It takes a lot less money and knowledge to tear things down than it does to build them up. Especially if the members are willing to die for the cause.
These countries you’re thinking of are usually attacked regularly where survival is an everyday struggle. For people who dedicate their everyday to survival; it’s only expected that they would be fighting back.
In terms of funding…a lot of rich people would love to take advantage of people in this kind of situation. You could also easily make the argument that these rich people help cultivate this kind of situation for their own benefit as well.
Not much is needed actually: men (people), weapon of some kind, and charisma the rest falls in place.
Nice try, FBI
Terrorism is actually a pretty simple but specific definition. Terrorists use unlawful violence and threats of violence to influence the government or an international governmental organisation, or to intimidate the public. They do this in pursuit of a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.
It doesn’t take much money or many resources to engage in violence or even make threats. Certainly having money and resources at your disposal make you more effective but it’s a rather low but still specific bar to cross to be considered a terrorist.
I understand it’s very similar to how people get wrapped up in a cult.
Charismatic leadership/ideology and exerting top-down control in much the same way cults operate.
Go down to your local grocery store, start yelling “I’ll kill you all” and then rush at random customers.
Terrorism accomplished.
I mean knowledge yes, money no (or at least not compared to a conventional army), and most knowledge can be obtained through the internet or people who support your cause (if you don’t have a reasonably popular cause you can’t create a grassroot paramilitary organization). Also remember that some of the bigger paramilitary organizations usually considered terrorists (I personally don’t like the term as I think it’s been corrupted beyond saving by Western politicians and media) control land the size of a small country, for example some of the ISIS branch organizations. Other than that some have state backers (see Qatar, Iran and the US) or gain money through people who support their cause or some kind of business activity (the Taliban sell cocaine for example). Hamas is a good example, and in their particular case the money mostly comes from taxes in the Gaza strip, Qatari and Iranian support and money sent by individuals from abroad (usually by Palestinians).
TL;DR: Paramilitary organizations usually don’t need as much money as conventional states, and have ways to get it. Add in a sympathetic cause and it’s doable.
Or organization like ISIS will have recruiters. Mr. A shows up in a town, talks with the locals and arranges a few meetings. The locals know who might be receptive. Say Mac is a likely recruit. Angry at the powers that be, not a lot of prospects, ready for some adventure. Mr. A will give him a few tests. Graffiti this building, throw a rock through that window. If Mac does well he gets an offer to visit the big city. Train fare and a few bucks. There he meets others like himself. There’s training and more training. Mac is now part of something big and important.
In a lot of ways it’s not much different from High School ROTC. A sense of belonging and purpose mean a lot to many people.
