International Terrorism - Substate Terror Groups

Beyond the countries named on the U.S. State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism, a variety of terrorist groups are essentially transnational (beyond national boundaries) and substate (under a state level) in nature. The U.S. Secretary of State designates thirty-seven groups as "foreign terrorist organizations." These designations are made pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, and carry legal consequences. Such a group must fit three specific criteria: (1) it must be a foreign entity; (2) it must engage in terrorist activity; and (3) the terrorist activities undertaken by the group must pose a threat to American nationals and U.S. national security.

In addition to the groups named as foreign terrorist organizations, various other terrorist groups are not a part of the list, because they do not fit the State Department's strict legal criteria. However, authorities closely monitor these groups, as their activities are considered essentially terrorist in nature.

Officially, it is the policy of the U.S. government not to negotiate with terrorists. In practice, however, the government has departed from that policy to negotiate at times with such terrorist groups as the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Irish Republican Army as a way of getting those groups to the bargaining table with their regional enemies.