Banditos O Guerillas?

QRQ 30 · 05-17-2004, 08:34

The assination of the Head of the Provisional government today brings to mind a previous question: "Are we at war with Islam?"

Lately I have seen Muslims killing Muslims. It doesn't appear to be totally directed towards non-Moslem infidels. It appears to be a faction of terrorists hiding behind religion. Kind of like the Christians hiding behind their religion in the "Holy Wars".

It would appear to me that they are in the minority or they could let elections take place.

As for the Subject line: Where do you draw the line between Bandito and Guerilla? I had this question many years ago in LA (Latin America though it could apply to Los Angelus.)

**Roguish Lawyer** · 05-17-2004, 15:06

This would be good in the insurgency forum.

I think a bandito is a common criminal who is seeking only private gain, while a guerilla is seeking to change the government or achieve other political ends. A bandito may do things that affect governments and politics, but it is incidental. I guess for me it is a question of intent more than individual acts.

I'm sure NDD will have a field day with this one.

QRQ 30 · 05-17-2004, 15:20

I agree RL. I was trying to be slick and use Spanish. It would have been more correct to compare "terrorists" to Criminals. How many of the incidents in Iraqi are just the local hoods shooting things up just for the fun of it, ala LA or Chicago? What's the difference between a "gang war" in east LA and a sect war in Baghdad?

**Roguish Lawyer** · 05-17-2004, 15:25

Quote:

Originally posted by QRQ 30
I was trying to be slick and use Spanish.

Good thing too, because I wouldn't have understood a word in German or Czech. Well, unless you're just naming a beer . . .

The Iraqi groups I'm reading about seem to be firmly in the guerilla category. From what I see (which admittedly is filtered through a biased media for the most part), these are not just common criminals. They have political agendas inconsistent with ours.

NousDefionsDoc · 11-03-2004, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

This would be good in the insurgency forum.

I think a bandito is a common criminal who is seeking only private gain, while a guerilla is seeking to change the government or achieve other political ends. A bandito may do things that affect governments and politics, but it is incidental. I guess for me it is a question of intent more than individual acts.

I'm sure NDD will have a field day with this one.

Man, I missed this one! How'd that happen?

What about organized criminals seeking to change the law to benefit their criminal enterprise?

QRQ 30 · 11-03-2004, 17:57

There was a similar discussion on the SF List reference Terrorists VS. Insurgents. I bekieve this is one situation in which the following saying is pertinent:

"Kill them all and let God sort them out."