KARACHI, PAKISTAN – The root of terrorism is ‘terror’: sometimes that is exactly what some groups do – spread terror.
Language is a funny thing. There are some words that mean exactly what they seem to mean. ‘Genocide‘ is a good example even if we cannot always agree on what the parametres of that act are. The term comes from the Greek géno(s) race + -cide (Latin for act of killing) – NB lots of English words have hybrid origins. What happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, what happened in Rwanda in 1994, and what is happening in Xinjiang Province in the PRC to the Uyghurs typify genocide.
Then there are terms which move ever so slightly away from what they appear to suggest. ‘Terrorism‘ is a primary case. Yes, there is ‘terror‘ to it but terrorist groups don’t settle solely on spreading it. There is almost always another focus: regime change, getting concessions on certain issues, a show of force, etc.
On occasion, however, an act of terrorism is carried out purely to terrorise.
On this day in 2000
A bomb exploded outside a sugar cane juice shop in Karachi, killing eight and injuring 14. The group behind it was Al Nawaz, which may or may not have been a real bunch (there may be a link to Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif who was removed in a coup in late 1999).
We will continue the spreading of intense fear as a protest of the hijacking of our favorite leader Mohammad Nawaz Sharif’s elected government.
Al Nawaz statement
A bomb outside a juice shop? Yep, that would scare the bejeezus out of me. How about you?
Read More Today in Terrorism
May 31, 1906: Spanish anarchist bombs royal wedding
On May 31, 1906 a Spanish anarchist threw a bomb hoping to hit King Alfonso XIII, killing 24 and wounding more than 100.
May 30, 2009: Anti-government group bombs TV station in Ecuador
On May 30, 2009 two pamphlet-bombs exploded outside an Ecuadorian TV station and ministry: no victims or significant damage ensued.
May 29, 2016: ISIS uses chlorine gas in terrorist attack
On May 29, 2016 35 civilians were wounded in an ISIS attack using rockets containing chlorine gas in Iraq’s Nineveh Province.
