By André Faust (Oct 24, 2015)
Canada has created a list of who it sees as terrorist or terrorist organization, While some are what can be true terrorist who act on their religious beliefs, others are more of the rebel class who opposes and reacts to how the political administration is administered in their homeland. The interpretation of this rebel class all depends on what side of the fence your one. One interpretation is that they are freedom fighters, the other interpretation is they are terrorist.
The following list was compiled by Public Safety Canada there are some that are listed who are terrorist, but some of the countries that they have supplied financial assistance, were terrorist sympathizers and took some of the proceeds from the altruistic organization and distributed to the terrorist group.
Source: Public Safety
Abdallah Azzam Brigades (AAB)
Also known as
The Abdullah Azzam Brigades; the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam; the Brigades of the Martyr Abdullah Azzam; the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions; the Ziad al-Jarrah Battalion; the Yusuf al-‘Uyayri Battalions; the Yusuf al-Ayiri Battalion; the Battalion of Sheikh Yusuf al-‘Ayiri; and the Marwan Hadid Brigades.
Description
The AAB is an Al Qaida affiliated militant group that follows Salafist ideology. The group is a fluid network organized into a number of regional battalions, including the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions based in Lebanon. The AAB has claimed responsibility for several rocket attacks in northern Israel and has also repeatedly articulated its intent to carry out attacks against Western targets in the Middle East. Since the start of protests in Syria, the AAB’s communiqués have supported regime overthrow. In 2014, the AAB claimed joint responsibility with Jabhat al-Nusra for rocket attacks in Hermel, Lebanon. The AAB also claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings near the Iranian cultural centre in Beirut, Lebanon, in February, 2014.
Date listed
2015-06-29
Date reviewed
2015-06-29
Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)
Also known as
Fatah Revolutionary Council, Revolutionary Council, Revolutionary Council of Fatah, Al-Fatah Revolutionary Council, Fatah-the Revolutionary Council, Black June, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, Black September, Egyptian Revolution, Arab Fedayeen Cells, Palestine Revolutionary Council, Organization of Jund al Haq, Arab Revolutionary Council
Description
From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s, the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) was one of the most feared transnational terrorist organizations in the world, killing or wounding about 900 persons in terrorist attacks in 20 countries. Founded by Abu Nidal in 1974, the goal of the ANO was to destroy the State of Israel, viewing armed struggle as the only method to liberate the people of Palestine. Some of its more prominent attacks include the attempted assassination of Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1982 and near simultaneous attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports in 1985.
Date listed
2003-02-12
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
Also known as
Al Harakat Al Islamiyya (AHAI), Al Harakat-ul Al Islamiyya, Al-Harakatul-Islamia, Al Harakat Al Aslamiya, Abou Sayaf Armed Band (ASAB), Abu Sayaff Group, Abu Sayyef Group and Mujahideen Commando Freedom Fighters (MCFF)
Description
Founded in the early 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is a militant Islamist group with links to Al Qaida and Jemaah Islamiyyah. Ostensibly, the group’s goal is the establishment of an Islamic state governed by sharia law in the south Philippines. In practice, however, the ASG primarily uses terrorism for profit: kidnap-for-ransom, guerrilla warfare, mass-casualty bombings, and beheadings are particularly favoured tactics. The ASG is also responsible for the biggest act of terrorism in Philippine history: in February 2004 the group claimed credit for planting a bomb on a passenger ferry and sinking the vessel, killing more than 100 people.
Date listed
2003-02-12
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al-Murabitoun
Also known as
Al-Murabitoun is also known among other names as Mourabitounes, Al-Mourabitoun, Al-Morabitoune, Al-Mourabitoune and Les Almoravides.
Description
Al-Murabitoun, based in West Africa, was established by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and al’Muwaqi’un Bil-Dima in August 2013. Al-Murabitoun’s goal is to spread jihad across North Africa. The group was formed to strengthen efforts against French military forces and interests in Mali. Al-Murabitoun has carried out terrorist activity. On February 8, 2014, five Malian aid workers were kidnapped near Gao, Mali.
Date listed
2014-06-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al-Muwaqi’un Bil Dima
Also known as
Al Mouaquioune bi addimaa, Katibat al-Muqaoon bil-Dumaa, al-Muwaqun Bi-Dima, Al-Muawaqqi’un bi ‘l-Dima al-Mouwakoune bi-Dimaa, al-Mua’qi’oon Biddam, Those Who Sign With Blood, El Mouwakaoune Bidame , Those Who Have Signed Through Blood, the Signatories for Blood, the Signatories in Blood and Those Who Sign in Blood.
Description
In December 2012, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former commander of Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), created al-Muwaqi’un Bil Dima (MBD), with the goal of deterring Western and African military intervention in northern Mali and imposing Sharia law in North Africa. The MBD has carried out suicide bombing attacks and assaulted civilian facilities. For instance, the MBD claimed responsibility for the January 16, 2013 attack on the Tigantourine gas facility near the town of In Amenas in eastern Algeria. MBD militants, using assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank mines, took dozens of foreign and Algerian workers hostage that resulted in the deaths of at least 48 hostages.
Date listed
2013-11-07
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al Qaida
Also known as
Al Jihad (AJ), Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Vanguards of Conquest (VOC), The Islamic Army, Islamic Salvation Foundation, The Base, Group for the Preservation of the Holy Sites, Islamic Army for the Liberation of the Holy Places, World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, Usama Bin Ladin Network, Usama Bin Ladin Organization and Qa’idat al-Jihad
Description
Founded in 1988 by Usama bin Laden, Al Qaida serves as the strategic hub and driver for the global Islamist terrorist movement. The group’s goals include uniting Muslims to fight the United States and its allies, overthrowing regimes it deems “non-Islamic” and expelling Westerners and non-Muslims from Muslim countries. Al Qaida activities include, but are not limited to, suicide attacks, simultaneous bombings, kidnappings, and hijackings. Al Qaida has forged ties and strategic control over other like-minded Islamist terrorist groups and provides encouragement and inspiration to other affiliated and aligned groups around the world. The Al Qaida network has been directly or indirectly associated with the 1998 bombings of two United States embassies, as well as the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. It was directly involved in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September 11, 2001 and in a foiled plot to bomb the New York subway system in 2009.
