Basic knowledge on terrorism

Extract

[...] Basic knowledge on terrorism No unified definition of terrorism : « your terrorism is my freedom fighter » But common elements : Violence or the threat of violence Illegal / illegitimate Against civilian targets Political motivations : in most cases, ideology is somewhat mixed Golden age of the terrorism : late XIX and XX centuries. Arriving of the state terrorism : exercise of terror by a state on its own population as a method of government (soviets, nazis etc) The new terrorism (widely noticed after 9/11) : new ways of recruitment (internet) and new ways of financing, presence in the medias etc > the new terrorism keeps coexisting with the old one Islamic states : first time terrorist groups manage to set-up a quasi-state with state-like functions, able to fight regular forces, using massive propaganda against the civilians. [...]

[...] Founder : Manuel Marulanda Vélez and other PCC members in 1964 manuel marulanda velez : founder and kept being an efficient commander for 4 decades Raúl reyes : spokesperson Jacobo arenas : main ideologue, thinker of the 7th guerrilla conference > the 7th guerrilla conference : a meeting of the FARC leadership which resulted in a major shift in their strategy = they quasi became an irregular army which could do major attacks in middle-sized cities ( = before in only small towns) II) historical context Were formed in the Cold War + after a Colombian civil war « la violencia » (1948-1958) + poverty and agrarian issue in the rural area III) ideology communism : founded by members of the communist party Marxism-leninism Bolivarianism : anticolonialist ideology that wants to stop any kind of foreign domination of the south american nations form of nationalism the figure of Hugo Chavez : Bolivarian president of Venezuela Inspiration of leftist social movements : Marx, Lenin, Bolivar, Mao IV) aims to become a key actor for the reconstruction of the state To represent the voices of the rural poor community, build social justice through marxism and Leninism Be anti USA neoliberal economy Take control over strategic territories Military structure squad : the basic unit with 12 combatants Guerrilla : 2 squads, so 24 combatants Company : 2 guerrillas (48 combatants) Column : 2 or more companies (at least 96 combatants) Front : More than one column VI) actions in the country side social services : health, care, education, infrastructures etc Revolutionary courts : restorative justice Agrarian reforms : helping landless peasants Collect taxes : fund schools and clinics in larger cities extorsion : war taxes Kidnapping for no payment Ransoms VII) financial support drugs : In the 70th they discouraged peasants to grow coca and later slowly started to encourage it Kidnapping and ransoms : very contested by the Colombian population From 2002 to 2008, hostages taken and many attempts to save them > they are responsible for 26% of the kidnappings + 2 billion through ransom payments VIII) now Peace talks began in 2012 Permanent ceasefire agreement in 2016 (transition to a political party) Official end of the conflict in 2017 But FARC dissidents still present in Colombia Japanese red army basic fact Active from 1971 to 2001, most active in the 70s and 80s. Comes from the former red army faction which was thrown down. [...]

[...] major attacks 2002 Bali bombings : 202 dead people and 209 injured ones Marriott hotel bombings : car with explosives parked in front of the hotel 2009 Jakarta bombings : the ritz Carlton was attacked (as in 2002 just after the Marriott hotel), it shows that the JI can attack the same place more than once The Boko Haram background 1903 : northern Nigeria, Niger and southern Cameroon came under the British control > early opposition to the western influence by local populations : islamists uprose > 1970s and 1980s : emerging of many islamist organizations in opposition to the state II) ideology of the Boko Haram against western culture + promotes a version of islamic which forbids any implication in any social or political activities linked to the western society But as a group does not reject it : uses cellphones, cars etc Believes that Nigeria has been corrupted by false Muslims = wages war on them (the federal republic of Nigeria) Aims to create an islamic state ruled by sharia laws in the whole northern Nigeria Is sometimes considered as a religious sect III) founders and history Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri in 2002, lead until 2009 In the 90s, he spent lot of time in Saudi Arabia meeting salafi preachers. He was one of the Almajiri students (religious students who used to beg for a living) and reached a Nigerian group of salafist preachers. > in 2002, he created Boko Haram with hundreds of followers (unemployed students etc) = is looking to recruit impressionable youth by offering a sense of hope through religion He attracted more and more people with the status « a state within a state ». [...]

[...] The leader can make decisions on his own. IV) ways of recruitment Angry and frustrated youth is the main target. Attractive offers are also used : free schools etc Use of propaganda / radicalization process financial support criminal activity, kidnappings etc Protection rackets : imposes taxes on the population in exchange of protection Trading with weapons Other terrorist networks (al-qaeda) VI) main attacks January 3rd : attack in Baga villages attacked dead Since 2009, they killed 5000 people and abused 500 women and girls bombing in the UN building in Abuja in 2011 : 23 deaths, first attack against an international organization Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in 2014 Government's response : stopped the uses of horses to stop gunmen's attacks, special mobile classrooms with instructional materials for displaced victims etc VII) still active ? [...]

[...] He tries to take the control of the IRA which was under the commandment of Arthur Griffin. = the anti-treaty people stays in the IRA PRO-TREATY : Arthur griffin and Michael collins (first members of the free Ireland government) = the pro-treaty people join INA (Irish national army) > the anti-treaty forces rapidly got weakened and started to work only by precise attacks and responses to the INA, and then lost the public opinion's support = ceasefire in 1923, and real stop of the conflict in 1924. = defeat of the Anti-treaty forces. [...]