The Sandinistas is an anomaly among terrorist organizations.  The group began as a terrorist guerrilla organization devoted to Marxist-Leninist beliefs.  Partly because of its adherence to communist ideology, the Sandinistas received assistance from its Western Hemisphere neighbor, Cuba.  In addition, Costa Rica and the terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), were supportive of the Sandinistas.  The Sandinistas existed from 1960 to 1979 as a state-sponsored terrorist organization.  During this time, the group carried out numerous terrorist activities against the ruling Somoza regime in Nicaragua.  <P> The Sandinistas' primary goal was to overthrow the Somoza regime and replace it with a communist government.  Taking advantage of public unrest and massive demonstrations against the dictatorial Somoza regime, the Sandinistas successfully ousted the Somoza regime in 1978-79.  The Sandinistas ruled Nicaragua until democratic elections forced them out in 1990.  During their rule, the Sandinistas re-shaped their terrorist cells into their own party-controlled standing army.  As of 1979, the Sandinistas ceased to exist as a terrorist organization.  However, the Sandinistas remained a terrorist threat; only now they were the state sponsors of terrorism abroad.

In 1990, the Sandinistas lost the general election for the Nicaraguan presidency.  The Sandinista regime was over but the group did not disappear.  The Sandinistas retained control of their own army and maintain a substantial political presence even today.  Terrorist activities have been perpetrated since 1990 by people wearing Sandinista uniforms.  In addition, terrorist organizations have formed with pro-Sandinista views.  The relationship between the Sandinista political party and these terrorists is not fully known.  Nevertheless, government officials have accused the Sandinistas of using terrorists to influence election results.

Saraya al-Shuhuada al-jihadiyah fi al-Iraq

The Saraya al-Shuhuada al-Jihadiyah fi al-Iraq (Jihadist Martyrs Brigades in Iraq) is an Iraqi Islamist organization. The target of their first attack was an American citizen, Micah Garen, and their rationale for their later attack on the al-Arabiyah TV station was that they believed the network was the "mouthpiece of the American occupation." Thus, opposition to the policies of the United States in Iraq is a prime motivating factor for the group. <P><br />The group has operated in both northern and southern Iraq, and it is unknown whether they are part of the Sunni or Shi'ite terrorist movements. The mediation of a representative of Shi'ite cleric and terrorist group leader Moqtada al-Sadr in the release of the group's American hostage, however, may point to Shi'ite roots for the group. According to representatives of al-Sadr's organization, they supported the release of Garen because of investigative journalism he had done to try to expose the involvement of Italian soldiers in the death of a number of Iraqi civilians.