Questions: Compare the IRA to the PKK

Ethnic Terrorism and Nationalism

Irish Republican Army (IRA) was a paramilitary unit created to fight for an independent Ireland with complete autonomy from England. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is also a Kurdish militant political organization fighting for an independent Kurdish State from Iraq and Turkey. Both groups found their inspiration in creating new nation-states through armed means (Byman, 1998). However, the IRA operated in Europe, fighting a monarchy that was ruling over an empire. The perpetrators of IRA were located in Ireland, thus shared a geographical region. PKK, on the other hand, had supporters spread in two independent countries. The Kurdish population is located in southern Turkey and northern Iraq; thus, the operation was to carve a state monopolized by Kurds between the two (Brockhoff, Krieger & Meierrieks, 2016). Both groups had sustained some of the most protracted conflicts. Although the Republic of Ireland exists, its formation cannot be attributed to the activities of the IRA only. The PKK has failed to create the Republic of Kurdistan despite conflicts raging for several decades. The geopolitical dynamics in the region have not been favorable, with either Turkey or Iraq offering resistance.

Boko Haram is an extremist Islamist terrorist group that operates in the Sahel region, mainly Northern Nigeria and Cameroon, Southern Chad, and Niger. The group discourages Westernization and campaigns for a strict version of Islamic law, Sharia, which it intends to impose in the region. The group operates on extreme religious norms and does not use conventional military tactics (Boylan, 2016). The organization targets civilians more than it does military installations and has abducted school girls and public members. The group does not present a direct threat to America but has consistently attacked the ideals of the western world. Their commitment to Jihad has drawn a lot of public fear, especially in Nigeria, and the group is affiliated with dreaded terrorist organizations like the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. The collaboration could see the group attack American nationals abroad or the country's installations in allied nations around the Sahel.