please HELP me with these questions about terrorists!!!! I NEED it for homework hurry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question

what is a terrorist?? who are terrorists?? why do they want to kill americans?? I NEED THIF FOR HOMEWORK IT ALSO HAS TO BE LONG PLEASE HELP AND HURRY

Answer 1

The FEMA site may be a starting place:
http://www.fema.gov/kids/nse/

Most terrorists are radical Muslims. They hope to demoralize people by unpredictable attacks on civilians, which of course is contrary to civilized rules of war. The Geneva Conventions require attacks on military targets by uniformed combatants, and it restricts weapons like poisoned gas.

If this or any other answer to your question helps you resolve this issue, please select a "best answer." This motivates people to help you and rewards their research in your behalf.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

Terrorism in the modern sense is violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or "terror", are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants. Many definitions also include only acts of unlawful violence. Terrorist would be the person doing that.

It seems obvious that the terrorists want us out of Iraq--in physical, financial and cultural terms--and out of the Middle East in general. The World Trade Center, after all, was one of the most potent symbols imaginable of Western financial world domination. But there's a difference between what the terrorists want, and what they say they want. There's also a distinction to be made between terrorists such as Al Queda (who happen to be right wing Muslims), and Muslims who draw the line at acts of violence against civilians. There are also the secularists to be considered. The reason groups like Al Queda appeal to these other factions is that they claim to be freedom fighters working to expel a hostile foreign invader.

So what do the terrorists really want? Well, we've already started implementing their agenda, both in Iraq, and even--most unbelievably--in our own country: torture, illegal detention and rendition, illegal wiretaps, increased use of surveillance, assaults on freedom of the press. The goals of the religious right are the same universally, be it the Muslim, Christian or Jewish variety. It's no accident that what benefits Al Queda also benefits the Republican party, as well as the hard-liners in Israel. They all need this war to survive.