Date listed
2002-07-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Also known as
Ansar al-Shari’a (AAS), Al-Qaida of Jihad Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Jazirat al- Arab, Al-Qaida Organization in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al-Qaida in the South Arabian Peninsula, and Al-Qaida in Yemen (AQY).
Description
A Yemen-based affiliate of Usama bin Laden’s Al Qaida (AQ) network, Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced its formation in January 2009. Its primary objectives are to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of foreign influence – particularly Western military personnel and civilian contractors – and to establish a single Islamic caliphate in place of the existing regimes in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. AQAP’s most prominent attacks have been suicide bombings; however, the group has also engaged in guerilla-style raids on military and security targets. It is also responsible for the failed December 25, 2009, attempt to detonate an explosive aboard a Northwest Airlines flight as the plane prepared to land in Detroit.
Date listed
2010-12-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
Also known as
Tanzim Qaedat bi-Bilad al-Maghrab al-Islami, Tanzim al-Qa´ida fi bilad al-Maghreb al-Islamiya, The Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida Organisation in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qa´ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, al-Qaïda dans les pays du Maghreb islamique, Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
Description
AQIM is a militant Sunni Islamist extremist group which originated as the Groupe Islamique Armeé (Armed Islamic Group or GIA), an armed Islamist resistance movement to the secular Algerian government. In 1998, a splinter of the GIA declared its independence from the original group, believing the GIA’s brutal tactics were hurting the Islamist cause. The Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC)), as the new group named itself, gained support from the Algerian population by vowing to continue fighting the government while avoiding the indiscriminate killing of civilians. The GSPC officially merged with Al Qaida in September 2006, subsequently changing its name to Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and announcing the name change in January 2007. AQIM is the most effective and largest extremist armed group inside Algeria. Since its merger with Al Qaida, AQIM has also adopted a global jihad ideology. The group has maintained a high operational tempo since its emergence under the name of AQIM, employing conventional terrorist tactics in Algeria, including guerilla-style ambushes and improvised explosive devices against military personnel and truck bombs against government targets. AQIM continues to kidnap Westerners and hold them for ransom and in return for the release of imprisoned Islamic militants.
Date listed
2002-07-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al Shabaab
Also known as
Harakat Shabaab al Mujahidin, al Shabab, Shabaab, the Youth, Mujahidin al Shabaab Movement, Mujahideen Youth Movement, MYM, Mujahidin Youth, Hizbul Shabaab, Hisb’ul Shabaab, al-Shabaab al-Islamiya, Youth Wing, al Shabaab al-Islaam, al-Shabaab al-Jihad, the Unity of Islamic Youth, the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations
Description
Al Shabaab is an organized but shifting Islamist group dedicated to establishing a Somali caliphate, waging war against the enemies of Islam, and removing all foreign forces and Western influence from Somalia. It is currently the strongest, best organized, financed and armed military group in Somalia, controlling the largest stretch of territory in southern Somalia. Al Shabaab has carried out suicide bombings and attacks using land mines and remote-controlled roadside bombs, as well as targeted assassinations against Ethiopian and Somali security forces, other government officials, journalists, and civil society leaders. It has also carried out suicide bombings in Uganda in retaliation for the presence of Ugandan peacekeeping forces in Somalia. The group is believed to be closely linked with Al Qaida and recently formally pledged allegiance to Usama bin Laden and his terrorist network.
Date listed
2010-03-05
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade (AAMB)
Also known as
Al-Aqsa Intifada Martyrs’ Group, Al-Aqsa Brigades, Martyrs of al-Aqsa group, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Battalion and Armed Militias of the Al-Aqsa Martyr Battalions
Description
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade (AAMB) emerged at the outset of the 2000 Palestinian al-Aqsa intifada and consists of loose cells of Palestinian militants loyal to, but not under the direct control of, the secular-nationalist Fatah party. The AAMB attacks Israeli military targets and Israeli settlers, aiming to expel Israeli presence from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state there. The AAMB has conducted armed, suicide and rocket attacks to achieve its objectives.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (AGAI)
Also known as
Islamic Group, (IG)
Description
Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (AGAI) started in the early 1970s as an Islamist student movement on Egyptian campuses. By the late 1970s, the organization began to advocate change by force. Its primary goal was, and continues to be, to overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state governed by sharia law. Past AGAI attacks primarily targeted the police, government officials, informants, government sympathizers, foreign tourists, and Coptic Christians. AGAI was also responsible for the worst terror attack in Egyptian history, massacring fifty-eight foreign tourists and four Egyptians at Luxor in 1997.
Date listed
2002-07-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Al-Ittihad Al-Islam (AIAI)
Also known as
N/A
Description
Al-Ittihad Al-Islam (AIAI) is a Somali extremist group formed in the 1980s, with the objective of forming an Islamic emirate in Somalia and Somali-inhabited territories in the Horn of Africa. It has operated primarily in Somalia with a presence in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. AIAI rose to prominence following the collapse of the Barre regime in Somalia, and is reported to have had links to Al Qaida (AQ). To achieve its objective, AIAI has engaged in bombing, assassination attempts, and the kidnapping and murder of aid workers.
