What Do Terrorists Have in Common
What Do Terrorists Have in Common
What Do Terrorists Have in Common
Define and explain each of the ideological categories of terrorist groups. THEN scroll down to where it
Days Terrorist Groups and Categories. Find one terror group that falls under each category. In your own
words explain the WHO, WHAT, and HOW of that group.
1. Ethno-nationalist groups-
they seek to control independent territory, sometimes a separate country. Individuals belonging to a majority often
commit violence against their so-called rivals. Their grievances stem from what they characterize as oppressive
action (or inaction) on the part of the government and/or the majority population.
2. Left-Wing groups-
left-wing terrorists typically aim to overthrow capitalist governments they view as corrupt, elitist, and oppressive.
do not advocate for a specific subset of the population but argue that their struggle against capitalism and the
state will result in egalitarian benefits for the people at large.
who:
founded in 1894 and which managed to survive, though illegally, under the fascist regime of Francisco Franco by
maintaining its headquarters in exile in Paris and keeping quietly out of sight in Spain.
what:
Factionalism plagued ETA in the 1970s and ’80s, with various internal groups alternating between violence and
political action.
how:
bombing and assassination multiplied tenfold compared to the occurrences under Franco’s iron-handed
repression. Most of those assassinated were high-ranking Spanish military officers, judges, and government
officials.
3. Right Wing groups-
Often, they have (Christian) religious leanings, favor the military, and fight to preserve the status quo. On the
surface, right-wing groups seem like ethno-nationalist ones; the main difference is that instead of fighting for
generally marginalized groups, right-wing groups threaten them, up to and including with murder.
Religious-oriented groups operate on an extreme interpretation of faith. religiously motivated terrorists often
believe that they are obligated to commit violence by faith, and that this violence will lead to salvation, it can be
more challenging to curb their violence.
who:
multinational militant Sunni Islamic extremist network composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly
composed of Arabs, but may also include other peoples.
what:
fighting against the Soviet Union during the Afghan War
how:
training tens of thousands in paramilitary skills, and its agents engaged in numerous terrorist attacks