Terrorist organizations are often referred to by catchy three or four letter acronyms. The confusing multitude of such appelations was observed with hilarious effect by the Monty Python team on their film The Life of Brian.
These acronyms often appear as graffiti in areas of urban decay. The terrorist acronym is the brand name of the organization, a meme that spreads through society more effectively than chunky titles.
Here are a few (a few are observing ceasefires or have become virtually defunct)-
- ABB, Alex Boncayao Brigade (Philippines)
- ANO, Abu Nidal Organization (otherwise known as the Fatah Revolutionary Council)
- ASG, Abu Sayyaf Group (Philippines)
- AIIB, Anti-Imperialist International Brigade (based in Japan, also known as the JRA)
- ALIR, Army for the Liberation of Rwanda
- ASALA, Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
- AUC, United Self-Defence Forces/Group of Colombia
- BR, Red Brigades (Italy)
- CIRA, Continuity Irish Republican Army (Northern Ireland)
- DFLP ,Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
- DHKC ,Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (based in Turkey)
- EGTK , Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army (Bolivian)
- ELA, Revolutionary People's Struggle (Greece)
- ELN, National Liberation Army (Colombia)
- ETA, Euskadi ta Askatasuna (Basque Fatherland and Liberty)
- FACT, Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils (supports the LTTE)
- FARC, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
- FPM, Morazanist Patriotic Front (Honduras)
- FPMR, Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (Chile)
- FRPL, Lautaro Popular Rebel Forces (Chile)
- GIA, Armed Islamic Group (Algeria)
- GRAPO, First of October AntiFascist Resistance Group (Spain)
- HAMAS, Islamic Resistance Movement (Palestine)
- HUM, Harakat ul-Mujahidin (Pakistan)
- IG, The Islamic Group (Egypt)
- IMU, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
- INLA, Irish Nationalist Liberation Army (Northern Ireland)
- IRA, Irish Republican Army see PIRA
- JEM, Jaish-e-Mohammed, (Pakistan)
- JRA, Japanese Red Army (also known as the AIIB)
- KKK, Ku Klux Klan
- LT, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, (Pakistan)
- LTTE, The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (or simply, the Tamil Tigers who operate in Sri Lanka)
- LVF, Loyalist Volunteer Force (Northern Ireland)
- MEK, Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (Iran,Iraq)
- MRTA, Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (Peru)
- NPA, New People's Army (the Philippines)
- OV, Orange Volunteers (Northern Ireland)
- PAGAD, People against Gangsterism and Drugs, (South Africa)
- PFLP, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
- PFLP-GC, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, (Syria based)
- PIJ, Palestinian Islamic Jihad
- PIRA, Provisional Irish Republican Army (Northern Ireland, often referred to as the IRA)
- PKK, Kurdistan Workers Party (Turkey)
- PLF, Palestine Liberation Front (Iraqi based)
- PLO, Palestine Liberation Organization
- PSF, Popular Struggle Front (Syria, Lebanon)
- RAF, Red Army Faction (Germany)
- RHD, Red Hand Defenders, (Northern Ireland)
- RIRA, Real IRA
- RUF, Revolutionary United Front (Sierra Leone)
- SL, Sendero Luminoso, (Peru, better known as Shining Path)
- UDA, Ulster Defence Army (Northern Ireland)
- UFF, Ulster Freedom Fighters
- UVF, Ulster Volunteer Force
Sources:
http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp
Thanks to ascorbic for pointing that list out |
