State Sponsors of Terrorism

State Sponsors of Terrorism

State Sponsors of Terrorism

CRJ 440

Abstract

Assignment 2: State Sponsors of Terrorism

Due Week 6 and worth 100 points

The U.S. Department of State designates and maintains a list of countries that are officially designated as state sponsors of terrorism. There are currently four (4) countries on this list: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria.

Choose one (1) of the four (4) countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism. Next, use the Internet or Strayer databases to research the terrorist group(s) that your chosen country sponsors.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

Describe the key reasons why your chosen country has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Summarize the history of your country’s sponsorship of terrorism.

Examine the terrorist group(s) that your chosen country sponsors and address the following:

Identify the major reasons that your chosen country sponsors the group(s).

Describe the level and type of support the chosen country gives to the group(s) it sponsors (i.e. money, training, equipment, intelligence, etc.). Assess the severity with which the effectiveness of the group(s) would be impacted if they stopped receiving support from its state sponsor.

Summarize any attack(s) carried out by the group(s) being sponsored by your chosen country, as well as the motivation and purpose for the attack(s). Analyze the benefits afforded to state sponsors because of the attack(s).

Identify any public statements regarding their relationship made by the chosen country and / or the terrorist group(s) sponsored. Evaluate the validity of the statement(s) based on known facts.

Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

State Sponsors of Terrorism

The key reasons why Iran has been the designated by the U.S. Department of state as a state sponsor of terrorism because it vigorously supports terrorist groups. The most common support of the state sponsor is Hezbollah. The U.S. Department of states determines Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism due to Iran support of terrorist groups and organizations. According to the text: “Hezbollah is a deadly international terrorist organization that has developed international links and uses international crime to finance its operations.” (Curtis, G., & McBride, R. B., 2011). According to author and Ph.D., Amy Zalman who has been writing fluently about terrorism defines “Hezbollah as an Islamist Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of Iran. It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there. Iran sent Revolutionary Guard Corps members to assist in the war. A generation later, the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah is not entirely transparent, so it is not clear whether Hezbollah should be considered a full proxy for Iranian intentions. However, Iran funds, arms and trains Hezbollah, in large part through the IRGC.” (Zalman, A, 2012)

Also within the text it states that: “Hezbollah has sponsored terrorism from the approval of the Iranian government through “suicide attacks it carried out against civilian and peacekeeping forces and because of its kidnapping rampage be-tween 1983 and 1990. It was also involved in the 1985 hijacking of a TWA flight, during which an American was murdered, and two bombings in Argentina in 1992 and 1994. It has been responsible for a campaign of suicide bombings, the murders of Lebanese Christians, international arms smuggling, and a host of international criminal activities, including crimes in the United States.” (Curtis, G., & McBride, R. B.,2011)

The major reasons Iran is a state sponsors because Iran provides training for the Hezbollah and other terrorist groups. Which is quite evident that by training terrorist organization and groups means that Iran is actively playing a role in the support terrorism. Not only does Iran train terrorist groups and organization, but Iran also provides funds through donations through charity organizations and sales of militia arms to terrorist groups and organization. That type of activity allows terrorist groups and organization to plan and engage in attacks through international and national countries that are considered to be the enemy. Intelligence has also been provide from Iran to the terrorist organizations and groups, while there is no clear evidence of what type of intelligence is being provided it’s quite relevant that Iran provided funding to allow terrorist groups to be in on intelligence per the Iranian government. This is a clear indication of a threat for other countries and U.S when considering countries in terrorist involvement.

Although Iran uses Hezbollah as a secret terrorist weapon because they are against the western idea of democracy, If Iran were to not support terrorist organization or groups, I think that terrorist organizations and group would override the rule and take the Iranian government down by force. It would be detrimental and devastating for the country Iran because it would cause war within it’s our country over power. The terrorist groups would turn on their own supporters by using their own training, arms, and intelligence against them as well. With the terrorist groups having the same access and knowledge to the Iran funding, arms, intelligence and training the Iranian government would lose all power and rule. By the terrorists groups being trained through intelligence, militia and arms, they would know the tactics and strategies of what the Iranian militia will do. The terrorist organization will most likely link up with other terrorist groups and form an organization to overthrow the Iranian government by force.

Many of attacks have taken place by terrorists groups due to Iran’s support. One attack that stands out the most was “on Oct. 23, 1983, a delivery van filled with 18,000 pounds of explosives slammed into the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. Seconds later, another car bomb hit a French military building four miles away. A total of 241 American and 58 French soldiers lost their lives, all members of the Multi-National Forces in Lebanon.” (Levitt, M., 2013). This attack still has wrecks of fear until this day. It was quite clear that this attack was strategically planned by Hezbollah who is supported by Iran. Even though Iran and the U.S. have an understanding between countries Iran still allows and support Hezbollah relies on a relationship that benefits another. According to an article: 30 years of sponsored terrorism it by Matthew Levitt states that: “From Iran, Hezbollah gets tens of thousands of rockets, hundreds of millions of dollars a year, training and operational logistical support from Iran. From Hezbollah, Iran gets an extended reach — to the Mediterranean and beyond — and a means of targeting its enemies from afar with reasonable deniability.” (Levitt, M., 2013).

Apparently the U.S. Department of state is quite aware of the relationship between Hezbollah, and Iran supporting other terrorist organizations. “The U.S. State Department concluded in its annual Country Reports on terrorism that 2012 represented “a marked resurgence of Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism” in which “Iran and Hezbollah’s terrorist activity has reached a tempo unseen since the 1990s.” (Levitt, M., 2013). While the relationship was unseen since the 1990’s it still negates from the fact how can the American public and other countries rely on the safety and protection from the against States Sponsors-Iran from terrorist organizations and groups. Due to attacks that have taken place from the approval of Iran and execution of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, How can we as the American people knowingly be aware that, Iran is a supporter of terrorism? I find there is a validation of making it known to the public that Iran is a supporter of terrorism through the terrorist groups but what exactly is being done to alleviate the Iran as a state sponsors of terrorism. It doesn’t alleviate the fears of terrorism to the American people.

References