Why Don't We Call THIS Terrorism?

- Hijacking commercial transportation

- Systematic kidnapping of foreigners

- Holding Hostages at gunpoint



Sound like Terrorism?

Nope, it's Piracy.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/31/somalia-pirates-adopt-troubling-new-tactics.html

FOR DISCUSSION:

+ Compare these events to what we would consider acts of Radical Islamic Terrorism. What elements are missing and how is it different?

+ Would you personally consider any or all of the acts of "piracy" as terrorism?

+ Do these events just represent the type of terrorist acts in the 1970's and 1980's and now we actually have a new, more narrow definition of terrorism?

 

I have no problem labeling these Muslim pirates as terrorists.

 

This is the mindless politically correct Obama administration. Of coarse these Islamonazi's are terrorists. Obama does not like the negative stigmatism applied to his Islamo bretheren.

 

Piracy and Terrorism are one and the same to me. Maes no difference to me when it happens at sea.

 

I'm surprised that the responses so far do not differentiate. So...Just to play devil's advocate:


- The Somali pirates' motivation seems to be purely monetary whereas Al Qaida and others' motivation is unambiguously declared and political in nature.

- The definition of terrorism changed after 9/11. Up until then, the acts of terrorism had been criminal in nature.......like what the pirates are doing...committing crimes. The bar has been raised for what is considered terrorism now because it's an act of war.


....again, just adding some points to stir the discussion....

 

Yea terrorism are acts of violence motivated to cause political change or upheaval and are not based in profit. Pirates could care less about the politics behind their actions are doing things simply to increase wealth. That would be the difference.

 

I don't think it matters either way. The term 'terrorism' and the term 'piracy' are both pejoratives.

Is there a PC motive behind worrying about this?

To me, the terms are separate: the modern usage of the word 'terrorism' applies to actions which are mainly purposed to cause fear and alter behaviour, with no imminent or direct gain to the terrorist.

Obviously, pirates feel different. Their goal isn't to scare away those who can be pirated; they would prefer the opposite, in fact. A pirate's goal isn't to bring attention to this actions; a terrorist's goal is the opposite.

This thread is stupid.

 

I'm not convinced that the motivation of the Somali pirates is completely monetary in nature. Likely they are participating in what they view as their sacred duty of jihad, just like many other Muslims in the world today.

 

No they are pretty much just about the money. You don't see them focusing on embassy's do you? They also don't discriminate when it comes to who's ships they will hit. Americans, fellow muslims, doesn't matter to them.

 

Most of the pirates are pirates because they had the unfortunate destiny of being born in the most barren place on earth.
You can't farm there, there is no fishing industry, there is rampant groups of armed men everywhere, no infrastructure to peak of and the governments a corrupt sack of (*)(*)(*)(*).
The only thing to turn to is crime. Often times piracy...

 

Another Question:

- If you do not consider the acts mentioned in the OP article "terrorism", then what single element would make you reconsider? How much further would they need to go?


- Use of explosives?

- Reported chants of Allah Akbar?

- Political instead of monetary demands? ie. a prisoner exchange or complaints about local law.

 

They're missing the radicalism, Islamisism and terrorism. They're different because the sole aim is to make money rather than change political policy.

Of course not. Piracy only really defines where a crime happens. If someone steals your boat from your driveway, it's theft. If they steal your boat on the ocean, it's piracy. If all acts of piracy were to be automatically defined as terrorism, all crimes committed on land should be too.

No. Acts of terrorism in the 70's and 80's tended to be plane hijackings or planted bombs. The actual definition of terrorism has never changed though. The media presentation and individual understanding (or ignorance) of it has.

A question for you now - Do you consider acts of piracy committed by people who don't come from Muslim majority areas acts of terrorism too?

 

Relax... Somali piracy had nothing to with Islam or the fact that they are Muslims.

Many of them are just angry fisherman who are angry that other countries are taking the fish off the coast of Somalia. Which is illegal.

Others are former fighters from wars, with nothin better to do and feeling the same way as the fisherman, that they need to protect their coast.

There is no Islamic motive here. Quite sad how that is all you could come up with. Just because they are Muslims.... You don't even try to learn the other side of the story, it's easier to stay ignorant and "blame the Mozlems" blindly. When really it was the fishing companies of the non-Muslim countries which drove them this option.

سلام

 

Really? Are you serious right now?

Woooow... Read my sig. I guess you don't know what Allahu Akbar even means, do you?

سلام

 

It's been used as a war chant for a very long time.

 

Likely. In other words, I know nothing about their motives and don't feel like finding then out, but because they happen to be Muslim and I don't like Muslims, that must be it. Because, Muslims just wake up one day, look out their window with the sun shining and the birds chirping, and say "Ahhh what a beautiful day for Jihad." No, there couldn't be any other reason for Somali men to do what they are doing. It must be Islam. Only option. No question about it.

سلام

 

Yes. I consider coordinated criminal acts intended to intimidate or terrorize a population as terrorism.


So it boils down to motive for me. It is clear that the acts of Terror organizations are criminal and the motive of Terror groups fits the definition of terrorism perfectly. The pirates' actions are similarly criminal, but their motives would presumably be simply profit. However, this seems to be a systemic thing.....an increasingly organized thing.... IMO, this walks the line and it would take very little for this collection of acts of piracy at sea...and now on land, to go from being considered a loose crime syndicate to clearly terrorist acts.

The only missing ingredient is an organized ambition that veers from being solely about money. I think that missing ingredient could be demonstrated any day now.

 

According to? Your TV screen? Your newspaper? Your radio? FOX News? How do you know?

Allahu Akbar, God is Great, much more than just a war chant.

The ignorance is actually depressing...

سلام

 

It's called "Sudden Jihad Syndrome" and is not an uncommon occurrence amongst Muslims, particularly Muslim converts. Look up the stories of Jihad Jane and Jihad Jamie, two American white women who, suddently, converted to Islam and immediately became involved with terror plots overseas.

 

The ambition is to get their coast back, and prevent people from shipping arms and taking their fish. That's the ambition.

Read, habibi. Google, it's made for a reason.

سلام

 

So you admit that it is used as a war chant. Thank you.

 

Which "people"? The evil non-Muslims?

 

It's been used, for example, to publicly indict the Ft. Hood shooting as terrorism......one of the telltale signs of the terrorist motivations of a suicide bomber or a shooter, or a plane hijacker.....

Not the normal use of the phrase, I'll grant you....

..But more to the point: It shows they believe the act they are committing suit's God's will or is being done in the name of God. It illustrates their motive and their mindset and I think it is pertinent.

 

Islam is a very strange religion to study. There are so many loose ends and crap that seems just added in for the sake of it that it boggles your mind. Christianity also seems like just a dumbed down version of the Sumerians religion. By far the creepiest is Judaism though. How they came up with some of their beliefs reminds me of asking a 4 year old to come up with a religion and then following it.

I have no idea how people can honestly buy into any of these.

 

I can't speak for the others, but some guy going into a cave and emerging with a story that made him rich and powerful is very persuasive evidence.