Historical evidence

Terrorism has always been practiced In the world through ages. The Roman kings Tiberius (AD 14-31) and Caligula (AD 37-41) indulged in state terrorism in that they used banishment, expropriation of property and executions as means to discourage opposition to their rule. During the French Revolution, the use of terror was openly advocated by a popular leader Robespierre encouraging revolutionary activities. This eventually led to the advent of the period of his political domination known as Reign of Terror. After the American Civil War (1861-65) the southerners formed a terrorist organization called the Ku Klause Klan to intimidate supporters of reconstruction of the war ravaged country. During the later half of the 19th century terrorism was adopted in Russia, Europe and the USA by political opponents as a weapon to usher in political and social change. They believed in assassinating persons in position of power. From 1865 to 1905, a number of kings, presidents, prime ministers and other highly placed government officials were killed by the terrorists.

The 20th century, with its technological advances such as automatic weapons and electronically detonating explosives, has given the terrorists a very high degree of mobility and lethality. Terrorism was adopted as state policy by Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. They resorted to arrests, imprisonments, tortures and executions to create a climate of fear and to encourage adherence to the national ideology and also state’s declared economic, social and political policies.