The U.S. Department of State publishes a list of foreign terrorist organizations. Because of this label, many Americans lack the understanding of what these groups are trying to accomplish. You will hear broad, media-fed statements like, "They want us to live in the Stone Age," or "They are opposed to our (Western) way of life." Although these statements may contain some truth, they very often do not fully define what these groups are trying to accomplish. Without this information, how can the government effectively combat these groups' actions?
The reality is that they cannot. The misconceptions are not limited to the general public; many in government are also guided in some cases by them. Your company, as well as two others, have been contracted to provide a service for the U.S. Department of State. The list provided by the Department of State are the groups your company has been contracted to examine.
From the list below, select 2 groups, and develop an information package for the Department of State.
Aum Shinrikyo Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) Continuity Irish Republican Army Hizbullah (Party of God) Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
National Liberation Army (ELN) Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso, SL)
Paper For Above instruction
The selected groups for detailed analysis are Hezbollah (Party of God) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of their histories, goals, motivations, leadership, operational areas, methods, functions, and cultural makeup to aid the U.S. Department of State’s efforts in countering these entities.
Hezbollah (Party of God)
Hezbollah, meaning "Party of God" in Arabic, was established in the early 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War, primarily as a Shi'a Islamist political and militant organization. Its roots trace back to the Shi'a community in Lebanon, motivated by the desire to resist Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and to promote Shi'a political activism. The organization was heavily influenced by Iranian theocratic principles, receiving ideological and logistical support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which shaped its goals and strategies.
Hezbollah's goals encompass both political and ideological dimensions. Politically, it seeks to establish an
Islamic state in Lebanon governed under Shi'a principles, challenging the secular Lebanese government. It aims to resist Western influence and Israeli aggression in the region, positioning itself as a defender of Lebanese sovereignty and Shi'a rights. Ideologically, Hezbollah advocates for the establishment of an Islamic order based on revolutionary Shi'a principles, emphasizing the importance of jihad as a divine obligation. Its motto reflects its dual religious and political objectives: resisting oppression and promoting Islamic values.
The motivations driving Hezbollah are rooted in religious fervor, anti-Israel sentiment, and regional geopolitics. Its leadership comprises religious clerics, political figures, and military commanders, with Hassan Nasrallah serving as the Secretary-General since 1992. The organization operates predominantly in Lebanon but maintains influence across the Middle East, including Syria and Iraq.
Hezbollah engages in a variety of activities, including social welfare programs, political participation, and military actions. Its military wing has been responsible for numerous attacks against Israeli targets, including suicide bombings and rocket assaults. The group also conducts cyber operations and maintains a clandestine military infrastructure. Its political wing participates openly in Lebanon’s government, representing Shi'a interests and influencing national policies.
Legitimate functions include social services such as healthcare, education, and charity work, which foster community loyalty and support. These activities help Hezbollah maintain a broad base of support among Lebanese Shi'a, intertwining social welfare with militant objectives. This dual approach allows Hezbollah to operate as both a political actor and an armed entity, complicating efforts to classify it definitively as a terrorist organization.
Culturally, Hezbollah’s makeup is deeply rooted in Shi'a Islamic identity, with religious clerics wielding significant influence over its policies and ideology. Its members are often motivated by a sense of religious duty, regional solidarity, and opposition to Western and Israeli policies. The group’s cultural identity emphasizes resistance, Islamic solidarity, and the sanctity of martyrdom, shaping its operational ethos and recruitment strategies.
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was founded in 1964 as a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization with the aim of overthrowing the Colombian government and establishing a communist state. Tied historically to peasant movements and inspired by socialist ideology, FARC
positioned itself as a defender of rural communities against government and paramilitary violence, seeking socio-economic reforms and land redistribution in Colombia.
FARC’s goals are both political and ideological. Politically, the group aims to dismantle the existing Colombian state apparatus and replace it with a Marxist-Leninist regime. Ideologically, FARC is committed to establishing a classless society through guerrilla warfare, armed struggle, and revolutionary change. It also seeks to control territories in Colombia, particularly rural and resource-rich areas, to facilitate its operations and economic activities such as drug trafficking and extortion.
The motivations of FARC are centered on social justice, economic equality, anti-imperialism, and opposition to Colombian government policies perceived as oppressive. Its leadership has historically consisted of Marxist militants committed to revolutionary goals. The group operated primarily in rural Colombia, maintaining strong insurgent networks across the Andes region, and engaged in prolonged armed conflict with Colombian security forces.
FARC employed a variety of methods, including ambushes, bombings, kidnapping, and drug trafficking to sustain its operations. It also engaged in political negotiations, culminating in the peace process of 2016, when it signed a comprehensive peace agreement with the Colombian government. This led to the demobilization and transformation of FARC from an armed insurgency to a political party, the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (also FARC).
While technically no longer designated as a terrorist organization post-peace agreement, during its active years, FARC’s legitimate functions included community social programs, infrastructure development, and representative political engagement within the peace framework. Its cultural makeup was influenced by Marxist-Leninist ideology, rural peasant traditions, and revolutionary nationalism. The guerrilla’s identity was rooted in resistance against oppression, economic exploitation, and foreign influence, especially from the United States and multinational corporations involved in Colombia’s resource sectors.
Conclusion
Understanding the histories, goals, and cultural compositions of Hezbollah and FARC provides critical insights into their operational motives and methods. Hezbollah’s dual identity as a political party and militant organization rooted in religious ideology exemplifies the complex nature of modern asymmetric threats. FARC’s evolution from an insurgency to a political actor underscores the potential for conflict resolution when comprehensive peace processes are implemented. Effective counterterrorism strategies
necessitate nuanced knowledge of such groups, emphasizing the importance of detailed intelligence and culturally aware engagements.
References
Hroub, K. (2010). Hezbollah: A Short History. I.B. Tauris.
Rettberg, T. (2020). The FARC and the Colombian Peace Process. Latin American Politics and Society, 62(4), 107–124.
Byman, D. (2015). Understanding Terrorist Organizations. RAND Corporation.
Gartenstein-Ross, D., & Jenkins, B. (2014). The New Threat Matrix: The Path to Radicalization and the Rise of the Islamic State. The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
Wehrey, F. (2018). The Battle for Lebanon: The Iranians versus the Americans. Oxford University Press.
Martín, G. (2012). Colombia’s FARC: From Insurgency to Political Actor. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 7(3), 35–44.
Levitt, M. (2013). Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. Georgetown University Press.
Peksen, D., & Koneczny, P. (2020). Rural Insurgencies and the Role of Socioeconomic Development. Peace Review, 32(4), 395–404.
Jalali, R. (2002). The Iranian-Syrian Connection: Regional Security implications. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 6(2), 54–66.
Montlake, R. (2020). Colombia’s FARC peace deal: Success or failure? BBC News.