HLLS 110: Phase 2 IP
Professor Curry, G.
Colorado Technical University
The article “Terrorist group survival: ideology, tactics, and base of operations” (Blomberg, Gaibulloev and Sandler, 2011) examines the behavior, size, tactics and operability of 367 terrorist organizations during 1970-2007. The article differentiates between domestic and transnational terrorism. It states the ideologies behind terrorists vary from separatist movements to purely religious cases. Empirical data concluded that terrorists with religious aim survive longer as a terrorist organization than any other political ideologies, such as left wing, right wing and nationalist.
The second article “The role of ideology in terrorists’ target selection” (Drake, 1998) points to the importance of ideology, how it displays motives of the terrorists’ selecting targets. The article broadens the scope of ideologies. Apart from mainstream terrorist ideologies, such as separatism, religion, liberalism, …show more content…
They present the terrorists as having an organized cell-structure system, which implies on the high level of manageability of the terrorist groups. Terrorists possess an ability to operate on a transnational level, due to their sense of coherence: blind belief in their ideologies and ability to maintain a link and devote themselves fully to their belief. All of the articles state the predominance of nationalistic and religious beliefs. The article by Blomberg, Gaibulloev and Sandler claim terrorists with religious groups are deemed to a longer existence due to the presence of tight internal connectedness and meaningfulness. The comprehension of events and awareness of the consequences arise due to the fact of reaching a goal, and indeed that goal makes terrorist possess the characteristics of high organization and