The Main Terrorist Groups

Al-Qaeda

Not the only terrorist organization around, but the one with the most media coverage.  The invasion of Afghanistan undoubtedly removed a key refuge for the Al-Qaeda’s leadership, but most of them managed to escape to via the tribal areas of Pakistan, Bin Ladin’s disappearance being a particularly serious blow. As I have noted the group has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Saudi Arabia, elsewhere in recent years, including the bombing in Riyadh on the 12^th May 2003 and the 20^th November 2003 bombings in Istanbul.

The US lead invasion of Iraq has acted as an effective recruiting sergeant for Al-Qaeda and other groups claiming to act in its name.

The US Navy describes Al-Qaeda as, “a focal point or umbrella organization for a worldwide network that includes many Sunni Islamic extremist groups, including some members of Gam’s al-Islamiyya, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Harakat al-Mujahidin.”  I don’t think that this description can be bettered.   Al-Qaeda’s fund-raising is believed to include the demand for protection money from some Gulf States, and involvement in struggling high value raw materials.

Other Islamist Terrorist Groups:

There are two many to number in full (see the US Navy and similar Websites for more detailed lists).  But the groups which connect with Al-Qaeda can be short-lived, or well-established. 

Other groups focus on Israel and the occupied territories, and the CIA, according to its Director, also sees them as a potential threat to US citizens, who could be victims of attacks on Israelis.  This statement also highlights the perception that there is close link between US and Israel interests.

Jemaah Islamiyah

Operates in Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Abu Nidal Organization

Still in being, but not seen as the major threat that it was in the past.

Hezbollah

Israel is its primary focus.  Hezbollah has probably enjoyed significant backing from certain Middle Eastern states.

Islamic Jihad Group

IJG is a splinter group of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, an extreme response to the actions of the Uzbekistan government.

The FARC

The Marxist guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dominate 40 per cent of the country, and have a working relation with other terrorist groups like the IRA.  Women are strongly represented in its forces and female fighters form 30 per cent of it’s strength.  Involved in the drug trade and strongly opposed by the US, who backs the Government of Columbia against the FARC.  Peter J Goss, Director of the CIA, in February 2005 identified the FARC as possessing “the greatest capacity and the clearest intent to threaten US interests in the region,” of all the extremist groups in Latin America.

The IRA

One of the oldest terrorist groups in the world. It has recently renounced violence, given the success of its political wing in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  It remains to be seen if this declaration will work and to what extend it will cease its criminal activities.  If it does follow its stated decision it is likely that some individuals may split off, as has happened before in Irish history. 

The Iraqi Resistance

Resistance to the US and its allies in Iraq has not reduced in 2005, and it appears that external agencies, including elements from Iran, have encouraged the fighting, which now verges on sectarian warfare.  The division of Iraq into three regions or mini-states, is one of the possible outcomes.  The Iraq resistance is more of a guerrilla army than a terrorist group, although they have used terrorist methods, including suicide bombing of civilians targets.  Iraq is attacking as an attractor for all radical groups in the Middle East and the present levels of violence are a threat to the security of the region.

The Chechens

The Chechens have been at war with the Russians for years and having lost a conventional war have resorted to guerrilla warfare and terrorist attacks on Russian targets.  There have been several attacks on civilian targets in Moscow, including one on a theater.

Congolese Militias

These groups have used the tactics of terror, but their motivation is often tribal, or just the use of violence for its own sake.  About three million have died in the Congo in the last five years, mainly due to the activities of the various militia groups.

Liberian Armed Militia

These groups have used extreme violence in Liberia and Sierra Leone, mainly in order to intimidate the population and allow themselves to exploit the diamonds found in these countries.

Shining Path

Still survives in Peru, though far smaller than at its height in the early 1990s, the capture of its leader, Abimael Guzman, in 1992 destroyed the core of the organization.

Kong-Gel (KGK)

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party is an anti-Turkish Kurdish group with a Marxist ideology.  Undertakes bombings in Turkey.

Aum Shinrikyo

This group undertook the 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway system using sarin gas. Still in existence, but closely monitored by the Japanese police.

Animal Rights Groups

The attacks on Huntingdon Life Sciences and other companies associated with the use of animals in product testing and experimentation have alerted the UK government to the potential for even greater violence from various animal rights groups, or individuals.  A similar situation exists in the US.

Survivalists and Ultra Right-Wing Groups

A mainly US phenomena, they were responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma, which until 9/11 was the most serious terrorist attack on US soil. Easy to regard them as crazy-guys, most terrorists are crazy-guys, and no less dangerous for that.

Kahane Chai

A Jewish terrorist group, founded by rabbi Meir Kahane.  A threat to Israeli engagement with the Palestinians, and possibly to Israeli politicians who act in ways which it dislikes.  One Israeli Prime Minster has been murdered by the Jewish right, so needs to be taken seriously.

Anti-Abortion Groups

In the US anti-abortion groups have used extreme violence in order to terrorize health workers and doctors working at abortion clinics, people have been murdered.

Eco-terrorists and others

The Unabomber targeted timber companies, and there are also a number of extreme environmental groups in the US.  The potential exists for the rise of such groups in Europe, particularly in Germany where environmentalists have used violence in protesting against nuclear power.

The protesters at recent G8 summits have included many protesting at damage to the environment and the threat of global warming.  As public concerns grow about such issues then terrorist groups may emerge on the fringes of the environmental movement as violent animal rights groups emerged.

Loners – Bombers

Terrorists may normally work in groups, but some, like the Unabomber, may choose to work alone.  People like this are some of the most difficult for the security forces to counter, no one else knows their plans, there will be little chance of telephone, or email, intercepts, and the loner may be “clean,” that is have not previously come to the attention of the authorities.  Some bombers may be mentally-ill people, copying the activities of “proper” terrorist groups, one such person nearly blew me up with a car bomb many years ago. 

Funding

On the 30^th December 2001, The Washington Post reported that, "For much of the past decade, radical Islamic organizations have increasingly turned to a shadowy, lucrative means of survival: diamonds from this vast, war-torn Central African country." The report added that "U.S. officials said they had vastly underestimated the amount of money al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations controlled, and that they were investigating terrorist links not only to the Congo diamond trade, but also to Congo's gold and uranium trade, as well as the trade of diamonds and the semiprecious stone tanzanite in neighboring Tanzania."  In the same report, on the Congo, the Washington Post noted that, “each year about $600 million of diamonds are exported, of which only $180 million worth leave by legal channels. ……. there now are direct charter flights to Dubai from some of Congo's richest diamond and gold areas. The planes file no flight plans and no cargo manifests".[1]  Other diamonds have been illegally exploited from West Africa, they are known as ‘conflict diamonds.’