Foreign Terrorist Organizations Ryan Eisemann Cultures of the Middle East Howard Community College Dr. Abdelrahim Salih May 13, 2009 Though terrorism has been around as long as politics itself, and "while it is impossible to definitively ascertain when it was first used, that which we today call terrorism traces its roots back at least some two-thousand years"(cdi). Only in recent years has it been lifted to a new level where it commands the attention of media, governments, and millions of people around the world. There is little understood about terrorism and those who practice it by the public however. The average person would not know the origin or number of terrorist groups in the world, and that not every terrorist organization is based out of a Muslim country. A single solid definition of terrorism is hard to come by but there are several common attributes in definitions I have found. As stated by the Department of Defense, terrorism is "The calculated use of unlawful violence to inculcate fear, intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological"(dod). The FBI's definition says that terrorism is "The unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives"(fbi). Finally, according to the State Department terrorism is "Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience"(sd). This does not however include all political violence. Wars fought over political difference are not at all considered terrorism but the tactics used during certain wars have been described as acts of terrorism. Some have argued that the actions of the United States during
WWII, using targeted bombings in Germany and the use of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, were in fact terrorism. This is debatable. A truly distressing consequence of the attacks in 2001, is that Terrorist and Muslim have become almost synonymous. In an article entitled "Islam: Religion of Peace", it was said that not only did terrorist hijack three airplanes that day, they hijacked Islam itself. Because of the choices of several deranged individuals from extremist groups, Muslims around the world have a harder time separating themselves from the stereotype affixed to terrorism now. These groups, few or not, thoughtlessly pursue their own financial and political ambitions using Islam and calls to Jihad as their basis. There are around forty Terrorist Organizations(FTOs), according to the Department of State, from all around the world. The most famous of these, due to their heavy involvement in anti-western and Israeli actions, are Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Al-Qaeda was founded in Peshawar, Pakistan in 1984 by Osama Bin Laden and his Mentor, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Azzam. Five years later however, in 1989, Dr. Azzam, along with his two sons, was killed in a bombing outside a mall in Peshawar. Though not confirmed, Osama Bin Laden was suspected of being behind the attack with political motivation. The death of Dr. Azzam left Bin Laden the undisputed leader of Al-Qaeda. With Azzam out of the way Bin Laden was able to mold the group after his ambitions and political ideals. Al-Qaeda is likely the most famous and well known FTO in the world and is responsible for multiple directs attacks on the United States, both abroad and on American soil. The latest in the series were the infamous September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and Flight 93 whose unknown target was never reached due to the heroics of those on board. One year prior to the 9/11 attacks, an American Destroyer called The USS Cole was attacked off the coast of Yemen. After a routine stop for fuel a small boat
approached her port side and detonated its cargo of explosives, killing seventeen American sailors. Two years before this in 1998, trucks loaded with explosives parked in front of the American embassies in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya and detonated almost simultaneously, killing two hundred and twelve people and wounding around four thousand others. In 1996 Al-Qaeda used a car bomb to destroy the Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia with nineteen American soldiers killed and five hundred others injured. In 1995 Al-Qaeda was behind an attempt to assassinate the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Another of their most famous attacks was in 1993 when they first bombed the World Trade Center in New York City, using a car bomb located beneath the north tower. Al-Qaeda's leader Osama Bin Laden is number one on the FBI's most wanted list and his location remains unknown to this day. A reward of up to twenty five million dollars is offered for information directly leading to his capture. Another fiercely anti-western Foreign Terrorist Organization is Hamas. Hamas was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-rantissi and Mohammad Taha, who were all members of the Palestinian division of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of an revolt against Israeli control in the Palestinian Territories known as the "First Intifada". Hamas has a long track record of suicide bombings and attacks on Israel resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Hamas' goals of creating an Islamic state in the West Bank and the Gaza strip and eradicating Israel fuel their hatred for the west and spawn from their belief that Israel was created by the West and imposed upon the Arab world. Having claimed around four hundred and eighty lives since 1993, it is obvious Hamas is not afraid to use extreme acts of violence and terrorism to achieve their goals. The list of suicide and car bombings all around the Israeli-Palestinian area is extensive with attacks in most major cities including, Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem, Haifa, Netenya, and many others. Since June of 2007 Hamas has been the governing body in Gaza. Another Foreign Terrorist Organization with great political power in the Middle East is Hezbollah. Until the September 11, 2001 attacks by Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah (Party of God) had been responsible for taking the most American lives in terrorist attacks. Hezbollah is a Shi'a Islamic political organization based in Lebanon. They are not only politically motivated but socially as well, providing many services to the many Shiites throughout Lebanon such as school, hospitals and agricultural services. Despite all of this, their anti-western views, military tactics and actions make them a threat and they are listed on the Department of Defense's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Israel, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom also consider Hezbollah to be a threatening terrorist organization. In 1983 they were held responsible for an attack on the multinational force barracks in Beirut which resulted in the deaths of two hundred and forty one American Marines. The very next year they bombed the American Embassy in Beirut and killed seventeen people. Since the Israeli occupation of Lebanon ended in 2000 however, Hezbollah has taken a major political role in Lebanese society and are now their largest representative body. This poses a problem to the American "War on Terror" since many of our allies in Europe do not consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization anymore. Previously one of the most feared FTO, Abu Nidal Organization, though less publicized is, known for its attacks on Western, Israeli, and Palestinian targets throughout the 1980s. The ANO was formed in 1974 when they broke away from the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) under the leadership of Sabri Al-Banna. Abu Nidal Organization has attacked twenty countries, with their main focus being the United States, France, The United Kingdom, Israel, and other Arab nations. In December of 1985 ANO attacked the airports in
