Assignment 2: State Sponsors of Terrorism

Due Week 6 and worth 75 points

The U.S. Department of State designates and maintains a list of countries that are officially designated as state sponsors of terrorism. There are currently four countries on this list: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, Sudan, and Syria.

Choose one of the four countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism. Next, use the Internet or Strayer databases (located at https://research.strayer.edu) to research the terrorist groups that your chosen country sponsors.

Write a 2-4-page paper in which you do the following:

1. Describe the key reasons why your chosen country has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism. Summarize the history of your country’s sponsorship of terrorism. Examine the terrorist groups that your chosen country sponsors and address the following:
   1. Identify the major reasons that your chosen country sponsors the groups.
   2. Describe the level and type of support the chosen country gives to the groups it sponsors (i.e. money, training, equipment, intelligence, etc.). Assess the severity with which the effectiveness of the groups would be impacted if they stopped receiving support from its state sponsor.
   3. Summarize any attacks carried out by the groups being sponsored by your chosen country, as well as the motivation and purpose for the attacks. Analyze the benefits afforded to state sponsors because of the attacks.
2. Identify any public statements regarding their relationship made by the chosen country and / or the terrorist groups sponsored. Evaluate the validity of the statements based on known facts.
3. Use at least three quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than that for other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
• Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with 1-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS 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 outcome associated with this assignment is as follows:

• Evaluate how media, law enforcement, and other organizations influence terrorist groups.