepers. Hence the nature of their movement; its objectives, ideology, and historical reason for being will be dismissed out of hand. The second stage in the 20th century transformation of terrorism was the growth of state sponsorship. Historically, the representation of women increases during the second wave of terrorism, although it is never very high. Also, the proportion of "supporters" relative to "regulars" and "leaders" grows in the second wave.

Yet when researchers look at their places of birth and adult residence, the case for the diffusion of neo-Fascist terrorism by expansion weakens (Mason 37). Measured both in terms of where they were born and resided the early neo-Fascists were a more geographically dispersed collection of people than the later ones. So far as the terrorists' gender is concerned, somewhat surprisingly the late leftists did not show a statistically significant increase in female representation as against the early contingent (Mason 38).

There is a shift, however, in the kinds of women who appear during the second period. The data suggest an increase in the proportion of married women who participated in the left-wing groups. The most famous [women terrorist] is Ulrike. Furthermore, second generation women were more likely to play leadership roles in these groups than were women who joined the earlier formations.Palestinian women terrorist leadership has been sufficiently successful that it may have provided at least some motivation for the September 11 attacks.

States which are unable to confront their enemies conventionally have provided every imaginable assistance to terrorist groups in order to weaken their enemies physically or morally. Although the original acts of Palestinian terror have brought some international condemnation upon the perpetrators, Israeli responses have resulted in even worse condemnation for Israel (Bassam 83). Formal U.N. reprimands weaken Israel's moral position, which affects its relations with the U.S. Government. Ironically, the attacks have not weakened the Israelis physically; if anything, the attacks have moved the Israelis to new levels of proficiency in eradicating the threat.

A crucial factor in the rise to prominence of the women participation has been the evolution of modes of violent behavior over time. If violence is viewed as an ongoing component in human relationships, rather than as a moral consideration, it is clear that the eras of conventional warfare and, in turn, nuclear warfare, have been respectively organized, institutionalized, and for the most part deterred (with no guarantee over future breakdowns) (Neuberger and Valentini 24). As persons have devised capabilities to deal with these forms of violence, it is not surprising that advocates of violence have turned to unconventional forms of warfare-first guerrilla warfare (liberation movements), and eventually to