NCJ Number
223588
Journal
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 499-519
Date Published
June 2008
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article compares Hizballah and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) goals for nonprofit health and social service provision as a tool for increasing community support for terrorist and insurgent organizations and compares each organization’s specific structure of service provision.
Abstract
This article demonstrates the utility of health and social service provision as a tool for increasing community support for terrorist and insurgent organizations. In spite of the fact that Hizballah and the LTTE are drastically different in terms of their targets, tactics, and goals as insurgent organizations, it can be seen in both cases health and social service provision has helped increase their legitimacy in relation to the national government, generate greater favorable opinion and political support for the organization in the community, and aid in the recruitment of militants. Hizballah and the Tamil Tigers differ in their state aspirations and in their resources and capacity as service providers. This difference in resources and capacity has played a direct role in shaping the structure of service provision used by each organization. Since the terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Center in 2001, the media has given increasing attention to the relationship between charity and terrorism. Based on field research in Lebanon and Sri Lanka, the article discusses the ways Hizballah and the LTTE use nonprofit service provision as a tool for increasing community support. It compares the organizations’ goals for service provisions and specific structures of service provision. Figures, notes, and references