The following is my
answer to a Quora question: “Why are Latin American gangs not
labelled terrorist organisations, like Al-Qaeda and ISIS?”
Gangs are criminal enterprises, not militant groups
that intend to overthrow the state or limit its sovereignty. When any organised is labelled a terrorist
organisation, it implies that they are engaged in asymmetrical warfare, or a
low intensity conflict with the stated goal of compromising the state’s ability
to govern a specific region. Most
criminal enterprises do not have this intent. They only seek to profit from illegal trades
and services.
It is possible, however, for a terrorist organisation
to be engaged in a criminal enterprise as a means to fund their struggle. In fact, this is quite common. It is also possible for a criminal enterprise,
such as a drug cartel, to grow so wealthy and influential that it challenges
the state in ruling a specific region. In
such a case, where it wages war on the state for control of its region of
influence, it may be classified as a terrorist organisation.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to share our thoughts. Once approved, your comments will be poster.