Choose an international terrorist group from the following list, and use the Internet or Strayer databases to research the origin, purpose, and effects on the U.S. or targeted countries.

• Hezbollah
• HAMAS
• Al Qaeda (AQ)
• Al-Shabaab
• Haqqani Network (HQN)

Write a ten to fifteen page paper in which you:

1. Provide a brief description of the group, and summarize its origins.

2. Explain the group's major motivation(s) (beliefs or causes), and / or its justification for engaging in terrorism.

3. Describe the group's major sources of both financial and non-financial support.

4. Evaluate the importance of the group's use of media to aid in its terrorist activities. Indicate, at a minimum, the group's purpose for using the media, the image being portrayed, and the preferred methods of communication.

5. Determine whether or not the group has a legitimate complaint or demand. Defend your response.

6. Determine whether or not the group and its activities are of importance to the U.S., and explain the key reasons that they are or are not significant.

7. Analyze the response of the U.S. to the group or its activities, regardless of whether or not either the group or its activities directly threaten or target the U.S. Determine whether or not that response has been effective. Support your answer with examples of such effectiveness-or the lack thereof.

8. Suggest the major changes you would make geared toward increasing the efficiency of the U.S.'s response to the group. Justify your response.

9. Use at least five (5) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Interpret the operational functioning of terrorist groups.
• Describe the history and development of the major terrorist groups in the world.
• Analyze current terrorist threats and the role of terrorist networks.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in Terrorism and Antiterrorism.
• Write clearly and concisely about terrorism and antiterrorism using proper writing mechanics and APA style conventions.