Disadvantages Of Terrorism

Terrorism is a fluid term, defined differently by various experts. Albeit, the general consensus in its definition is that it is a means to achieve political change by targeting non-combatants rather than a specific set of ends (Bates and Ciment, 2013). The original application of the term ‘terrorism’ was derived from French word ‘terrorisme’. This was used during the ‘Reign of Terror’; a period during the French revolution where Protestants were sought out and murdered in cold blood for maintaining their faith. In modern times, terrorism has become a major setback to global trade and economic development because of the ripple effects generated. This paper contains the various types of terrorism highlighted in the subsequent paragraphs with their train of impacts to trade include: maritime, transnational, religious and food terrorism. Firstly, maritime terrorism involves the perpetration of terrorist activities within the maritime environment using or against vessels or fixed platforms at sea or in port, or against any one of their passengers or personnel against coastal facilities or settlements, including tourist resorts, port areas and port towns or cities (Quentin, 2003). Both the U.S. and global economies depend on commercial shipping. U.S. ports handle approximately 20 percent of worldwide maritime trade (Greenberg, 2006). The value of national and international products transported through the United States annually is approximately $9.1 trillion (Foschi, 2004) hence