Date listed
2002-07-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Ansar al-Islam (AI)
Also known as
The Partisans of Islam, Helpers of Islam, Supporters of Islam, Soldiers of God, Kurdistan Taliban, Soldiers of Islam, Kurdistan Supporters of Islam, Supporters of Islam in Kurdistan, Followers of Islam in Kurdistan, Ansar al-Sunna.
Description
One of the most prominent anti-Coalition groups in Iraq, Ansar al-Islam (AI) is the product of a 2001 merger between various Kurdish militant Islamist factions. It maintains links to Al Qaida and is closely tied to Al Qaida in Iraq. AI’s current goals are to expel all foreign forces from Iraq, counter the growing influence of Iraq’s Shia and secular Kurdish communities, and to establish an independent Iraqi state governed by sharia law. In 2002, AI attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan region of Kurdistan. In 2004, AI was responsible for a coordinated double suicide bombing on the respective headquarters of two Kurdish political parties that killed more than 60 people and wounded over 200 others. AI is also well-known for kidnapping and executing foreign hostages, often beheading their victims and posting video of the act on the Internet.
Date listed
2004-05-17
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Armed Islamic Group (GIA)
Also known as
Groupe islamique armé
Description
The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) is a radical Islamist group based in Algeria. The GIA’s primary objective is to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state. The group employs a variety of methods and tactics in its attacks, including bombings, shootings, hijackings and kidnappings. The GIA is known to have targeted intellectuals, journalists, and foreigners, both within and outside Algeria. The group has links with terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and Central/Southern Asia, including Al Qaida. The GIA has been dormant since approximately 2005.
Date listed
2002-07-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Asbat Al-Ansar (AAA) (The League of Partisans)
Also known as
Osbat Al Ansar, Usbat Al Ansar, Esbat Al-Ansar, Isbat Al Ansar, Usbat-ul-Ansar, Band of Helpers, Band of Partisans, League of the Followers
Description
God’s Partisans, Gathering of Supporters, Partisan’s League, Asbat Al-Ansar (AAA) is a Lebanese Islamist extremist group linked to Al Qaida. Its main objective is to promote the establishment of an Islamic state in Lebanon and it is opposed to Christian, secular, and Shia institutions in the country. Past targets have included the Lebanese state, as well as elements within the country AAA considers un-Islamic. For example, two AAA members attacked a Sidon court in 1999 and killed four people. The group has twice been involved in plots to assassinate the US Ambassador to Lebanon. Since at least 2005, AAA has been sending recruits into Iraq to fight against Coalition forces.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Aum Shinrikyo
Also known as
Aum Shinri Kyo, Aum, Aum Supreme Truth, A. I. C. Comprehensive Research Institute, A. I. C. Sogo Kenkyusho and Aleph
Description
Formed in Japan in 1987, Aum Shinrikyo (Aum) is a religious organization with a belief system that mixes various religions – primarily Buddhism – with science fiction and the prophecies of Nostradamus. Aum aimed to control Japan, then the world, and subsequently create a global utopian society. Originally peaceful in nature, the group became increasingly dangerous and violent, seeking to actively bring about Armageddon. In 1994 Aum committed its first sarin attack against Japanese civilians by releasing the nerve agent in Matsumoto, killing seven people and wounding more than a hundred others. In its most infamous attack, Aum released sarin in the Tokyo subway system in 1995, killing a dozen people and wounding thousands more.
Date listed
2002-12-10
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC)
Also known as
Columbian United Self-Defense Groups, Autodéfenses unies de Colombie and United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
Description
The Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) is a right-wing terrorist organization in Colombia which acts as an umbrella organization for like-minded paramilitary groups. Guided by its objective of countering the influence and activity of left-wing guerrilla organizations, the AUC has come into conflict with rival terrorist groups from the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The AUC is closely linked to the drug trade as the revenue from illegal narcotics smuggling is integral to its operations. In order to achieve its goals, the AUC has employed a variety of tactics, including assassinations, intimidation, torture, and kidnapping.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)
Also known as
Babbar Khalsa
Description
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is a Sikh terrorist entity that aims to establish a fundamentalist independent Sikh state called Khalistan (Land of the Pure) in what is presently the Indian state of Punjab. BKI activities include armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings. BKI has members outside of India in Pakistan, North America, Europe, and Scandinavia.
Date listed
2003-06-18
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Boko Haram
Also known as
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (People of the Tradition of the Prophet for Preaching and Striving / Group Committed to Propagating the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad)
Description
Boko Haram is a Salafist jihadist group operating in northern Nigeria whose ultimate objective is to overthrow the Nigerian government and implement Sharia law. The group desires a political system in Nigeria modeled after how the Taliban ruled in Afghanistan. Boko Haram conducted a suicide bomb attack against the United Nations compound in Abuja, Nigeria in August 2011, killing 23 people. The group’s operations include assassinations of political and religious officials, small arms attacks, improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombings. From 2010 to 2012, Boko Haram carried out more than 300 attacks, which killed 1,000 people.
Date listed
2013-12-24
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Caucasus Emirate
Also known as
Imarat Kavkaz and Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus
Description
The Caucasus Emirate is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist network which formed in October 2007. Its goal is to overthrow the secular governments in the North Caucasus republics and establish an Islamic emirate governed under the Salafist interpretation of Sharia law. The Caucasus Emirate has carried out terrorist activities in Russia and the North Caucasus republics that range from ambushes with small arms, targeted assassinations using snipers, improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombings. Since its formation, the network has carried out almost daily attacks throughout the North Caucasus republics and within Russia itself, resulting in the death and injury of many citizens and security personnel.
