POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Iraqi Security Forces, September 11 Attacks, Al-Qaeda

• School: McGill University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLI 244
• Professor: Daniel Douek

Document Summary

Using spectacular violence to convey a political message. Inter-state war has declined since end of cold war. Usually between a government and a rebel group. Different rebel groups have different policies about attacking civilians. Some rebel groups strike mainly at military targets (ex: hezbollah) Others aim at military and civilian targets equally (ex: hamas) Some rebel groups justify any stack on civilians from enemy countries (ex: islamic state) From 1960"s to 1980"s, rebel groups were mostly secular nationalists. They used bombs and gunfire to kill, civilians, but also took hostages. Hijacking aircraft, ships, or gatherings, and negotiating hostages" release in exchange for demands being met. In 1980"s, non state rebel groups became increasingly religious in character. Ex: mujahideen rebels fighting soviets in afghanistan; hamas, islamic. Suicide bombing replaced hijacking as preferred method. Al-qaeda suicide attacks in iraq, elsewhere, were mostly killing fellow. Approach has shifted to focusing mainly on enemy combatants and.