The Relationship between Civil War and Terrorism

Civil War

A war in which the main participants are within the same state, such as the government and a rebel group.

Distinguished by the nature of its participants.

Terrorism

The use or threatened use of violence against noncombatant targets by individuals or nonstate groups for political ends.

Distinguished by the nature of its targets.

Why put them together?

1. Share a common quality:

the use of violence for political goals by nonstate actors

Besides, how to organize individuals and mobilize resources in order to engage in violence.

2. The strategies to employ

More often than not, rebel group and terrorism groups are weaker than the other side. (Asymmetrical warfare)

So they have to adjust strategies.

3. Empirical relationship

According to data and map.

Many violent nonstate actors are both revbel groups in a civil war and terrorist organizations.

Example: IS is one of many rebel groups involved in the Syrian civil war.

Why Does War Occur within States?

Why we should learn them together?