Kryachkov 2!indd

B. 
Why do people become terrorists? 
a) How do these factors contribute to a person’s decision to turn to terrorism? Compare 
your ideas with the causes of terrorism from Reading 2.
— desire to be heroic
— fear
— propensity for violence 
— sense of adventure
— nationality
— boredom
— social class background
— inferiority complex
— feeling humiliated by the ways of arrogant ‘leading nations 
of the world’
— religion
— absence of opportunities for respect and self-development
b) Find several recently published journal articles 
dealing with the root causes of terrorism and prepare 
a brief analysis of the existing approaches to the explanation 
of this phenomenon.
Ex. 21. Explain and expand on what the following concepts mean. 
safe haven
(leaderless) jihad
fundamentalism
micro-terrorism
radicalization
caliphate
Patriot Act
assassin 
cyberterrorism
zealot
thug
Ex. 22. Discuss your answers to these questions. Use the active vocabulary and the 
phrases from Ex. 12–19: 
A. Once a terrorist, always a terrorist?
a. Since there exists no precise and unambiguous definition of terrorism, many equate ter-
rorism with guerilla warfare and insurgencies. Is it possible to distinguish between them? 
b. Is there such a thing as justifiable terrorism?

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Английский язык для магистратуры
F
ighting The Hydra
c. Prepare a brief talk on one of the following figures, who were once recognized as terror-
ists, but who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize (or any other prominent figure of your 
choice who has undergone a similar transformation).
Menachim Begin, Sean McBride, Nelson Mandela, Yassir Arafat
B. The Army of God: Religion and Terrorism
Most reprehensible crimes are sometimes committed in the name of god, which leads 
many to associate religion with terrorism. 
a. Is terrorism a tool of religion, or is religion used by terrorists as a tool? 
b. How is violence justified? 
c. What makes ‘religious’ terrorism different from ‘traditional’ secular terrorism (focus on 
goals, leadership, recruitment, etc.)? 
C. State sponsored terrorism
a. What is state sponsored terrorism? 
b. Do states sponsoring terrorism engage directly in terrorist activity? 
c. What are the grounds for considering them rogue states? 
d. What sanctions to pressure the states into discontinuing their support for terrorism have 
been used? 
D. No Compromise in Defense of Mother Earth
Eco-terrorism or ecotage, is believed to have appeared in England during the 1970s. It 
espouses extremist views on environmental issues and animal rights, and is a fringe-issue 
form of terrorism, which seeks to inflict economic damage on those who allegedly profit 
from the destruction and exploitation of the environment. 
a. Adherents often compare themselves to anti-slavery abolitionists or opponents of Nazi 
death camps. Is such a comparison acceptable? 
b. Give examples of how such organizations as Animal Liberation Front, Earth Liberation 
Front and Earth First! achieve their goals. 
c. What’s the difference between environmentalists and ecoterrorists? 
d. How serious is the threat posed by ecoterrorists? Should they be treated on a par with 
‘conventional’ terrorists?
Ex. 23. Make a 5–7 min. Power Point presentation on a major terrorist movement/
terrorist attack in the country/region you specialize in. Focus on terrorists’ goals and 
motivations as well as the investigation carried out by the authorities.
Follow the guidelines in Unit 1 (ex. 20).
Ex. 24. Debate: Can Counterterrorism Be Effective? 
In two teams debating against each other, discuss if there are effective counterterrorism strategies. 
Follow the guidelines in Unit 1 (ex. 21).
You may want to focus on the following questions:
a) What body within the UN system is in charge of counterterrorism? Speak about its mission, 
methods of work, current activities. Is it the most effective way of combating terrorism?

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