You are researching for your class several different organized terrorist groups. You have been asked to discuss the differences between Al-Qaeda, HAMAS, Hezbollah, and the Taliban. Discuss each one and their differences

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Al-Qaeda, also known as the base, is now considered one of the most dangerous and potent terrorist groups in the world. The group, founded during the mid-1980s, consisted of loosely knit rebels fighting in resistance to the Soviet Army's invasion of Afghanistan. Members of al-Qaeda are militant Sunni rebels who believe in the expulsion of Western influence from Muslim nations by means of violence and terror. Their motivation is purely religious in nature, unlike many other terrorist groups, which are motivated by political conflict. A driving force for al-Qaeda's terrorist activities is their concept of a holy war, or jihad against foreign influences in the Muslim world that are perceived to be a direct threat to their Islamic faith. The Taliban are a group of Sunni fundamentalists formed in the early 1990s following the Soviet-Afghan War, over a decade after the formation of al-Qaeda. The group is considered an Islamic religious sect as well as the legitimate political arm of al-Qaeda extremist ideologies. Hezbollah, aka the party of God, is composed of Muslim Shi'ite militants operating mainly from Lebanon, but with cells in Europe, Africa, South America, North America, and Asia. They were formed in the early 1980s as a rebel fighting force to counter the invasion of Lebanon by Israeli troops. During this time, they were heavily influenced by Iranian Shi'ites, who aided them in their fight against Israel and developed their current extremist ideology that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and other countries that support the Israeli cause—including the United States. HAMAS, also known as the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 as an extension of the longstanding Muslim Brotherhood group centered in Palestine. They combine politics with terror, calling for jihad against Israel and its people. Their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel and convert the nation into an Islamic Palestinian state.