Leytonstone attack footage demonstrates the way witnesses are a tool in the terrorists’ arsenal – but also how it can backfireIn the 1970s,an American special forces officer turned academic called Brian Michael Jenkins declared that ‘terrorism is theatre.’ The logic was that politically minded terrorist organisations were keener to disseminate their message than cause deaths. The deaths were part of the way to attract attention, with the precedence being visibility to advance their message. tall-profile hijackings or public murders were the norm, and with the 9/11 attacks the apex of this approach.
Previously the medium to disseminate this message was the television news. Now,with video cameras ubiquitous in our phones, we are all mediums through which terrorists can transmit and broadcast.
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Source: theguardian.com