Terrorist Organizations in the Middle East and International Relations Theories

Political terrorism has been prevalent in the Middle East politics with various terrorist organizations acting in the region. Al- Qaida, for example, is the organization we often hear most about. It is the militant Islamic Organization responsible for the attacks on the United States on September 11. The group is lead by Osama bin Laden.Hezbollah or Hizbollah is a Shi’a organization formed in 1982 following Israels invasion of Lebanon.  They were resisters of the Israeli occupation.  Hezbollah aim was to construct a government after Iran.  Hezbollah like many other terrorist organizations has called for the destruction of Israel.  In 1983 Hezbollah was responsible for the bombing of a U.S. military building leading to the death of 241 U.S. marines.  In recent years the group has been linked with countless terror attacks including the assasinations of prominent Lebanese politicians causing unrest within the country. The United States has labled the qroup a terrorist organization but in Lebanon they are viewed as freedom fighters or part of the national resistance movement. Hezbollah support comes from a large group of Shi’a muslims which make up approximately 40% of the counrties population.  However, Christians within Lebanon believe that Hezbollah’s existance is destabilizing the country.   In relation to the International theories, the groups Al-Qaida and Hezbollah embody both the Realist and Radical Perspectives. Realist, in the sense, that their view of the individual is “power-seeking, selfish, and antagonistic” (Mingst 74).In addition, the key actors would be the states and international system, which are bother power seeking, with nationalistic prosperity as their goal.  However, they denounce capitalism as represented in the 9/11 attacks on our institutions and therefore exhibit Radical ideals.