Issues of Terrorism

¶ … terrorist groups; besides Al Queda and Al Jihad that possess both the motive and capability to implement a terrorist attack on the United States and decide which of these two groups pose a greater threat. Examine both the likelihood and potential impact. It will also assess the likelihood of another terrorist attack by the Al Queda and the Al Jihad terrorist groups. Identify and provide examples of the most likely targets in a future terrorist attack.

It seems two of the most dangerous terrorist organizations facing America today are Hezbollah and the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). These groups are particularly dangerous because they are well funded, and they consistently target the United States in their attacks. Perhaps most dangerous of these two is Hezbollah, also known as the Party of God, who are credited with numerous terrorist activities against Americans since the 1980s. These included kidnapping several Americans in the 1980s; the 1983 Beirut, Lebanon suicide bombings that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines at their barracks; the hijacking of TWA flight 847 in 1985; and many others that targeted Israelis. Hezbollah is a radical Shiite group dedicated to removing Israel from the Middle East, and they are notoriously anti-Israel and anti-U.S. They also would like to create their own Islamic republic. Founded in 1982 by Sheikh Fadallah, the group has factions around the world and is based in Lebanon. They are dedicated to the Shiite cause, and dedicated to eliminating everything in their way toward their goals, and that includes the United States. They are one of the most dangerous threats to American and its' citizens besides Al Queda and Al Jihad. Hezbollah seems to have the potential for the most harm because they have already showed they are more than willing to attack U.S. targets, they have good funding, and the impact of their attacks, since they are known to have factions all over the world that can infiltrate from within, could be exceedingly deadly.

The ANO is also a major threat because they too are well funded, and they continually target the U.S. And its' worldwide operations. They are credited with numerous attacks around the world, including assassinations, hijackings, attacks on airports in Rome and Vienna, and a synagogue shooting in Istanbul, Turkey. They support eliminating Israel and they violently opposed the United States and their continued support of Israel, so they pose a very real threat to the country. Their leader, Abu Nidal died in 2002, and it is thought they now operate out of Iraq, which would give them additional opportunities to target U.S. military and contractors.