International Terrorist Organizations (ITO) by Robert Noonan

What is terrorism? ●This question has been asked for almost half a decade by governments and other multinational bodies. But the definition is in of itself complicated ●“Terrorism” defined by the United States Department of State is “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents [usually intended to influence an audience]. ●Many political scientists have problems with this and many other definitions for various reasons o Its wording has changed over the years with the changing global climate o The way definitions are worded never to seem to finally pin-point the exact definition of what makes a terrorist organization

What is an ITO? My Definition (not perfect)- An International Terrorist Organization (ITO) is well organized collective of people that use violent, life-threatening means to either prove a point or to forcibly change social, economic, or political normalities around the world.

History of Terrorist Organizations ●Earliest example is of the Sicarii, who were a first century Jewish group that killed enemies to their cause of removing Roman rulers in their society ●Modern day organizations seem to not have lost the same motivation to use physical force to change the world they live in ●Examples like “Black September”, who killed Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics, used terrorism to negotiate release of Palestinian prisoners.

Irish Republican Army ●Founded in 1921 but became more violent after the group splintered 1969 ●Goal was to create a unified Ireland without British control ●Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, they have been the culprit of targeted attacks on British police, Irish unionists, and bombings in Britain

Hezbollah ●Founded in 1982 in response to Israeli occupation ●Has since grown into a formidable organization. With seats in the Lebanese government and its own radio and television stations ●Trains their own military with the help from outside nations like Iran and Syria. This military force is considered to be near the caliber of the Lebanese own military force

al-Qaeda ●Founded between by Osama bin Laden ●Is a network of a multinational armies and also a muslim movement calling for a strict interpretation of sharia law ●Is the culprit of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon ●Also caused 1998 Embassy bombings and the 2002 Bali bombings ●Has started to splinter because of the loss of Osama bin Laden in 2011

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) ●Founded in 1999, although under a different name, it was a part of other terrorist organizations during the US invasion ●In June 2014, the group then changed it’s name to what is now known ●Its goal is to establish an “Islamic State” in the Sunni- controlled regions of Iraq ●Expanded its reach into Syria during its civil war and intends to control heavily Sunni areas

Sources ● ● _al_qaeda_global/1?e= / http://issuu.com/thirdway/docs/third_way_infographic_- _al_qaeda_global/1?e= / ● ● ● ● and-al-sham-the-short-answer/