When does a resistance fighter become a terrorist?

Question

When does a resistance fighter become a terrorist and
when does a terrorist become a resistance fighter?

Well I'm really pleased with the response and some excellent answers. Now to throw the cat amounst the pidgeons so to speak.
If an Iraqi attacked any of the international forces in Iraq, but not target civilains, Is he then a terrorist or a resistance fighter?

Answer 1

Firstly, I think you have made an excellent point.

Those Iraqis fighting against the US/British forces are certainly in my view Resistance fighters. Even those from outside Iraq could be classed as Resistance fighters because this war as much about conflicts of ideology as about the invasion of a single country.

To those who say that killing civilians makes somebody a terrorist, then they have already labelled their own governments as terrorists. And don't talk about deliberate targeting of civilians because when somebody from the US or British army sends a missile from thousands of miles away into a populated area to kill their enemy they know from the moment that they press that button that there will be civilian casualties. It doesn't matter how precise the missile is because the 2000lbs of explosives inside that missile is anything but precise. It will simply incinerate anything that gets in its way terrorist or civilian alike.

All "terrorists" are defined by the powers in this world and yet many actions carried out by those powers could also be classed as terrorist acts.

Answer 2

A terrorist is somebody who selectively targets civilians.

And in answer to your question about somebody who only targets combatants in Iraq - this would be up to Iraqi law. These 'resistance fighters' are seeking to overthrow a government that was elected in UN certified elections so they can replace it with a dictatorship (or theocracy) with themselves in charge.

If you look at the political goals and motivations of the two sides - you will have to admit that the enemy is not on the side of the Iraqi people.

Answer 3

The difference between a resistance fighter and a terrorist are very simple...... A terrorist kills civilians and innocent people and a resistance fighter is fighting for freedom.

Answer 4

Usually the same people who call themselves resistance fighters are called terrorists by their enemies. So far it is only a question of point of view.
But then I think no fight for resistance justifies killing civilians. On the other hand where would the Palestinians be without having used force against innocent people? The result, however, still does not justify the use of violence.

Answer 5

When he kills civilians.

There are no resistance fighters in Iraq or Afghanistan; the occupying forces are trying to help. Killing them and civilains means that more foreign soldiers will be sent to attempt to create peace.

Look at Northern Ireland. It's much more prosperous than RoI. The IRA that killed their fellow Irishmen did so only because they are racist and despise England.

UK and USA don't deliberately kill innocent civilians.

Answer 6

In war you have rules on how to fight. A terrorist has no rules, a resistance fighter does.

Terrorist actions:

Shooting out of a masque, hiding weapons there
Shooting from inside a hospital, hiding weapons there
Shooting from inside a school, hiding weapons there
Using Red Cross Vehicles to transport military equipment
Using civilians as human shields

Answer 7

Those who oppose a military intervention in their country could be classed as a resistance/Freedom fighter. Once they they target civilians they are terrorists.

Answer 8

They are one and the same. It simply depends who's side you are on.

We may claim that the Resistance movement in the 2nd world war were resistance fighters. However, the children, wives and parents of the Germans soldiers killed by the actions of the Resistance could legitimately claim that the Resistance fighters were terrorists.

Answer 9

A freedom fighter tries to remove the forces of a government who have invaded its country and removed a democratically elected government of that country. He is supported by the majority of its population in achieving that aim.(France WWII)

A terrorist is a person who by intimidating the population hopes to force that population into denouncing its democratically elected government in favour of one of the terrorists choice (Afghanistan) or to make a country ungovernable by a democratically elected government i.e create a civil war. (IRAQ)

Answer 10

their is no difference between a Resistance fighter or a terrorist both types of individuals have the same common goal and that is to spread terror and confusion amongst the general population of which ever country they are citizens of