Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

First Amendment

2007-10-23T03:55:26Z

Masterchief:

Amendments -- [[First Amendment|1]]-[[Second Amendment|2]]-[[Third Amendment|3]]-[[Fourth Amendment|4]]-[[Fifth Amendment|5]]-[[Sixth Amendment|6]]-[[Seventh Amendment|7]]-[[Eighth Amendment|8]]-[[Ninth Amendment|9]]-[[Tenth Amendment|10]]-[[Eleventh Amendment|11]]-[[Twelfth Amendment|12]]-[[Thirteenth Amendment|13]]-[[Fourteenth Amendment|14]]-[[Fifteenth Amendment|15]]-[[Sixteenth Amendment|16]]-[[Seventeenth Amendment|17]]-[[Eighteenth Amendment|18]]-[[Nineteenth Amendment|19]]-[[Twentieth Amendment|20]]-[[Twenty-First Amendment|21]]-[[Twenty-Second Amendment|22]]-[[Twenty-Third Amendment|23]]-[[Twenty-Fourth Amendment|24]]-[[Twenty-Fifth Amendment|25]]-[[Twenty-Sixth Amendment|26]]-[[Twenty-Seventh Amendment|27]]

The First Amendment to the [[Constitution]] of the [[United States of America]] says:

:[[Congress]] shall make no law respecting an establishment of [[religion]], or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the [[freedom of speech]], or of the [[press]]; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the [[government]] for a redress of grievances.

This is generally taken as a limitation on the power of the federal goverment with respect to:
#[[freedom of religion]]
#[[free speech]]
#[[freedom of the press]]
#[[peaceful assembly]]
#[[political activism]]

== Conservative Interpretation ==
Liberals often focus on the so-called "[[establishment clause]]", in noting that the federal government cannot endorse or establish a church. However, liberals often overlook the clause explicitly allowing for the free exercise of religion. Conservatives argue that this clause can be interpreted to allow much more leeway to the majority of religious Americans than liberals currently allow. n In recent years, conservative officials have been in favor of establishing christianity as America's official religion, which is in clear violation of the First Amendment.

[[Category: Constitution]]

Terrorism

2007-10-23T03:51:51Z

Masterchief:

[[Image:Terrormunich.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A member of [[Black September]], a terrorist group, during the [[1972 Munich Olympics]]]]'''[[Terrorism]]''' is defined by the US [[Department of Defense]] as "''the unlawful use of -- or threatened use of -- force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives.''"

== '''Terrorist''' ==
One who uses [[terroristic tactics]] to coerce behavior in another person or group is generally considered to fall under the definition of the term "terrorist". One who uses such terroristic tactics ([[suicide bombing]], [[sniper]], [[assassination]], [[random bombing]], etc.) can often be described as such. Aeroflight in the UK [http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/definitions.htm], defines it as: ''"One who utilizes the systematic use of violence and/or intimidation to achieve political objectives, while disguised as a civilian non-combatant. The use of a civilian disguise while on operations exempts the perpetrator from protection under the Geneva Conventions, and consequently if captured they are liable for prosecution as common criminals."''

== '''Terrorism''' ==
Terrorism is the use of terror (fear), violence, and intimidation to achieve an end. Terrorism also refers to any fear and subjugation produced by this. The term is also used to describe violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians by groups or persons for political or ideological goals. Terrorism is the unlawful use or threatened use, of force, ''intimidation'', and/or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

==Leftist (Radical) Terrorism==

Leftist Terrorism, often referred to as radical terrorism, is terrorism that embraces the fringe left side of the political spectrum (Countries that are hostile to dissident terrorist movements often also see violence from the far left as well). Radical terrorists are future orientated. That is, radicals believe that they are currently being oppressed by some current government, idealogy or regime, and therefore they should overthrow that oppressor and install a better government. Radical terrorists often operate with the belief that it is possible to create a utopia for the people. Radicals generally follow the beliefs of Karl Marx and Lenin, with emphasis on the idea of Lenin's vanguard party. Leftist terrorists often choose symbolic targets that emphasize what they see as a an oppressor to the working class. Leftist terrorist tend to target buildings and governmental structures that represent capitalism, or assassinate government leaders and capitalists. Leftist terrorists are self characterized as the young, self-educated elites of society, who are destined to both weaken the oppressive government and at the same time expose the weakness of the government to the exploited workforce. Radicals also tend be more exclusive with what issues they champion. Often, very narrow radicals will focus on one issue, resulting in animal rights, feminist, and eco-terrorists. Radical groups often operated in highly organized and clandestine groups, easily recognizable and orderly. However, leftist groups often had internal divisions in the larger groups that often broke off to create new group.<ref>Gus Martin. Understanding Terrorism: Challeges, Perspectives, and Issues.</ref>

