Tactics, Funding, and Weapons of Mass Destruction

 According to the Global Terrorism Index, the number of terror-related deaths has reduced globally. The vast majority of terrorist attacks occur in developed countries. Additionally, terrorism is still spreading to other countries as a result of radicalization. In an attempt to study behavioral tendencies exhibited by terrorist’s researchers have established that the manner in which terrorist attacks are perpetrated has been shifting from sophisticated to more low-cost, low-tech, and lone actor based (Hummel, 2016). This implies that terrorism has been evolving over the years. Such tactics as this gives an overview of the evolution of terrorism as well as their funding source. ISIS is ranked among the wealthiest terrorist group globally. Therefore, it is important to identify where terrorist organizations get their funding in order to suppress their operations.

Majority of the funding that terrorism groups have involves state-sponsored terrorism and oil smuggling. According to Hummel, the state funding model is where a country funds a terrorist organization for their interest to be implemented onto the enemy. When the interests of the terrorist group and the specific nation are similar than this is why they are sponsored. However, state-sponsored terrorism can be traced back to the cold war era. Oil smuggling has been directly related to activities encouraged by sponsor states to hide cash transfers. For example, in 2016 a report was evaluated that ISIS had been generating revenues in the sum of millions of dollars as the result of smuggling oil through Syria and Iraq on a daily basis. However, terrorists have become less dependent on state sponsors in current time (Forest, 2013).

Another area in which terrorist organizations get funding is through charities. For instance, Saudi Arabia has been classified as a major hub for charity based activities for al-Qaeda (Forest, 2013). Although country officials tried to disrupt the financing of terrorist organizations via charities. Charities still play a large role in sponsoring terrorism specifically around the Islamic region. Studies show that donations take place in the form of promoting Islamic programs whereas others with the direct intent of reinforcing terrorism as well as promoting radicalization (Hummel, 2016). Charities remain as one of the main and most significant ways of funding that terrorist organizations receive.

Additionally, entrepreneur and popular support models are important and play a significant role in the funding of terrorists' activities. Majority of these groups enjoy support from different areas such as community types, ideological, ethnicity, religion, and any other form of identity. In many cases it happens in the form of donations or taking advantage of different geographical resources. Terrorists may also operate under the umbrella of management, legitimacy, and running commercial enterprises to raise finances (Hummel, 2016). Some of these business activities are car sales companies, import-export, high-tech laboratories, construction corporations, as well as shipping. They also receive help in different forms such as loans from investment banks and financial firms. For instance, in 1990s al-Qaeda had multiple legitimate enterprises such as a tannery, constructions, farms, and trading companies (Anderson, 2010).

Terrorist organizations may utilize nuclear weapons in order to cause mass destruction regardless of the problems that may occur during their development. Additionally, weapon design is an essential aspect of the determination of quantities of enriched uranium required to perpetuate nuclear attacks (Anderson, 2010). Also, the challenges that terrorists have to encounter when trying to develop nuclear weapons forces them to enter the black market which includes oil smuggling. Another area in which terrorists lack in regard possessing individuals such as engineers and physicists in order to develop such weapons. These are some of the challenges that terrorism organizations have to deal with when wanting to develop such weapons.

In 2014, a laptop that contained information about Islamic states procedures that were involved in developing biological weapons was found. However, computer technicians were required to be very cautious when obtaining these files for their investigation. The development of such weapons requires skilled personnel as well as a laboratory and as mentioned earlier financing. In order for this initiative to be successful, the laboratory must be equipped with appropriate infrastructure (Anderson, 2010). Biological and nuclear weapons are two strategies of mass destruction. Biological weapons are characterized by the development of infectious agents with the objective of causing harm to a population (Anderson, 2010).

In conclusion, the evolution of terrorism poses significant challenges to global security. While the number of terror-related deaths has decreased globally, terrorism continues to adapt and spread through various means. Shifts in tactics, such as the transition to low-cost, low-tech methods and lone actor operations, highlight the dynamic nature of terrorist activities. Understanding the sources of funding for terrorist organizations is crucial in combating their operations. State-sponsored terrorism, oil smuggling, charity donations, and entrepreneurial activities all contribute to financing terrorist activities. Additionally, the potential threat of terrorists acquiring and using nuclear or biological weapons underscores the importance of international efforts to prevent the proliferation of such weapons and disrupt terrorist networks. Overall, addressing the multifaceted nature of terrorism requires a comprehensive approach that targets both the means and motives behind terrorist actions.