h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

7 years ago today 10 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released Sarin gas into the Tokyo subway system.

12 people died and 5500 people were treated in hospital.

Question: Was this a precursor to the recent terrorist troubles and could we have prdicted anything from them?

Rama

This was just one in an endless list of senseless (to most people) killings of innocents. Ever heard of Charles Manson?

The only thing you can predict is that there will be more.

You can't compare those guys to Charles Manson. He was a maniac with a knife. Aum Shiynriko is a group with highly educated members that would be able to make their own nerve gas and bacterial weapons. They are quite a danger. However I don't think they are behind the stuff in America.

Life has no subject, no point and no exsistance if you are killed pointlessly in a film which never happened, but then starred in a great sequel.

But maybe that was that you were trying to say as well Marijn.

Life has no subject, no point and no exsistance if you are killed pointlessly in a film which never happened, but then starred in a great sequel.

Life has no subject, no point and no exsistance if you are killed pointlessly in a film which never happened, but then starred in a great sequel.

Sorry, my computer crashed during the transmission of the message

We all seem quite resigned to the fact that some people are always going to try and kill other people due to belief, race, etc.

Is there a solution? or is it just wishful thinking?

Rama

I am informed that Aum Shinrikyo is one of a set of terroroist organisations across the world, including Al'Qaeda, that cooperate on various aspects of their actions, probably including finance. This also includes, Peru's 'Shining Path', Libyan and Israeli Islamic fundamentalists, Colombian drug dealers and the Real IRA. You will recall the more recent case of Real IRA members being found in Colombia, possibly consorting with organised criminals there.
My source, by the way, is an article in the Independent from about November last year.

Aum Shinrikyo, Manson, serial killers, they all differ only in degree, not in principle.
They all kill innocent people for reasons "normal" people cannot grasp.

Others like the Real IRA at least have a definite understandable goal, whether or not we agree with the situation they try to accomplish.

In modern terms, Robin Hood would have been called a terrorist.

Terrorism doesn't come from nowhere. Whether it was an insane, twisted perseption that made them behave in the way they did, there will still be a modicum of truth in there somewhere.
What were the aims of the Aum Shinrikyo group? What was their agenda? It is by addressing the root cause that we might be able to stop further groups of their kind from developing. We can't stop lone nutters, but we can dissuade organised groups.

Robin Hood was not a terrorist, he was a freedom fighter
Their is a difference (what you may ask, I don't know)

What did Valentine Marshall (British convict sent to Australia) do anyway to become a historical figure, which reminds me Robin Hood must have killed a lot of people however no one seems to give a Dingo's kidneys al for what, peasents who could'nt be bothered to pay tax. The Nottingham area is one of the richest areas in Britain (well now anyway.

Robin Hood didn't take innocent people hostage, the ones he killed were the ones that served Prince John and is kind. So I'd say freedom fighter. Violent opposition against a goverment is not enough to characterise someone as a terrorist in my opinion.

The definition of 'terrorist' or 'freedom fighter' is dependant entirely to ne thing;
Who won.

Yes, I have just found out that the terms "terrorist" and "freedom fighter" are used from different point of views. In the example of the world trade centre attacks, the Americans would have believed that Osama Bin Laden was a 'terrorist' however the Taliban and Al-Queda would believe the Osama Bin Laden was a 'freedom fighter' for the Islamic religion.

The Real IRA are a better example. Another one is the Palestinian suicide bombers.

i thought the definition of terrorist was someone intentionally using terror to control or manipulate someone else. its different that simply killing someone, which may involve a lot of fear but the intention is to kill someone rather than control them through the use of terror.

i think its an important distinction. of course terrorists often (but not always) do both.