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Ku Klux Klan History

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Terrorism has been defined as ‘the use of violence or intimidation to achieve a desired end.’ (Donohoe, 2004). Terrorists have used these methods over time to change the political sphere of a country, sometimes for the greater good, and other times to advocate minor causes or causes that do not align with the values of broader society. Although terrorism had existed as a concept before the 1970s, it was at this time that terrorists began to act outside of their home territory, either singularly (known as acting as a ‘lone wolf’) or as part of a terrorist group. The first known example of this occurred in 1972 when a group of Arabian terrorists launched an attack on Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, killing eleven people. Since this time, …show more content…
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK), founded on Christmas Eve 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, was first formed as a group advocating white supremacy. Most members of the KKK were once affiliated with the Protestant Nativist Church, and the Klan had extended into almost every southern state in 1870 and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the Reconstruction-era policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for African-American people put in place by the Republican Party. Three movements of the Klan existed in whole. The First Klan (1865-72) was dedicated to ‘protect whites who were being terrorised by former slaves’, and to take revenge upon these people. The Klan’s recorded aims were ‘to terrorise blacks to an extent that they would be too afraid to exercise their votes; drive blacks away from any land which they had obtained; and to intimidate and demoralise blacks so that they would give up on attempts to win …show more content…
The group was formed in the early 1980s as a reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Since the Soviet invasion is arguably part of the Cold War, Al-Qaeda was originally financed and trained by the United States, among other Western countries. After its original aim of Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan was achieved in 1989, the group’s new principal aim was to establish Islamic governments, particularly in Saudi Arabia – the homeland of leader Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda remains one of the most high-profile terrorist organisations in the world, and envisages ‘a complete break from all foreign influences in Muslim countries, the creation of a world-wide Islamic state, campaigns against Christian and Jewish people due to their alliance conspiring to destroy Islam, and opposition of man-made laws and promotion of sharia law.’ Al-Qaeda’s strategies are brutal, and history has shown that they overwhelm, financially strangle, manipulate and stretch their enemies, including the want for nations to be divided, so that a larger opportunity can be created for Al-Qaeda to enter that country. Aside from their economic and psychological strategies, Al-Qaeda employ characteristic techniques, including suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings on both civilian and military targets in various countries. The most notable of these include the September 11 attacks, widely regarded as the worst international terrorist

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