===Famous Radical Groups===

*[[Al-Qaeda]]
*[[Animal Liberation Front]]
*[[Black Liberation Army]]
*[[Black Panther Party]]
*[[Earth Liberation Front]]
*[[Irish Republican Army]]
*[[John Brown Anti-Klan Committee]]
*[[May 19th Communist Organization]]
*[[Muslim Brotherhood]]
*[[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]] {{fact}}
*[[Prairie Fire Organizing Committee]]
*[[Red Army Faction]]
*[[Symbionese Liberation Army]]
*[[Weather Underground Organization]]
*[[Youth International Party]]

==Right (Reactionary) Terrorism==

Historically, reactionary terrorism has been less organized and less symbolic than leftist terrorists. Reactionary terrorists, like radical terrorists, see the current government as corrupt, but unlike radical leftists, reactionaries do not see the current government as needing revolutionary change. Rather, reactionaries view the government as a perversion of some older, better, government or social order. Reactionary terrorist violence is an attempt to regain the lost government and return to "order" and status quo. Reactionary violence is often justified by a use of mysticism about the old order. Scapegoating is a common tactic among reactionary terrorists to create an enemy for which to blame for the current order. Historical scapegoats among reactionary terrorists have included Jews, foreigners, homosexuals, atheists, leftists, blacks, illegal immigrants, and other racial minorities. Reactionary groups often defined by racial supremacy and a sense of order. Goals of reactionary terrorist include the delegation of minorities back to secondary status with respect to the national majority and a creation of a strong government to sustain order and prevent chaos through a police state. It should be noted however that due to conspiracy theories prevalence in the American fringe right, American reactionaries do not seek the creation of a strong government. Reactionaries often act as individuals or small groups and are not as discriminate with their targets as are leftist groups. This is partially due to the lack of unity between reactionaries and the scope of reactionary targets, often encompassing entire races.<ref>Gus Martin. Understanding Terrorism: Challeges, Perspectives, and Issues.</ref>

===Famous Reactionary Groups===

*[[Ku Klux Klan]]
*[[Skinheads]]
*[[New Order]]

== Domestic terrorists ==

*[[Animal Liberation Front]]
*[[Black Panther Party]]
*[[Black Liberation Army]]
*[[Earth Liberation Front]]
*[[Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional]] (FALN)
*[[Ku Klux Klan]]
*[[Symbionese Liberation Army]]

== International ==

*[[Al-Qaeda]]

*[[PIRA]]

*[[Hamas]]

==Terrorism and the Media==

The prime goal of any terrorist is mass media exposure. Terrorism cannot recruit new initiates like regular armies, rather when they run out of discontented radicals within their state, they must rely on the media to spread their message. Therefore, media outlets and the press must be careful when choosing a story, as often running a story about a terrorist attack just creates more support for a terrorist cause.

However, terrorist must be careful, as if an attack goes too far, it is possible to cause political backlash against the group, as what happened in the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

== Groups Considered by the United States to be Terrorist Organizations ==

*[[Abu Sayyaf]]
*[[Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade]]
*[[Al-Qaeda]]
*[[Ansar Al-Islam]]
*[[ETA]]
*[[Hamas]]
*[[Hizbollah]]
*[[Jemaa Islamiya]]
*[[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]]
*[[PKK]]
*[[Real ETA]]
*[[Tamil Tigers]]

== Groups receiving CIA support ==
The American CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) has the stated objective of ''"Conducting covert action at the direction of the President to preempt threats or achieve US policy objectives."''[https://www.cia.gov/cia/information/mission.html]. Over the course of it's well-documented history, this has involved the establishment, funding and organization of various organizations some have regarded as terrorist, including:

* [[Mujahadeen el-Khalq]]<ref>Michael Ware,[http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/04/05/protected.terrorists/index.html ''U.S. protects Iranian opposition group in Iraq''], CNN, April 6, 2007.</ref>
* [[Kosovo Liberation Army]] (KLA)<ref>Jerry Seper, [http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7006/KLA-drugs.html ''KLA rebels train in terrorist camps''], The Washington Times, May 4, 1999.</ref><ref>Gary Wilson, [http://www.pogledi.co.yu/english/68b.php ''Who's the KLA? German document Reveals Secrtet CIA Role''].</ref><ref>Peter Beaumont, Ed Vulliamy and Paul Beaver,[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,449923,00.html ''CIA's bastard army ran riot in Balkans' backed extremists''], The Observer, March 11, 2001</ref><ref> Andy Wilcoxson, [http://www.slobodan-milosevic.org/news/kerry101804.htm ''Kerry Campaign Financed by Terrorists''], October 18, 2004.</ref>
*[[Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti]] (FRAPH)<ref>Reed Lindsay,[http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1163909,00.html ''Cold War returns to US backyard''], The Observer, March 7, 2004</ref>.

