Why do terrorists in IRAQ bomb their OWN people on buses and in stores?

Question

Yet they claim to be against American troops and people while they Bomb their own citizens on their way to work etc. I just don't get it why do they do that?

Answer 1

Because they are not fighting to drive the Americans out. They are fighting to establish a dictatorship with themselves in charge.

When I was in Iraq they even offered to cease all attacks and allow us permanent bases if we allowed them to run the Iraqi government.

Answer 2

The news tries to present an insurgency that is unified in one way or another against the USA occupiers. However this is not 100% accurate. Like what many people already said there are many ethno-religious groups in that nation called "Iraq", prominent among them are the Shiites, Sunnis, and the Kurds (their Islam can be either Shiite, Sunni or even Sufi). These groups hate and revile each other, and of these only the Kurds actually befriend in any way the Coalition, which also has a limited cordiality with the Shiites. Also, the terrorists know that there are significant segments who at least harbor no ill will toward the USA forces, so to keep these segments from supporting the new government (and by default the USA) the terrorists resort to indiscriminate killing of their own people in addition to hitting other ethnic groups. Add to this volatile mix the influx of so-called "freedom fighters" from Syria, Jordan, Iran and even Saudi Arabia who in reality do not care about Iraq but are rather using this place as part of their war to establish their evil Islamic Empire, and you will have an extremely violent situation where everything goes crazy.

Answer 3

The primary reason that you don’t understand the reasons is that you are looking at the situation with Western/American eyes. Although rare, there are Americans who are willing to kill anyone (including women and children) in order to make a political or religious statement. Remember Timothy McVay and Eric Rudolph were both American and they conducted their operations in the name of a political movement and a religious belief.
Now when looking at the Middle East and Iraq in specific you see a world with deep seated religious and political (i.e. power) beliefs. The Shia and Sunni have had religious differences since the death of Muhammad in 632 A.D. A subset of the Sunni religion is the Salafists who are also known as Wahhabists (although they no longer like that title.) The Wahhabi belief system teaches a much more radical view of Islam and can be associated with many in the terrorist community. Throw into the Iraq mixture the Kurdish people with a mixture of Shafi Sunnis and Shia Muslims. Altogether you have a people that have either persecuted or been persecuted against for multiple generations. They all live in a country that had its borders established by the British following WWI, which essentially put lines through areas with traditional tribal boundaries. This led to factions, which led to power struggles and you are now seeing the results of years of religious and tribal conflicts set free by the US led campaign to depose the despotic ruler Saddam Hussein.
So back to the original question, why would an insurgent group target Iraqis and not just Coalition members? The non-Western targets (which there are still many Western) are focused on such things as religion, vendettas, or power struggles. Interestingly enough an earlier writer commented on the fact that many of the suicide bombers are foreign. That has some truth. Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations actively recruit people, primarily on the internet, to help further their religious and political causes. With a large number of religious scholars and leaders issuing fatwas (religious legal pronouncements) calling for war against the enemy with corresponding benefits in heaven, it is not hard to entice people (even well educated) that have devoted their lives to Islam. You need not look further than our own back yard to see similar calls to violence in the name of religion, reference all of the Crusades and modern televangelist Jerry Falwell. But foreign insurgents are not the only ones either committing suicide attacks or other violence. There is a lot of sectarian violence that stems from age old hatred and modern power struggles. The innocent civilians are often the targets because of the media storm that follows.
The debate on whether the US should or shouldn’t have invaded Iraq is useless at this juncture, because it has occurred. Long-term analysis will be helpful to ensure that future decisions are made better. The focus now must be on creating an environment in Iraq that is secure for the people at large. There is less violence in the globalized world mainly because of the other avenues available for change. Will these violent methods someday become common in the West? Possibly, but it may rest on how things are worked out in Iraq.

Answer 4

Iraq is a political fiction created by Britain after WW1, when they gained control over most of the former Ottoman Empire. Britain had control over everything except Lebanon. They sliced of Kuwait in 1931 and kept direct control of it until 1961; thus Saddam had a legitimate claim on that issue. As for the rest. well, the Brits really hosed this one up. They should've created three smaller nations along sectarian lines: Sunni, Shi'a, Kurd.

Yugoslavia was just as phony. It was essentially a reward for the Serbs who started WW1. They started the war, but Germany had to take all of the blame.

Such countries can only be held intact by a strongman dictator. Otherwise, the whole thing will simply fall apart. Just like Yugoslavia did.

Answer 5

Terrorists are made of two groups: external fighters and insurgents. However, most of the bombings (I think) are from insurgents who are bombing their own people because of religious tensions, mainly between the Sunni and the Shi'ites. I'm not so sure if my info is right... Both groups may make that statement, but their intentions are completely different. They only say that they're fighting against Americans is a tool for recruitment and an excuse to be doing what they are doing.

Answer 6

First off, because of sectarian violence. The groups hate each other. Second, there are some in Iraq who thrive on violence and they want it enhanced. This is a very good way to keep up the turmoil. Besides, they can blame it all on the Americans and try to get others to oppose them. Third, there are outsiders there who also want to stir up trouble. I do hope you understand that most people in Iraq are not like you describe. Many really would like to have peace and a normal life.

Answer 7

While it may seem unthinkable that Iraqi insurgents might target their own countrymen, this is not an unfamiliar tactic. The IRA used it quite successfully in Ireland, and for the same reason that the Iraqi insurgents use it today: to intimidate the population and to ensure that no one will collaborate with the occupation forces. From their perspective, it's hard enough fighting a vastly more powerful, external enemy; it's intolerable when countrymen collaborate with that enemy.

Answer 8

They are looking to start a civil war so that the US might have to leave. There are different groups in Iraq looking to rule. If they succeed, chaos would follow and they might sieze power. It could backfire on them, and their enemies might do the same. If Iraq can hold out of a civil war, these terrorist will not have a say.

Answer 9

Muslims are basically divided into two (sectarian) groups : Shiites and Sunis. This has to do with who (Or which group) is the rightful descendant of Muhammed. They totally hate each other, it seems. However, even within these groups there some those who favor peace and extremists (of the Wahabites category) who tolerate absolutely nothing but their own view.

Answer 10

There are three main factions and many smaller factions. not only are they fighting USA but they are using US support against each other, and using violence against each other to try to force other factions away from the use of US troops as allies. If you side with one the others are against you and still against them.
the only way Saddam was able to run it as a country was to be the biggest baddest bastard out of a field of many big bad bastards, and in charge of the biggest baddest bath party, and able to over ride tribal, religious and political factions.
Over riding religious factions was why the fundamentalists like Al Quaida hated him so much and cheered so loudly when USA went after him.