Date listed
2013-12-24
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)
Also known as
National Liberation Army and the Army of National Liberation
Description
Founded in 1964, the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) is the second-largest leftist rebel group in Colombia after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The ELN’s principal aim is to “seize power for the people” and establish a revolutionary government. The group believes foreign involvement in Colombia’s oil industry violates the country’s sovereignty and foreign companies are unfairly exploiting Colombia’s natural resources. ELN activities include kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, extortion, and guerrilla warfare. In its attacks, the ELN primarily targets the Colombian oil industry, political events, and political figures.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA)
Also known as
Basque Homeland and Liberty, Euzkadi Ta Azkatasuna, Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna, Basque Nation and Liberty, Basque Fatherland and Liberty and Basque Homeland and Freedom
Description
The Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was formed in 1959 and is headquartered in the Basque provinces of Spain and France. It has been responsible for attacks on Spanish and French interests domestically and abroad. ETA is the most powerful of the Basque terrorist groups, aiming to create an independent Basque state that would contain the six Basque provinces of Spain and France, as well as the Navarra province of Spain. ETA activities include bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. The ETA is said to have killed over 800 people and carried out some 1,600 terrorist attacks since its formation.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC)
Also known as
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo, FARC-EP), National Finance Commission (Comisión Nacional de Finanzas) and Coordinadora Nacional Guerrillera Simon Bolivar (CNGSB)
Description
Established in the 1960s, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is Colombia’s oldest, largest, and best-equipped leftist insurgency group. FARC is guided by its goal of overthrowing the current government in Colombia and replacing it with a leftist, anti-American regime that would force all United States interests out of Colombia and Latin America. FARC activities include bombings, hijackings, assassinations, and the kidnapping of Colombian officials and Westerners. Both FARC and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) are members of the Simon Bolivar Guerrilla Coordination Board.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Also known as
Gulabudin Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin Khekmatiyar, Gulbuddin Hekmatiar, Gulbuddin Hekmartyar, Gulbudin Hekmetyar, Golboddin Hikmetyar and Gulbuddin Hekmetyar
Description
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the group Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), espouses an extreme Islamist anti-Western ideology with the objective of overthrowing the Afghani administration and creating an Islamic state. Hekmatyar has declared his intention to wage jihad against foreign troops and interests in Afghanistan until all occupation forces are driven out. He has perpetrated indiscriminate attacks against civilians, government officials and foreign officers. In 2006, Hekmatyar pledged allegiance to Al Qaida leader Usama bin Laden and vowed to join Al Qaida’s holy war. Hekmatyar’s HIG has also carried out coordinated attacks with Taliban fighters.
Date listed
2005-05-24
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Faction of the Hezb-e Islami, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG)
Also known as
N/A
Description
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s faction of the Hezb-e Islami, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), espouses a radical Islamist anti-Western ideology with the objectives of overthrowing the Karzai administration, eliminating all Western influence in Afghanistan, and creating an Islamic state. Hekmatyar’s men were reputed to be the most effective mujahideen group to fight against the Soviet occupation and the most extreme of all Afghan fighters. Drawing support from Pakistan, HIG now has a presence in much of Afghanistan and is an important component of resistance forces in the country. HIG is known to cooperate with Al Qaida and the Taliban, and has a history of engaging in terrorist activities including killings, torture, kidnappings and forcible detainment, and attacking political figures. HIG often targets civilians, journalists, and foreign aid workers.
Date listed
2006-10-23
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Hamas (Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiya) (Islamic Resistance Movement)
Also known as
N/A
Description
Hamas, the Arabic acronym for the group Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiya, is a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization that emerged from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987. It uses political and violent means to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. Since 1990, Hamas has been responsible for several hundred terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets. Hamas has been one of the primary groups involved in suicide bombings aimed at Israelis since the start of the Al-Aqsa intifada in September 2000. In 2006, Hamas participated in and won Palestinian parliamentary elections, leading to negotiations between the group and the Palestinian Authority over the establishment of a unity government. In 2007, however, Hamas overthrew the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip and seized power of the coastal territory. Although the group’s political leadership resides in Damascus, Hamas uses the Gaza Strip as a base for terrorist operations aimed against Israel.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Haqqani Network
Also known as
N/A
Description
The Haqqani Network is an Afghan and Pakistani insurgent group described as one of the most powerful and violent organizations in the region. The immediate objective of the Haqqani Network is the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan, and the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan through the overthrow of the Karzai administration. Controlling the security environment in Afghanistan and cultivating the global Jihadist movement are also priorities of the Network. The Haqqani Network poses a significant local threat to Afghan and coalition forces, as well as innocent civilians in its area of operations. The Haqqani Network has been responsible for many of the highest-profile attacks in Afghanistan. According to official American estimates, Haqqani Network operations account for about one-tenth of attacks on coalition troops, and about 15 percent of casualties. The Haqqani Network was the first group to adopt the use of suicide bombers for attacks in Afghanistan. Currently, the Haqqani Network uses large vehicle borne Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), suicide vests, and swarming attacks, which capture headlines and create doubts about the ability of Afghan forces to protect its civilians without North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) support. The Haqqani Network specializes in coordinated attacks. It has carried out a series of tactically sophisticated complex attacks, often directly assaulting coalition facilities.
Date listed
2013-05-09
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Harakat ul-Mudjahidin (HuM)
Also known as
Al-Faran, Al-Hadid, Al-Hadith, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Harakat ul-Mujahideen, Harakat al- Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Ansar, Harakat ul-Ansar, Harakat al-Ansar, Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami, Harkat Mujahideen, Harakat-ul-Mujahideen al-Almi, Holy Warriors Movement, Movement of the Mujahideen, Movement of the Helpers, Movement of Islamic Fighters, Al Qanoon, Jamiat ul-Ansar
Description
Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HuM) is a Pakistan-based radical Kashmiri Islamist organization. It seeks Pakistani rule for the Indian territory of Kashmir and also calls for a war against America and India. To achieve these objectives, HuM employs various methods that include hijacking as well as kidnapping and executing foreigners and Indian government officials. The group has links with Al Qaida, and is also a signatory to the Al Qaida-issued 1998 fatwa (religious decree) against the United States and Israel.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Hizballah
Also known as
Hizbullah, Hizbollah, Hezbollah, Hezballah, Hizbullah, The Party of God, Islamic Jihad (Islamic Holy War), Islamic Jihad Organization, Islamic Resistance, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Ansar al-Allah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Ansarollah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Ansar Allah (Followers of God/Partisans of God/God’s Helpers), Al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Resistance), Organization of the Oppressed, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of Right Against Wrong and Followers of the Prophet Muhammed.
Description
One of the most technically capable terrorist groups in the world, Hizballah is a radical Shia group ideologically inspired by the Iranian revolution. Its goals are the liberation of Jerusalem, the destruction of Israel, and, ultimately, the establishment of a revolutionary Shia Islamic state in Lebanon, modelled after Iran. Formed in 1982 in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Hizballah carried out some of the most infamous terror attacks of the Lebanese civil war, such as the suicide bombings of the barracks of United States Marines and French paratroopers in Beirut, as well as the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. While all other Lebanese militias disarmed at the end of Lebanon’s civil war in 1990, Hizballah continued to fight, waging a guerilla war against Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon. Following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, Hizballah attacks against Israeli forces continued, concentrated on the disputed Shebaa Farms area. In 2006, Hizballah provoked Israel’s invasion of Lebanon by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing eight others.
Date listed
2002-12-10
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy – Canada
Also known as
International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (Canada), IRFAN, IRFAN – Canada, IRFAN Society
Description
The International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy-Canada (IRFAN-Canada) is a not for profit organization operating in Canada. Between 2005 and 2009, IRFAN-Canada transferred approximately $14.6 million worth of resources to various organizations with links to Hamas.
Date listed
2014-04-24
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)
Also known as
N/A
Description
The International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) was founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom as an international branch of the All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF), with centres in several countries, including Canada. The ISYF is a Sikh organization whose aim is to promote Sikh philosophy and the establishment of an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan. Since 1984, its members have been engaged in terrorist attacks, assassinations and bombings primarily against Indian political figures, but also against moderate members of the Sikh community. The ISYF collaborates and/or associates with a number of Sikh terrorist organizations, including Babbar Khalsa.
Date listed
2003-06-18
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Islamic Army of Aden (IAA)
Also known as
Islamic Army of Aden-Abyan (IAAA), the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA), Aden Islamic Army, Islamic Aden Army, Muhammed’s Army / Army of Mohammed and the Jaish Adan Al Islami
Description
The Islamic Army of Aden (IAA) is a Yemen-based organization advocating the overthrow of the Yemeni government and the creation of an Islamist theocracy. Combatting Western influences both in Yemen and in the wider Islamic world, the IAA opposes the use of Yemeni ports and bases by the United States and other Western countries. It has also called for the expulsion of Western forces from the Gulf of Aden. Guided by these goals, the IAA has used violent tactics to achieve its objectives, including targeting foreigners and political representatives of foreign states. The IAA has links to other terrorist groups, including Al Qaida.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)
Also known as
O’zbekiston Islomiy Harakati, Harakat ul-Islamiyyah, Islamic Movement of Turkestan, Islamic Party of Turkestan (IPT) and IMU-IPT
Description
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a terrorist organization whose primary goal is to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan. The IMU has employed kidnapping, armed attacks against government installations, cross-border incursions, and coordinated efforts with other terrorist groups, such as Al Qaida. The IMU has attacked Westerners and declared its intention to strike at Western interests in Central Asia.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force
Also known as
Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Islami (Pasdaran), Sepah-e Qods, Qods/Quds, al Quds, al Quds Force, Qods/Quds Force, Qods Corps, Jerusalem Corps, Jerusalem Force and Qods Force.
Description
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force is the clandestine branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for extraterritorial operations, and for exporting the Iranian Revolution through activities such as facilitating terrorist operations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force provides arms, funding and paramilitary training to extremist groups, including the Taliban, Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC).
Date listed
2012-12-17
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Islamic State
Also known as
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, ISIS, Al-Dawla Al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham, Al Qaida in Iraq, al-Qaida in Iraq, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Al Qaeda in Iraq, AQI, AQI-Zarqawi, al-Tawhid, al-Tawhid and al-Jihad, Kateab al-Tawhid, Brigades of Tawhid, Monotheism and Jihad Group, Al Qaida of the Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida of Jihad Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers, Al-Qaida Group of Jihad in Iraq, Al-Qa’ida of Jihad in Iraq, Al-Qaida Group of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization of Jihad’s Base in the Country of the Two Rivers, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base of Operations in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base of Operations in Iraq, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base in Iraq, The Organization of al-Jihad’s Base in the Land of the Two Rivers, The Organization Base of Jihad/Country of the Two Rivers, The Organization Base of Jihad/Mesopotamia, Al-Qaida in Mesopotamia, Tanzim Qa’idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, Tanzim al-Qaeda al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidain, Tanzeem Qa’idat al Jihad/Bilad al Raafidaini, Jama’at Al-Tawhid Wa’al-Jihad, JTJ, Islamic State of Iraq, Islamic State in Iraq, ISI, Mujahidin Shura Council, Unity and Holy Struggle, Unity and Holy War, Unity and Jihad Group, al-Zarqawi Network
Description
The Islamic State is a Sunni jihadist group that seeks to sow civil unrest in Iraq and the Levant with the aim of establishing a single, transnational Islamic state based on sharia law, replacing the Iraqi and Syrian governments. The group was originally created in Jordan in the early 1990s under the name Bayat al Imam. The group associated with Al Qaida Core’s senior leadership in 1999 and fought alongside Al Qaida Core and the Taliban during the US strikes in Afghanistan in late 2001. The group then transferred to Iraq in anticipation of the US led invasion, and, in October 2004, formally renamed itself “Al Qaida in Iraq” (AQI). The group has also operated under the name of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). In 2013, the group renamed itself the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL). In June 2014, the group renamed itself “Islamic State”. The Islamic State’s most prominent attacks have been suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, improvised explosive devices, armed attacks, hostage takings, and beheadings.
Date listed
2012-08-20
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
ISLAMIC STATE – SINAI PROVINCE (ISSP)
Also known as
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis; Ansar Jerusalem; Islamic State – Sinai State
Description
Islamic State – Sinai Province (ISSP), formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist group based in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, which first appeared in 2011. The primary objective of the group is the formation of an Islamic state in Egypt under sharia (Islamic) law. The primary targets of ISSP’s violence include the Egyptian military and security services, Israeli interests, economic interests. They have carried out repeated attacks against security forces, politicians, and civilians in Egypt using small arms, improvised explosive devices, vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, and, in at least one case, a surface-to-air missile. Further to its pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in November, 2014, ISSP has expanded targets to include tourist sites, Western interests, Western embassies, and the media.
Date listed
2015-04-07
Date reviewed
2015-04-07
Jabhat Al-Nusra
Also known as
Jabhet al-Nusra, The Victory Front, Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, Jabhat Al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham min Mujahedi al-Sham fi Sahat al-Jihad (The Support Front for the People of the Levant by the Levantine Mujahedin on the Battlefields of Jihad), the Front for the Defense of the Syrian People and the Front for the Support of the Syrian People.
Description
According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Jabhat Al-Nusra is an Al Qaida affiliated Sunni militant Islamist group in Syria. Jabhat Al-Nusra aims to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s Ba’athist regime, establish an Islamic state and expel the minority Alawite and Christian communities from Syria. Jabhat Al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for nearly 600 attacks – such as ambushes, kidnappings, assassinations, Improvised Explosive Device attacks and suicide bombings – in major city centers including Damascus, Aleppo, Hamah, Dara, Homs, Idlib, and Dayr al-Zawr. During these attacks numerous innocent Syrians have been killed.
Date listed
2013-11-07
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
Also known as
Jaish-i-Mohammed (Mohammad, Muhammad, Muhammed), Jaish-e-Mohammad (Muhammed), Jaish-e-Mohammad Mujahideen E-Tanzeem, Jeish-e-Mahammed, Army of Mohammed, Mohammed’s Army, Tehrik Ul-Furqaan, National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty and Army of the Prophet.
Description
Founded in early 2000, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is an Islamist extremist group based in Pakistan. Its objectives are to absorb the Indian-administered areas of Jammu and Kashmir into Pakistan and ultimately establish an Islamist state in the country. JeM is committed to using indiscriminate terror tactics to achieve its objectives, including targeting foreigners and political representatives of foreign states.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Jaysh Al-Muhajirin Wal-Ansar (JMA)
Also known as
Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar, Jaysh al-Muhajireen wa’l-Ansar, Army of Migrants and Supporters, Army of the Emigrants and Helpers, Muhajireen Brigade, Mujahideen Army.
Description
JMA is a jihadist militant group operating primarily in the Aleppo area of northern Syria. The goal of JMA is to topple Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government. JMA is led by Chechans from Russia’s North Caucasus, and the group’s membership consists of approximately 1000 fighters, most of them foreign. JMA has taken part in joint operations with other jihadist groups in Syria such as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. JMA’s tactics include the use of large suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, ground assaults, hostage taking and kidnapping, including foreign nationals and Syrian civilians loyal to Assad.
Date listed
2014-10-30
Date reviewed
2014-10-30
Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI)
Also known as
Jemaa Islamiyah, Jema’a Islamiyya, Jema’a Islamiyyah, Jema’ah Islamiyah, Jema’ah Islamiyyah, Jemaa Islamiya, Jemaa Islamiyya, Jemaah Islamiyya, Jemaa Islamiyyah, Jemaah Islamiah, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jemaah Islamiyyah, Jemaah Islamiya, Jamaah Islamiyah, Jamaa Islamiya, Jemaah Islam, Jemahh Islamiyah, Jama’ah Islamiyah, Al-Jama’ah Al Islamiyyah, Islamic Group and Islamic Community
Description
Jemaah Islamiyyah (JI) has its roots in Darul Islam, a violent radical movement that advocated the establishment of Islamic law in Indonesia. JI subscribes to a Salafist interpretation of Islam and aims to establish an Islamic caliphate spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and the southern Philippines. JI has had cells throughout much of Southeast Asia and targets what it sees as enemies of Islam. JI has been responsible for a series of bank robberies, hijackings, and several major bombings of civilian targets.
Date listed
2003-04-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Kahane Chai (Kach)
Also known as
Meir’s Youth, No’ar Meir Repression of Traitors, State of Yehuda, Sword of David, Dikuy Bogdim, DOV, Judea Police, Kahane Lives, Kfar Tapuah Fund, State of Judea, Judean Legion, Judean Voice, Qomemiyut Movement, Way of the Torah and Yeshiva of the Jewish Idea.
Description
Kahane Chai (Kach) is a marginal, extremist Jewish entity whose goal is the restoration of the biblical state of Israel. Kahane Chai (Kach) advocates expelling Arabs from Israel, expanding Israel’s boundaries to include the occupied territories and parts of Jordan, and the strict implementation of Jewish law in Israel. Kahane Chai (Kach) has openly espoused violence against Arabs and the Israeli government as a viable method for establishing a religiously homogenous state. Its activities have included threats to government officials and infrastructure, grenade attacks, armed violence, and bombings.
