(Cosmic) War on Terror: Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism

Abstract

The purpose of our research is to elaborate and understand the causes of terrorism. In a global international arenaa central conflict existsbetween the West (U.S.) and the East (Arab World). It is necessary to analyze the issue of terrorism within this context of conflict betweenthe West vs. East.Samuel Huntington’s famous thesis, Clash of Civilizations, defines the basis and preconditions of terrorism. It is within this context thatwe discuss the topic of terrorism.Equally important is providing basic information about the history of terrorism, its origins, and identifying the motives, psychologicalcircumstances, and environmental conditions. This provides the framework to understand how terrorists’ strategies are formulated.We examine the term “War on Terror” and its logical consequences; the perception of the other party (of conflict) and try to define religiousunderpinnings of the conflict and the psychological makeup of a terrorist organization.