The Phenomenon of Terrorism as a Threat to International Security
The Phenomenon of Terrorism as a Threat to International Security

Summary/Abstract: The article presents terrorism as a threat to international security in the 21st century. The problem with defining terrorism has been present for many years and the available definitions are developed based on the main features of terrorism. The article emphasises that terrorism has evolved through the 20th and 21st centuries. Terrorist incidents have become more unpredictable in terms of place and time, and so did methods of carrying out the attacks. The further section describes the impact of terrorist attacks on public opinion and the perception of terrorism. The consequence of presenting terrorist incidents in the media is the widespread sense of threat of terrorism. Terrorists use the mass media to convey their ideologies and the medium that is most used by them is the Internet. Based on examples, the author demonstrates that terrorism has an influence on policies adapted by countries and is an economic threat. Finally, the article states that despite the lower frequency of incidents in Europe, terrorism is still a problem and subsequent terrorist incidents are only a matter of time. Fewer terrorist attacks in Europe do not mean that terrorist organisations are weaker.

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