State-Sponsored Terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is the type of terrorism that the Hamas group presents. Their overall goal is to gain power in specific territories with the government’s support (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). Their tactical goal is to attack military and civilian targets, having a strategic aim of establishing a Palestinian state under their control.
The group is located in the Gaza Strip of the West Bank and mainly uses arms, explosives, and rockets to hit the target – Israel (Director of National Intelligence, n.d.). The result of their attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, is the war, causing multiple innocent casualties and hostages; meanwhile, Israel responds through missile launches (Bergman & Goldman, 2023). The activity of terrorists threatens civilians of the region, as it is a long-term process with dangerous strikes.
Dissident Terrorism
Another type is dissident terrorism, which is represented by the group Irish Republican Army, whose goal was to fight the British government and to acquire control over Northern Ireland (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). Located in Northern Ireland, they used bombing tactics to target the British Army in various areas (Arthur & Kimberly, 2024). State-sponsored and dissident terrorism undermine governmental order within the countries.
Left-Wing and Religious Terrorism
Terrorism from the left and right is the one that involves a group headed by Fidel Castro. Their goal was to overthrow Batista and take control of Cuba, where they used sabotage, bombing, and murders to establish communism (House of Representatives, 2022). The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, located in Iraq, is the representative of religious terrorism, aiming to expand its Muslim control using the technique of genocide and prosecution (Director of National Intelligence, n.d.).
Criminal Terrorism
Criminal terrorism is presented by the Mexican cartels that have a goal to gain money through the illegal trade of drugs, using the techniques of bribing and arms application located in the state of Mexico (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). There is also a lone-wolf terrorism, an activity where a person commits crimes alone (National Institute of Justice, 2013). Altogether, these types are widespread worldwide and harm people’s lives.
References
Arthur, P. & Kimberly C. M. (2024). Irish Republican Army. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Bergman, R. & Goldman, A. (2023). Israel knew Hamas’s attack plan more than a year ago. The New York Times.
Director of National Intelligence (n.d.). Terrorist groups. Counter terrorism guide.
Gaines, L. & Kappeler, V. (2011). Homeland security. Pearson.
House of Representatives (2022). House of Representatives staff analysis.
National Institute of Justice. (2013). Lone wolf terrorism in America. YouTube.