Nice try, FBI

Western countries have also poured tons of money and training into terrorist organizations. The US funded al queda. The idea is we can get them to fight our flight for us, but then we’ve got an armed, trained, fanatical group on the loose.

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.

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.

It’s not terribly difficult to find recipes for explosives online. Take up a collection among like-minded people to purchase supplies, rent a vehicle, and park it in the garage of a target. Low-effort terrorism.

Some things take a lot of time and knowledge, but budget-terrorism also exists.

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.

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.

Not much is needed actually: men (people), weapon of some kind, and charisma the rest falls in place.