Re: Terrorist groups

[Lauri Gardner <lauri_gardner@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Gareth Livergood <garethlivergood@gmx.co.uk>
wrote:
>     Check out the latest issue of Soldier of Fortune
> magazine.  They have a
> write up of several of the big terrorist groups;
> important members names,
> actions attributed to them, sponsors, number of
> personnel, etc.  Seems like
> a good update to the info in T/CT.  Especially the
> names and dates part.
> 
> Gareth Livergood
> 
No offence, but I do not consider SoF to be reliable
source on information. I prefer reading reports
written by RAND, and those that come from the U.S.
Ministry of foreign affairs, as well as some watch dog
groups. Of course some of the information give in
those is incorrect or given on a wrong type of slant.

As for what the article supposedly has within it.
Umm...Most of that is public domain. Others are fluff.


Sponsorship is a very unreliable. Most terrorist
groups went through a faze during the late 70's and
early 80's of being government sponsored. Later on
most goverments dropped it. This is due to several
reasons, political and financial, most governments had
no reason to fund terrorist groups, since it marked
them in the poltical arena. It is also expensive on
training and maintaining a surreptious group that is
spread around the globe. After that time, they are
funded by the supporters themselves, rich ex-pats, and
through various business that they operate. Most
Palestinian 'terrorist groups' like Hizbullah, pay
pensions, run schools, do soup kitchens, and help
publish newspapers.

As for terrorist numbers....Well most intelligence
agencies would be willing to kill for accurate numbers
on the amount of people that are incorporated in the
bigger terrorist organizations. The support structure
under them can also be substantial, which again
prevents them from having an accurate personnel amount
evaluated. For instance, the Israeli way is simply
counting all Palestinians as terrorists. As for other
countires, since a terrorist group is ideological,
trangressing race, etnicity, and even religion. There
are no accurate ways on measuring it. They do not wear
uniforms or have large military bases. They are based
upon self sufficient cell structures. On sleeper
agents.

Sorry for ranting. But it is what I do during my free
time, besides RPG ;)

--
Lauri Gardner

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