Reference no: EM132689621

The United States came into existence after fighting a protracted guerilla and insurgency campaign against British rule. Colonists' efforts were supported by France, Germany and others.

Northern Ireland came into existence with the British Government of Ireland Act (1920) that divided Ireland into two areas: the Irish Free State, made up of the 26 southern counties, and Northern Ireland.

Starting in the late 1960s, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the clandestine armed wing of the political movement Sinn Fein, conducted a guerrilla campaign against British control of Northern Ireland (also known as Ulster). Traditional IRA activities have included bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, punishment beatings, extortion, smuggling, and robberies. The IRA is bolstered by political and economic assistance from the international community as they pursue their goal of removing British forces from Northern Ireland and reunifying the nation.

Similarly, the socio-political party Hamas, in Palestine, was created in 1987 as an uprising against Israeli rule in the disputed Palestinian territories. The members receive foreign support from Syria and Iran as well as others. The armed wing of Hamas uses tactics similar to those of the IRA in an effort to achieve its political goals. Just as the IRA has received economic and political assistance from members of the international community, so has Hamas, including Syria and Iran.

Beginning in December, 2010, waves of protests in Tunisia spread through the Arab world in what is known as the Arab Spring. Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria were affected by organized demonstrations that have, in some cases, led to the toppling of governments, most notably that of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, 2011.

Are members of the IRA, Hamas and various protest movements in the Arab world "terrorists" or are they "freedom fighters"? What is the difference? At what point does a political contest or method cross the ethical line between "legitimate" or "illegitimate"?