NMS Glossary

This is a list of terms commonly used in US Domestic Politics, International Affairs, or the War on Terror. It will be updated occasionally.

Hamas: Sunni Palestinian terrorist group that is an offshoot of the Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood. They seek the destruction of Israel and the creation of a Palestinian Islamic state in its place. When elections were held in 2006 in Gaza and the West Bank, Hamas won the popular vote defeating their rival group Fatah. Fatah never really accepted Hamas's victory and had numerous clashes with Hamas. Civil War fully erupted in the summer of 2007 as Hamas overthrew Fatah control of Gaza in the summer of 2007, and currently control the Gaza Strip. They are listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. (Sources: Terrorism Knowledge Base, Council on Foreign Relations)

Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizballah, Hizbollah, Hezb'allah): Shiite Lebanese terrorist group backed ideologically and financially by the government of Iran. Name translated into English means "Party of God." Responsible for the suicide bombing of an American Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, murdering 200. Started war with Israel in July 2006 after kidnapping three Israeli soldiers. They are listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. (Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, BBC, Terrorism Knowledge Base)

Islamist: A Muslim who believes that Islam should be the law of the land in a particular country, region, or the entire world. Some seek to impose this using nonviolent means; others such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and others seek to impose Islamic law through violence and terrorism.