What's the difference between an insurgent and a terrorist?

Question

And was there a word like insurgent before America invaded Iraq?
Why do they feel the need to use this word now?

Answer 1

Insurgent means a person who is fighting against the government of their own country. A terrorist is someone that uses terrorist tactics - indiscriminate murder of civilians to instill terror and fear. An insurgent can be a terrorists, but not necessarily.

In Iraq, the insurgents are terrorists because of their tactics - blowing up mosques, marketplaces, soccer games, etc. Also in Iraq are terrorists from other countries that infiltrate from Syria and Iran. Those are not insurgents.

But the term 'insurgent' has been around for a long time. And the concepts of counter-insurgency warfare have been around for a long time.

The use of the word insurgent, rather than terrorist, is likely due to a number of people who for some absurd reason are unable or unwilling to make a moral distinction between the terrorists and their victims.

Answer 2

Insurgent and terrorist are two different definitions, however, they act the same in the case of Iraq, because the insurgents ARE terrorist there.

Insurgent means some one that fights against their government, like part of a militia. Unfortunately, in this case they are both the same.

The media drives the way we are too see things, and they use that word because they are against the war in Iraq. So instead of calling the "insurgent" a "terrorist", is their choice. And unfortunately there are a lot of people that are so stupid they believe EVERYTHING the TV spits out at them. They don't know how to think for themselves. I call these people, Dumbocrats.

Answer 3

A terrorist is someone who takes lives of civilians. For instance 9/11. Those were terrorist. An insurgent is one that fights battles and does alot of attacking certain targets that are important for them. The terrorist and insurgent have one thing in common. They both do suicide missions.

Answer 4

Insurgents are those that rebel against the establish authority. Terrorist are ones who seek to terrorize. 90% of the insurgents are not Iraqi at all but they are also terrorist. Thus the phrase terrorist insurgents.

Answer 5

You are an insurgent if you are fighting the illegal occupation of your country. The word has be with us for a long time. The heros of the American Revolutionary war were called insurgents.

Answer 6

A terrorist attacks civilians an insurgent targets a viable military target.

Answer 7

Insurgent = someone fighting an occupying army. Targeting only the Army or Military forces

Terrorist= People who kill Soldiers, Civilians and anyone else who disagrees with them

Answer 8

Terrorists attack anyone and anything whether in their native country or abroad. Insurgents attack military targets which occupy their country.

Answer 9

Both of those words are so watered down now it doesnt really matter. You are forcefed who the terrorists are.

One mans terrorits is another mans freedom fighter.

99% of America cannot accurately define either of these words.

Answer 10

There is little difference. we use the word now because there are so many of them.