Here is yet another article about car bombings in Iraq. Suicide bombings have become a very frequent and seemingly "normal" occurrence in Iraq in the last couple years, it has been a problem for many many years, but it seems to have gotten worse since the United States entered in with forces five years ago.
Would these suicide bombings be considered terrorist attacks or are they simply acts of war? We did invade their country so what is the result? Is it an actual terrorist organization that is committing these attacks or just everyday Iraqi citizens?
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Well we have seen that suicide bombings are a method or tactic that terrorist organizations use against a more powerful state or body. The suicide bombings in Iraq are not just used by Al Qaeda but by the Shiite and Sunni militias against each others people. The only thing that can bring hostilities to an end is when a political compromise is made by both sides; thereby creating a representative government that both sides are satisfied with.
I think whether or not we consider the attacks terrorism depends on who the target is. If a suicide bomb strikes U.S. Army patrols, it would be a military strike, but if a suicide bomber attacks fellow Iraqi citizens in a Mosque or market, it is a terrorist attack. The commonality is that both attacks are committed by an insurgency working to prevent the Iraqi government from getting its feet off the ground.
In the definition of terrorism we've used all year, I believe it states that the terrorist attacks target non-combatants. So, as Robert said, it depends on who the target of the suicide attack is. If a terrorist attack occurs in the middle of the market with a bunch of civilians or at a club frequented by off-duty military personnel, it would certainly be considered a terrorist attack.
One of the problems with the situation in Iraq is that the opposite is not a monolith. Some people who blow things up are frustrated citizens, some are criminals and some are terrorists. There are a wide varied of people. However, a lot of the time, innocent people are targeted for a political reason, which sounds a lot like terrorism...even if it might not be technically.
At the beginning of class we talked about how there are multiple definitions of what "terrorism" is. To answer the question whether or not suicide bombings is an act of war or an act of terror it just depends on what definition one uses. If we agree with the Hoffman then when a suicide bomber attacks civilians it is an act of war. In my personal definition I have to agree that suicide bombers that are not directly attacking a military target is a terrorist.
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