Rome and Vienna as well as the Neve Shalom synagogue in Istanbul. The following year in September1986 they hijacked Pan Am flight 73 in Karachi. Two years later in July of 1988 a Poros Greece ship was attacked. In January 1991 they assassinated both the Deputy Chief, Abu Lyad and Security Chief, Abu Hul of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Tunis. Three years later a Jordanian diplomat living in Lebanon was assassinated by the ANO. The primary motivation behind their attacks was to disrupt diplomatic relations between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the West, and to promote the destruction of Israel. Though the ANO is limited in size to only a few hundred members, selective assistance from around the world has helped them in impacting their targets. Abu Sayyaf, yet another terrorist organization, was founded in the early 1990s when it split from the already existing organization called the Moro National Liberation Front. They say their goal is to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, both of which have a heavy Muslim population, but the Abu Sayyaf Group has primarily used terror as a source of financial funding. Abu Sayyaf Organization was lead by a man named Abdurajak Janjalani until his death when the twenty three year old Khadaffy Janjalani assumed control of the group and lead until 2006 when he was killed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Numerous bombings, kidnappings, and massacres have been attributed to Abu Sayyaf since their founding and they have not gone a single year since 2000 without instigating several major attacks. The group works internationally as well and has been involved in attacks directly aimed at American citizens. One Abu Sayyaf spokesman was quoted saying, We have been trying hard to get an American because they may think we are afraid of them. We want to fight the American people." Abu Sayyaf's forces are estimated to be between
two hundred and five hundred strong, which seems relatively small regarding the amount of terrorist activity they have been involved in. Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya is Egypt's largest militant group and before renouncing their violent ideology was active in spreading terror through bombings, assassinations, and shootings. Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya or "Islamic Group" began as an overseer for the militant student groups that were forming in the 1970s. The members of Islamic Group are usually university students, the uneducated, or former inmates of Egypt's jails. In 1981 the group assisted in the Islamic Jihad's assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Later their leader Karam Zuhdi expressed regret for having conspired with those who planned the attack. Several years later the groups spiritual leader, Omar Abdel-Rahman was accused of participating in the 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Previously expressing regrets for such things, it is believed that the Islamic Group joined forces with the Egyptian militant group Al-Jihad in an assassination attempt on the Egyptian Vice president Hosni Mubarak in1995. Two years later in September of 1997, they were held responsible for the murders of nine German tourists and their driver outside of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. In November of the same year al-gama'a al-islamiyya killed sixty-two people in their most well known attack in Luxor, Egypt. Al-Jihad is another Egyptian militant group lead by Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Al- Zawahiri is said to be the deputy or second in command to Osama Bin Laden and Al- Qaeda(nps). He is also a major authoritative figure in the International Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders, a group formed of al-jihad, al Qaeda, and many other Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 1998(cdi). Al-Jihad is an extremely anti-western group and has been involved in almost every major terrorist attack against the United States and its allies over the past twenty
years(cdi). During the mid 1980s Egyptian security began an extensive campaign against Al- Jihad," imprisoning, torturing and executing its members"(cdi). Pressure from this campaign caused the group to split into two factions "one led by al-zawahiri, the other by Abbud al-zumar, who is currently imprisoned"(cdi). Though Al-Zumar's faction has since withered and many of its members have been imprisoned or killed, Al-Zawahiri's has thrived and remained active(cdi). Al-Zawahiri's location and the size of the group remain unknown, but estimates put it as high as several hundred "hard-core" members and thousands of sympathizers(cdi). In recent years the group's foremost goal of overthrowing the Egyptian government has been shifted to the side and alliances with Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden have encouraged them to move, along with Al-Qaeda, in an anti-american direction(cdi). Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades was founded sometime during the "Second Intifada", or "Al- Aqsa Intifada", the name given to the Palestinian Arab violence that began at the end of September 2000(mideastweb.org), and has been on the Department of State's list since early 2002(cfr). The organization is a Palestinian group who evolved from a Fatah linked coalition of militias seeking an end to Israel s presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip into a more radical organization(crf). Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade's primary objective is to "drive Israeli forces out of Palestinian territories, i.e. the West Bank and Gaza strip, and establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital"(cdi). They also have affiliation with Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement which influences their non-religious nature(cdi). Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has emerged as the secular counterpart of the fundamentalist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad for carrying out terror attacks against Israelis. Between January 27 and April 12, 2002 there were six more instances of individuals, men and woman, war carried out suicide attacks with four-hundred and twelve wounded and thirty dead.