Date listed
2005-05-24
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
Also known as
Kurdistan Workers Party, Partya Karkeren Kurdistan, Kurdistan Labor Party, Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress, KADEK, Kurdistan People’s Congress, Kurdistan Halk Kongresi (KHK), People’s Congress of Kurdistan, Kongra-Gel
Description
Formally established in Turkey in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK / KADEK) is a Kurdish political party whose main goal is the creation of an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey and in northern Iraq, a region that is part of the traditional territory of the Kurdish people. To reach its goal, the PKK / KADEK has led a campaign of guerrilla warfare and terrorism, especially in Turkey and in northern Iraq. Its activities include attacking the Turkish military, diplomats and Turkish businesses at home and in some western European cities. It has also been known to bomb resorts and kidnap tourists in an attempt to destabilize tourism in Turkey.
Date listed
2002-12-10
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ)
Also known as
Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) (Society for Preaching), al-Anfal Trust, Tehrik-e-Hurmate-e-Rasool, al Mansoorian (The Victorious), Army of the Pure, Paasban-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Brigade), Paasban-i-Ahle-Hadith (Ahle-Hadith Brigade), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhangvie, Laskar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkare Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhangwi, Lashkar-i-Jhangwi, Jhangvi Army, Lashkar-e Jhangvi, Lashkar Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Jhanvi (LeJ), Lashkar-i-Jangvi, Lashkar e Jhangvi, Lashkar Jangvi, Laskar e Jahangvi
Description
A radical Islamist group reportedly linked to Al Qaida, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) aims to establish an Islamist Sunni state in Pakistan based on sharia law – through the use of violence if necessary – and to have all Shiites declared non-believers. It is reputed as being one of the most violent Islamist extremist organizations in Pakistan. Responsible for killing hundreds of Shiites since its formation in 1996, LJ was behind some of the worst incidents of sectarian violence in Pakistan’s history. In 2003, for example, a group of LJ members attacked a Shia mosque in Quetta, killing at least 47 people and wounding many more.
Date listed
2003-06-18
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)
Also known as
Lashkar-e-Toiba, Lashkar-i-Toiba (LiT), Lashkar-i-Taiba (Holy Regiment), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous), Lashkar-e-Taibyya, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (Army of the Pure and Righteous), Lashkar-e-Taiba (Righteous Army), Lashkar-Taiba (Army of the Good), Lashkar e Toiba, Lashkar e Taiba, Lashkar-E-Tayyaba, Lashkar e Tayyiba
Description
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) (Army of the Pure), is a Pakistan-based, radical organization established in the late 1980s that operates in the Indian states of Kashmir and Jammu. Its objective is to end India’s rule of those two states. LeT’s activities include suicide bombings and armed attacks on civilians, government officials and the Indian security forces. The group is also allegedly linked to Al Qaida. LeT’s most infamous operation was the 60-hour terror attack in Mumbai on November 26-28, 2008.
Date listed
2003-06-18
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Also known as
The Tamil Tigers, the Eellalan Force, the Ellalan Force, the Tiger Movement, the Sangilian Force, the Air Tigers, the Black Tigers (Karum Puligal), the Sea Tigers, the Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS) and the Women’s Combat Force of Liberation Tigers (WCFLT).
Description
Founded in 1976, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a Sri Lankan-based terrorist organization that seeks the creation of an independent homeland called “Tamil Eelam” for Sri Lanka’s ethnic Tamil minority. Over the years, the LTTE has waged a violent seccessionist campaign with the help of ground, air, and naval forces, as well as a dedicated suicide bomber wing. LTTE tactics have included full military operations, terror attacks against civilian centres, and political assassinations, such as the successful assassinations of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The LTTE has also had an extensive network of fundraisers, political and propaganda officers, and arms procurers operating in Sri Lanka and within the Tamil diaspora. Although the LTTE was militarily defeated in May 2009, subversion, destabilization, and fundraising continue, particularly in the diaspora.
Date listed
2006-04-08
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa
Also known as
MOJWA, Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest, MUJAO, Jamat Tawhid wal Jihad fi Garbi Afriqqiya and Jamaat Tawhid Wal Jihad Fi Garbi Ifriqiya.
Description
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa is a splinter group of al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Formed in 2011, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa seeks to spread jihad across West Africa and establish a strict form of Sharia law. The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa has carried out terrorist activities including kidnappings, small arms attacks, improvised explosive devices attacks, and suicide bombings. On May 23, 2013, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and al’Muwaqi’un Bil-Dima launched twin suicide attacks against a Nigerien army base and a French uranium mine in Niger, killing 25 people.
Date listed
2014-06-02
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Palestine Liberation Front (PLF)
Also known as
PLF-Abu Abbas Faction, Front for the Liberation of Palestine (FLP)
Description
The Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) is a small, armed splinter group allied to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Its objective is the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. First founded in 1961 by Ahmad Jibril, the group operates primarily in Europe, Israel, Lebanon and other areas in the Middle East. During its most active period, it is known to have conducted several high-profile attacks, including the October 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro
Date listed
2003-11-13
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
Also known as
Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami fi Filistin, Saraya Al-Quds (The Jerusalem Brigades), Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad, Palestine Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi Faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi, PIJ-Shaqaqi Faction, PIJ-Shallah Faction, Islamic Jihad of Palestine, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Abu Ghunaym Squad of the Hizballah Bayt Al-Maqdis, Al-Quds Squads, Al-Awdah Brigades, Islamic Jihad Palestine (IJP), Islamic Jihad – Palestine Faction and Islamic Holy War
Description
Founded in the late 1970s, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of the most violent Palestinian terrorist groups. The PIJ maintains that armed struggle by the Palestinian people, in tandem with active support from the Arab and Muslim worlds, is the only viable strategy for achieving its objectives – the destruction of Israel and the complete liberation of Palestine. The PIJ was among the first to use suicide bomb attacks against Israel. In what was reported as “one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Israeli history,” two PIJ suicide bombers executed a coordinated attack at a bus stop in Beit Lid in 1995: 19 people were killed and 61 wounded. Over the course of the past decade, most PIJ attacks have taken the form of suicide bombings or rocket firings into Israel.
