We still live in a world of peace and no terror, or do we not? People yelling, screaming, frightened, bodies everywhere, blood everywhere: that you could say is the scene of a battlefield. Smoke, everyone trying to run for their lives, gunshots many end up injured but others end up dead.

At 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 21 2013 in Kenya; everybody was busy in the mall shopping. My family and I had gone to visit Kenya for the summer. It was our last day before we left, my mom and I had decided to go shopping for souvenirs in the famous Westgate mall. Suddenly, “Boom!”we heard a grenade detonate. Following that was the sound of shots being fired. Screams filled the air, terror was written all over people’s faces as they ran for their dear lives. “This is a terrorist attack,” “We are all going to die,”I thought to myself. Before more thoughts could run through my mind, I was on the run for my dear life, my left hand in my mom’s right hand.I was scared beyond measure. The attackers had no mercy. They shot everything and everyone in their way. Most people tried taking cover but it was all in vain.

Everyone was traumatized. Little children were crying their eyes out as the adults tried to stay strong for them. The situation was getting out of control. The attackers were separating Muslims and non-Muslims. However, for the non-Muslims, they were shot on the spot and the attackers showed no clemency when they pulled the trigger. The army was called to help with the siege. When the Kenya defense forces got to the scene, most hostages including my mother and I were rescued and security forces took control of most parts of the building. As soon as we were out, I drew an audible shuddery  breath and gave my mother a big warm hug. We could hear the sirens of ambulances as they rushed the injured to the hospital. I was so fortunate to make it out of the scene alive and whatever happened that day will always be echoed in my mind for as long as I live.   

Terrorism is just a word in English but is a hazard for mankind. Terrorism is an international problem in today's global economy. Many nations are affected whether directly or indirectly. Most nations oppose terrorism while others condone or even support active brutal terrorism and terrorist groups.But the spread of terrorism is the most frightening of all. Be it in the small countries like Israel and Iraq, or in the big ones like USA and Russia, terrorism has become the main challenge to most of the governments today. 

Additionally terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy, a crime and a holy duty, a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. It consists of a series of acts planned to spread pressure panic and destruction in a population. One example of terrorism is the attacks in Paris. It is believed that the attacks happened because terrorist organizations want to deter powerful nations from carrying out more attacks against them.

One of the goals of terrorism is to make the terrorist's views heard. Explosions, stray shooting, and flight hijacking are terrorist’s ways of spreading terror among the masses of the countries. Media also plays a crucial role in putting out the terrorist goals in public. The media is an excellent window for the terrorists to shout out their demands and views immediately after an attack.

Most governments will do anything in their power to stop terrorism.The question everyone needs to ask his or her self is, why is there still not an end to terrorism?

Terrorism will never cease in the world where the so-called leaders are criminals and terrorists in disguise.“Reigns of terror are better financed than a decade ago”(Hoskinson). Terrorist groups get money from corrupt officials who are willing to put their jobs on the line and risk the country's economy. With all the money they get, it will be hard to put a stop to terrorism. The organizations also have control over different territories. They raise most of their money from the regions they feed off. These reigns of terror also have secret smuggling routes. They extort, they skim, they fence, they kidnap and they shake down. All this comes from the fear and greed of millions of people it controls.

Moreover, most of the corporations that fund themselves are able to expand rapidly. The most important revenue right now is the smuggling of oil they do. An example of an organization is the Islamic state. The Islamic state gets a bulk of money from oil revenues from fields in Iraq and Syria. The governments of these affected countries should take control of the oil fields and have more national security. Additionally, drug traffickers are also involved in the funding. The role of drug trafficking in promoting and financing today's global terrorism is clearly evident. Global drug trafficking networks are enabling terrorists to raise millions of dollars. Most of the dealers are in Latin America extending the problem to America’s borders. Governments need to put a stop to both illicit drug networks and terrorist organizations.

Terrorist organizations will be stopped when there is no more funding. Illicit drug traders and terrorists are not some mysterious entity. They are groups and networks that operate in ways that can be identified tracked and ultimately disrupted.World powers need to integrate their work to build up more effective networks so that they may defeat these illegitimate networks that perpetuate so much disruption throughout the world.