"Al-Ittihad al-islami (Islamic Union) is Somalia s largest Islamic terrorist organization"(cdi). The group's original goals was to create an Islamic State in Somalia and despite having ties with other significant Islamic Terrorist Organizations like Al-Qaeda, Al- Ittihad Al-Islami has had somepositive impact on the Somali people by providing social and humanitarian services. By establishing schools, orphanages, "pockets of security"(cdi), and supporting the religious magistrates, the group has been able to spread their power and influence throughout the region. They have however, avoided international agenda and do not have many "global capabilities." The groups early agenda was to increase their local support in order to spread their "fundamentalist brand of Islam" and the capture of the "Ogaden region of Ethiopia"(cdi) Al-Ittihad Al-Islami currently focused in small cells throughout Somalia and very little in Ethiopia. AIAI has remained active in small attacks within Somalia and was suspected of responsibility for the deaths of eighteen Army Rangers in Mogadishu, but was not on the State Department's list of FTOs until September 11 and the passing of the Patriot Act(cdi). The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) is an extreme Irish loyalist group founded in 1996 in Northern Ireland. They were originally a faction of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), another Irish group that was seeking to "prevent a political settlement with Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland"(state). Both groups have been known to attacks Catholic and Protestant politicians, and civilians in favor of a peace. The group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, shootings, and other attacks funded by their drug trade and other criminal activities. LVF has been responsible for some particularly brutal attacks, often on civilians with no political or religious connection what so ever. They are estimated to be around three-hundred in number, at least half of which are currently active.
Without funding, recruitment, and a common ideology none of these groups would have a major, if any, impact on the world. Foreign Terrorist Organizations are often funded by sympathizing governments, but also use their willingness to go outside the law but committing smaller criminal acts such as robbery and drug trafficking. There are however, private donations and contributions as is the case with Osama Bin Laden, who is independently wealthy and has contributed to his cause and Al-Qaeda. Another obstacle standing in the way of these organizations is recruitment. Often tailored "pitches" are used to target specific groups, challenging them to join military or paramilitary organizations, offering the possibility to advance their social status, or simply inviting them on a journey of self discovery(rand). Even still, it is never easy convincing someone he should die. There must be a change in ones psychological state and an extremely strong belief in the cause he would die for. Often time a group will try to penetrate the school system so they can influence the young minds and bring them up in their extremist ideology. These children are often brainwashed and made to believe in these extreme ideas. One example is Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, who start their brainwashing as early as pre-school, introducing the children to Anti-Israeli and extremist ideas by making them dress and act like militants then photographing it and offering the children praise for it (terrorism-info.org). I even found pictures of fathers holding their young or infants dressed in camouflage either hold guns or wearing belts of explosives. I also found some photos of some young girls hold their father's sniper rifle with huge smiles on their faces. They are raised with it all around them. It is in their homes, in their neighborhoods, they hear about it at school and at dinner, their fathers and mothers are part of it, they cannot escape it and the way they are being raised the likely wouldn't want to.
There are many different terrorist organizations each with their own goals and ways of promoting, recruiting, and terrorizing. What I have shown is only the tip of the iceberg. My focus was mainly on who the State and Defense Departments called "terrorist organizations." But that leaves far too much untold. Often times a group may not be classified as an FTO simply because it is affiliated with or supported by one of our allies or because it just has not committed any acts of terrorism against the United States. But living in the United States obviously makes it the object of most concern for not only its government but for its people as well. " The attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, seared the dangers of terrorism into the minds of Americans and horrified onlookers across the world as had no previous outrages"(cdi)
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