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Why Do People Become Terrorists? A Prosecutor’s Experiences

In the latest issue of the Journal of International Criminal Justice, Armando Spataro, coordinator of the Antiterrorism Department of the Milan Prosecution Service offers his thoughts on why people turn to terrorism. Here’s the abstract: Undeniably the marginalization suffered by many Islamic emigrants (particularly from North Africa) and the consequent difficulties in fitting in the land of adoption, constitute contributory causes - of a socio-economic nature - of their drift into terrorism. However, a distorted view of the principles of Islam and a violent and criminal interpretation of the obligation of Jihad constitute the main factor of their drive. Statements made in the course of interrogation by arrested terrorists (especially by supergrasses, referred to in Italy as 'repenters') as well as ideological documents disseminated internationally on the internet or items seized in the course of various judicial enquiries consistently show that the religious view of the world, obviously in the distorted perspective specific to terrorists, constitutes the main reason for their behaviour, whereas practically no importance attaches to the aspiration to liberate specific occupied territories or oppressed peoples...continue to full post

Full post as published by Terrorism Research News on March 30, 2010 (boomark / email).