== War on terror ==
Recently, George W. Bush has begun a campaign he calls the War on Terror. He uses the pretense of fighting terrorism to commit acts that benefit his personal interests, like invading Iraq. Ironically, many of the means Bush has used in his "campaign" could be called terror, as he has been using fear to manipulate the masses. He has called his opponents terrorists and has stated many times that going against his will would spell the doom of life as we know it when it is clear nothing that catastrophic will happen. He has also tried to limit the right of privacy under the pretext that "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."
===Fighting terrorism===
[http://lightonthings.blogspot.com#fight The Reality Show - The Watch the Fight] links to many sites that deal with the 'war on terror'.

==See also==
*[[FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List]]
*[[September 11, 2001 attacks]]
*[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]
*[[Osama Bin Laden]]
*[[Homicide Bombers]]

==References==

<references/>
[[category:politics]]
[[Category: Terrorism]]

Osama Bin Laden

2007-10-23T03:46:35Z

Masterchief:

[[Image:382px-AQ00100.jpg|right|thumb]]
[[Image:Osama.png|right|thumb|400px]]
'''Osama Bin Laden''' is a [[Saudi Arabia]]n [[millionaire]] and the leader of [[al Qaeda]], a worldwide [[terrorist]] group responsible for [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] and some other terrorist attacks on Americans in the 1990s. He obtained his wealth by inheriting it from his father, Mohammed Awad bin Laden, who was a successful [[entrepreneur]] in the [[construction]] [[industry]].

During the [[Clinton Administration]] <ref>[http://www.bannerofliberty.com/OS8-98MQC/8-24-1998.1.html Did Bill Clinton Smooth the Way for Bin Laden to Become the World's Most Successful Terrorist?], Mary Mostert, Original Sources, August 24, 1998. </ref>, bin Laden issued two Declarations of War against the United States for the basing of troops in the Arabian Peninsula to defend against external aggression by [[Saddam Hussein]] and because of the suffering of the Iraqi people under UN economic sanctions.<ref>[http://www.kimsoft.com/2001/binladenwar.htm Bin Laden's Declaration of War], 1998.</ref> However, Clinton did not take the threat seriously, and did not make an effort to capture or kill Bin Laden. <ref> [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4540958/] Osama bin Laden: missed opportunities</ref> Near the end of his term, he had some agents find out about Osama's activities. When the Bush Administration came into office, the agents who investigated Bin Laden under the Clinton administration tried to warn the Bush administration of the likelihood of an attack. They warned the Bush administration in July 2001, but they were ignored. At one point, one agent was told to leave because he'd already "covered his ass".

Bin Laden lived in Sudan for most of the 1990's at the invitation of [[Hassan al-Turabi]], a powerful Sudanese political leader and terrorism supporter. He then returned to [[Afghanistan]], where he had fought against the Soviets in the 1980's. He was protected by the [[Taliban]] until the American liberation of [[Afghanistan]] following [[9/11]].

During the 1980s insurgency against the [[Soviet]] occupation of [[Afghanistan]] the [[Carter Administration]] initially directed help to train and arm anti-Soviet Islamic militants, some of whom were radical Islamists. Bin Laden had his own source of funding, though, and would have shunned influence by America.Re<ref>http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Jan/24-318760.html</ref>He eventually accepted funding from Reagan, however. This funding is suspected to have lasted him for many years.

In 1998, Bin Laden and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], then leader of the Egyptian terrorist group called the [[Islamic Brotherhood]], announced the joining of al Qaeda and the [[Islamic Brotherhood]] to form the ''World Islamic Front for the Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders''<ref> http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir011003_1_n.shtml</ref>. In 1998, the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were destroyed by suicide bombers; the United States later indicted both Ben Laden and al-Zawahiri for the attacks which killed 224 people. In retaliation the United <br> States launched [[cruise missile]]s, however, both terrorist leaders escaped. In September 11, 2001, Bin Laden sponsored an Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center, which resulted in 3000 american deaths. Ironically, it is suspected that the same funds that Bin Laden used for the attack are the ones given to him by Reagan to fight soviets in the 1980's. At first the Bush administration acted appropriately, by sending troops into the headquarters of the organization, Afghanistan. However, through a series of fear mongering lies in a desperate effort for oil, Bush managed to divert American focus to Iraq. Due to this, Bin Laden was able to hide in mountains in Afghanistan with no attempts to capture him, and it is currently suspected he has made it to Pakistan.

Bin Laden is cited by the [[United States]] government as the most wanted terrorist. He remains at large to this day.

== See also ==
*[[Terrorism]]
*[[FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List]]
* [[Yasser Arafat]]

==References==
<sup><references/></sup>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bin Laden, Osama}}
[[Category:Military Commanders]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]
[[Category: al-Qaeda]]