Do you consider the Iraqi insurgents to be terrorists or freedom fighters?

Question

Or something in-between?

Fletch - most insurgents are Iraqi - only a tiny fraction are the so-called "foreign fighters".

ruth - I think that definition is too broad. Were southern secessionists in 1860 "terrorists"? I don't think that is the right word.

Answer 1

The ones who face up and fight the US troops there are freedom-fighters, although I wonder what freedom they are fighting for. The ones who load up a car with explosives and drive it into a school, mosque, or market are terrorists. I don't think the distinction is that difficult.

Answer 2

Insurgents? That's a word that's abused by the anti-American socialist elitist hypocritical scumbags within the mainstream media and corruptament, thus most educated people clearly understand that the so-called insurgents are without a doubt terrorists of which many of them hail from Iran, Syria, and Pakistan... to join forces with the Iraqi terrorists, and as for freedom fighters, that's absurd given that nearly all citizens of Mid-Eastern countries live in bondage under despotic 7th century rule...

Answer 3

I consider individuals and groups, advocating civil war in their own country, to be terrorists.

My opinion on the 1860 War between the States differs from yours, as I view it as more of a defining moment for State's Rights in our country. Had a foreign enemy invaded the US at that time, our nation would have united against the common enemy.

The difference is that Iraqis are not united against a common enemy. The US answered a humanitarian cry.

Answer 4

By definition...

Insurgent...
Rising in revolt against established authority, especially a government.

Terrorist...
One that engages in acts or an act of terrorism

Terrorism
the threat or use of violence, often against the civilian population, to achieve political or social ends, to intimidate opponents, or to publicize grievances. The term dates from the Reign of Terror (1793—94) in the French Revolution but has taken on additional meaning in the 20th cent. Terrorism involves activities such as assassinations, bombings, random killings, and hijackings. Used for political, not military, purposes, and most typically by groups too weak to mount open assaults, it is a modern tool of the alienated, and its psychological impact on the public has increased because of extensive coverage by the media. Political terrorism also may be part of a government campaign to eliminate the opposition, as under Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and others, or may be part of a revolutionary effort to overthrow a regime. Terrorist attacks also are now a common tactic in guerrilla warfare. Governments find attacks by terrorist groups difficult to prevent; international agreements to tighten borders or return terrorists for trial may offer some deterrence.

Freedom Fighter...
One engaged in armed rebellion or resistance against an oppressive government.

From the definitions I found above, it's hard to distinguish which is correct. In the USA, we consider the people the government since we are a representative republic.

People tend to use the term they feel is correct. However, one man's Freedom Fighter is another ones Terrorist. Would we concider the things our troops did at Abu Ghrab an acts of terrorists? I'll bet most US citizens would not. But ask that same question to the civilians taken prisoner and tourtured.

It really depends on what the question is and who's being asked.

Answer 5

Bottom line is that they are terrorists.

Freedom is what they have. Insurgents consist of Al-Qaida, JAMI, and other non-Iraqi terrorist groups.

There are militias that consist of Shiites like the Mahdi Militia and the Badr's Brigade.

Shiites are trying to kill Sunnis with the occasional shot at CF. Sunnis are trying to defend themselves against Shiites and are getting ticked because the CF are standing in thier way.

Answer 6

The term insurgents makes me cringe. I'm gonna go with terrorists considering some of the Iraqi people don't even like them.

Answer 7

Neither.

Those who blow up civilians are, uniformly, terrorists. Those who attack military targets do not meet that definition. Since most of the "insurgents" are not Iraqi, they can hardly be termed "freedom fighters" either.

Answer 8

The Americans and the Iraqi insurgents both believe they are freedom fighters.

Answer 9

terrorists. Although the US has totally botched the war in Iraq, I will admit that Bush at this point really just wants their to be a successful democracy and the insurgents are in the way of that.

Answer 10

Only a moron would even consider barbaric Islamic thugs as 'freedom fighters.'
The U.S. military should adopt a scorched Earth policy in Iraq and wipe out anything that even resembles an enemy, regardless of collateral damage to civilians, but we all know that that's never going to happen.
What should have been revenge for 9/11 (remember that?) has turned into another humanitarian effort at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer.