1.0 INTRODUCTION

Terrorism involves illegal acts of violence by groups with political aims

intended to strike fear or induce sympathy to a political/ideological

cause which may not necessarily resent in the seizure of political

power. Terrorists are clandestine groups who pursue their cause

through the use of terror such aims may be self-determination or to

intimidate a political adversary. Terrorism often involves the wanton

destruction of lives and property of the inflicting of immense suffering

on victims who in most cases are not directly responsible for the

political problems the terrorist claim to be fighting.

Such act of terrorism includes bombing sabotage assassinations

and hijacking of planes. Due to their usual bloody methods and

violence terrorist are seen and treated as out loss both by domestic

and international law. Yet in other cases terrorism has been

successfully in forcing big and otherwise powerful adversaries to seek

negotiated ends to conflict. However on the balance the use of terror

is becoming an unviable endeavour in our contemporary world

especially when such terror is driven by hate revenge and the desire

to instill fear in the minds of defined enemies.

Terrorism is the weapon of those who are prepared to use violence

but who believe they would loose any contest of sheer strength. All

too little understood the uniqueness of the strategy lies in this: that it

achieves its goal not through its acts but through the response to its

acts. In any other such strategy the violence is the beginning and its

consequences of the violence are themselves merely a first step and

a stepping stone towards objectives that are more remote. Whereas

military and revolutionary actions aim at a physical result terrorist

actions aim at a psychological result.

Viewing the concept of terrorism historically it came into the wide

picture of the global politics after the Holocust when the then

German leader Adolph Hitler called for a wipe off of the entire

Israelite race from the surface of the earth in his bid to conquer the

world. To Hitler “Terror and Coercion is the one means that generate

fear and compel a change of behaviour” especially as regards to

attacking political effects.

As a result of the September 11 bombing in the United States

America embarked on a completely fresh policies filling its foreign

domestic and military policies with its quest on anti-terrorism this is a

new consensus by the United States government which is a new

security agenda.

The foreign policy of the United States is most importantly concerned

with the promotion of balance of power. Other states are side by side

with the U.S. and will continue to be in alliance with the U.S. due to

the terrorists attack on the United States.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The research is set to examine both the positive and negative impact

of any of the September 11 2001 terrorist attack on American foreign

policy. Here emphasis is given to America’s socio-economic and

political relations with other countries of the world after the

September 11 2001 terrorist attack on America.

1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study is to find out the impact of terrorism on U.S.A.

foreign policy. Specifically the objectives of the study are:

a) To ascertain the causes of the September 11 2001 terrorist

attack on America.

b) How the September 11 2001 terrorist attack has affected

American foreign policy in terms of its relations with other

countries of the world.

c) To make recommendations as to avoid such dastard act.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant because of the role it plays in contributing to

knowledge and practice can never be over emphasized. It will enable

governments/nation-states to look inwards at domestic issues and

endemic socio-economic frustrations such as unemployment social

hardships inequality amongst others etc. All these problems leads

to emergence of terrorist organizations that uses violence as a means

of communicating to the government.

1.4 HYPOTHESIS

In conducting the research the following hypothesis will be

examined:

a) America’s foreign policy in the 21st century is fine-tuned to the

trend of the September 11 2001 terrorist attack.

b) The September 11 2001 terrorist attack on America is dictating

for Americans relations with other countries of the world.

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This project will focus on terrorism and the impact it has as

influencing factor on the U.S. foreign policy. It will emphasize on the

September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the

Pentagon in U.S. with a little reference to similar attacks so as to

explain the role of the international actors and involvement of U.S. the

research is limited by constraints from inadequate authentic

information about the terrorist and the main reason why US was

attacked.

1.6 METHODOLOGY

The methodology of data collection for this research is the

documentary method of data collection. This refers to the

consultation of the already existing literature on the research topic.

Amongst the material to be consulted include textbook journals

dissertations news papers magazines and media coverage which

are secondary sources so also the internet.