Every terrorist group has a goal. For example, Al Qaeda wants to set up a global Islamic caliphate. In order to attract supporters to their cause they need to offer a rationale and an ideology for the actions they take against the perceived or actual enemy. One of the most interesting aspects of terrorist ideologies is this notion of a self fulfilling prophecy.
Al Qaeda has talked for years about a war between Islam and the Western crusaders whom they brand as infidels and declare to their followers that their seeking to invade Islamic lands, capture their wealth through puppet rulers, and enslave the Islamic world.
The problem for Al Qaeda was that the West hadn’t actually invaded an Islamic country since they were invited by the sitting government to set up military within their countries borders. Enter September 11th 2001, planes slam into World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania. In the aftermath, a Western based coalition invades Afghanistan, and then Iraq. This chain of events creates a terrorist theory of self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course, they ignore the fact that it was their actions, rather then a divine act of god that drew the Western response, but why split hairs?
This self fulfilling prophecy reaps benefits for the terrorist leader as he can now claim to have something of a god like capability, which will endear him to followers, possibly creating a personality cult and increase recruitment to the organization. It also may increase his worldwide prestige. Make no mistake, terrorists are as big a group of ego-maniacs as any politician. Why do you think that we have so many groups claiming responsibility for one attack?
If as a terrorist leader, you can give yourself a godly air than you have essentially the justification to do any deed on this Earth, and that’s why self fur-filling prophecy is so dangerous.
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