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February 20, 2008
OJPCR 8.1: From Terrorism to Legitimacy: Political Opportunity Structures and the Case of Hezbollah
Cliff Staten
In the last quarter of a century several groups, who were at one time or another engaged in terrorist activities, have made a step toward political legitimacy by competing in democratic or relatively open elections. Sinn Fein/Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) in Northern Ireland, Hamas in Palestine, al Fatah/al Aqsa Martyr Brigades in Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jordan, the Batasuna/Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) in Spain, and Hezbollah/Islamic Resistance in Lebanon are sometimes cited as examples. This is significant because according to Marina Ottaway of the Carnegie Endowment:there is ample evidence that participation in an electoral process forces any party, regardless of ideology, to moderate its position if it wants to attract voters in large numbers.Assuming that Ottaway is correct, the decision by a terrorist group (who, by definition, represent extremist positions) to participate in the legitimate political processes can be transformative in terms of the group’s goals. Thus, it is very important to identify and study the factors which are conducive to or create not only an opportunity for a terrorist group to become a legitimate participant in a relatively open political process but also, over time, to become an active and engaged political participant.
Posted by Editor at February 20, 2008 02:00 PM