Date listed
2002-11-27
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC)
Also known as
Al-Jibha Sha’biya lil-Tahrir Filistin-al-Qadiya al-Ama
Description
Founded in 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) is an Islamist Communist group committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. The group is opposed to any negotiation with Israel and believes solely in a military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was the first Palestinian group to use suicide squads: in 1974, three members attacked Qiryat Shemona and killed 18 people before dying in a battle with Israeli soldiers. The PFLP-GC has used barometric bombs to blow up aircraft, parcel-explosives sent through the mail as well as motorized hang-gliders in a guerilla raid into Israel. During the 1990s, the PFLP-GC limited its activities to training and equipping other terrorist groups, such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Date listed
2003-11-13
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
Also known as
Halhul Gang, Halhul Squad, Palestinian Popular Resistance Forces, PPRF, Red Eagle Gang, Red Eagle Group, Red Eagles, Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, Al-Jibha al-Sha’biya lil-Tahrir Filistin
Description
Formed in 1967, the goals of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) are the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a communist government in Palestine. During the 1970s, the group took part in some of the boldest terrorist attacks of the period, such as hijacking three civilian airliners in one day and storming the Vienna headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Since 2000, the PFLP has turned increasingly to the use of suicide bombers, guerilla tactics, car bombings, and mortar strikes. The PFLP was also responsible for the first assassination of a cabinet minister in Israel’s history, killing Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001.
Date listed
2003-11-13
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Sendero Luminoso (SL)
Also known as
Shining Path, Partido Comunista del Peru en el Sendero Luminoso de Jose Carlos Mariategui, Communist Party of Peru on the Shining Path of Jose Carlos Mariategui, Partido Comunista del Peru, Communist Party of Peru, The Communist Party of Peru by the Shining Path of Jose Carlos Mariategui and Marxism, Leninism, Maoism and the Thoughts of Chairman Gonzalo, Revolutionary Student Front for the Shining Path of Mariategui, Communist Party of Peru – By Way of the Shining Path of Mariategui, PCP – por el Sendero Luminoso de Mariategui, PCP and PCP-SL
Description
Established in 1980, Sendero Luminoso (SL) is a splinter group of the Communist Party of Peru. Its objective is to destroy existing Peruvian institutions and replace them with a communist peasant revolutionary regime which would eliminate foreign influence from the country. SL’s area of operations is limited to Peru, with most of its activities in rural areas, but some of its attacks have taken place in the capital, Lima. Its tactics include indiscriminate bombing campaigns, political assassinations, as well as armed attacks against civilians and foreign interests in Peru.
Date listed
2003-02-12
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Taliban
Also known as
Afghan Taliban, Tahreek-i-Islami-i-Taliban Afghanistan, Movement of Islamic Students, The Taleban, the Islamic Movement of the Taliban (De Talebano Islami Ghurdzang or Tehrik) and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (De Afghanistan Islami Emarat).
Description
The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s main objectives are the removal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan, and the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan through the overthrow of the current government. The top leadership structure in the Taliban is the Rahbari Shura (leadership council), better known as the Quetta Shura after the Pakistani city in which it is currently based. Beneath the Rahbari Shura are the regional military shuras for four major geographical areas of operations in Afghanistan (Quetta, Peshawar, Miramshah, and Gerdi Jangal). The Taliban uses terrorist tactics, including the extensive use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and suicide attacks, to further its political objectives and is known to attack civilian targets, government compounds, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/Afghan bases, military targets in built-up urban areas, as well as infrastructure projects. In 2011, the Taliban was responsible for the majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan and have been known to carry out a number of attacks on girls’ schools in particular.
Date listed
2013-05-09
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Also known as
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Tehrik Taliban-I-Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Description
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was founded in December 2007 as an umbrella organization for pro-Taliban groups operating mostly in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province), Pakistan. It was led, first, by militant commander Baitullah Mehsud and, following his death, by Hakimullah Mehsud. The TTP aims to create a Taliban-style Islamic emirate under sharia law, beginning in Pakistan’s tribal areas and later extending to include Muslims elsewhere. The TTP strives to untie pro-Taliban groups in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to assist the Afghan Taliban in their campaign against President Karzai and US/NATO forces in Afghanistan, and to attack Pakistani state, military, and police installations. The TTP has conducted numerous armed, bomb and suicide attacks to achieve its objectives. The TTP has also engaged in criminal activity, such as extortion, theft, robbery and kidnapping for ransom to support its terrorist operations. The TTP maintains links to Al Qaida (AQ), Lashka-e-Jahngvi (LJ) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), all listed terrorist groups under Canada’s Criminal Code.
Date listed
2011-07-05
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
World Tamil Movement (WTM)
Also known as
N/A
Description
The World Tamil Movement was created in 1986 and became a known and leading front organization for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Canada. The leadership of the WTM acts at the direction of the LTTE and has been instrumental in fundraising in Canada on behalf of the LTTE. WTM representatives canvas for donations amongst the Canadian Tamil population, and have been involved in acts of intimidation and extortion to secure funds.
Date listed
2008-06-13
Date reviewed
2014-11-20
The most important fiscal action the Conservative government took after being elected in 2006 was to cut the GST by two points. At the time — and ever since — every credible economist in Canada said it was a bad, bad idea. With a general election less than a year away, now seems like a good time to run a ‘what-if’ scenario.
The Left Eye 