Terrorist Movements

Paper Summary:

The 'Red Brigades' was a terrorist group formed in 1969 in Italy as the result of student movements. They were an extreme left terrorist group with the goal of separating Italy from the Western alliance. The group advocated violence and targeted unionists, politicians and businessman who they claimed represented the "establishment." The paper shows that although the Red Brigade succeeded in acts of terror while operational, ultimately during the 1980s the organization declined due, in part, to internal schisms, operational failures and the arrests of many of the members. As a terrorist entity, one might consider the group a failure. The paper shows, in contrast, that the Palestinian Liberation Organization has successfully contributed to the cause of terror over time and factions of the organization still exist. The PLO of Palestine existed as a terrorism powerhouse and achieved some of their goals and continues to be a successful terrorist movement in Palestine. The paper examines what differentiates the two groups, whether one might consider the PLO successful and the Red Brigades a failure and whether one could consider a group described as "terrorist" successful. The paper traces both groups' histories and looks at their similarities.

From the Paper:

"One of the appealing aspects to prospective members of the organization was money. Adult males who joined the PLO not only received their pension, but their wives also received an allowance for the family. The Palestinian organization was successful for many reasons, not the least of which was relating to the common person. Many Palestinians and Arabs have for many years sought a unified existence. The PLO-Palestine offered just that. It united the common person for a common cause. The violent activities promoted by the organization were not seen as fruitless acts of maliciousness and horror; rather they were seen as activities dictated by higher powers for a good and unified purpose."

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