# What was the point of terrorist training camps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682 "2015-03-10T08:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/21 "2015-03-11T09:16:13Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Conceded. > > Still, I thought my statement was ridiculous enough that no-one would take it at face value. Poe’s Law in action, I suppose. You are, I assume, an American. Or your readers certainly are. Anything is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/22 "2015-03-11T09:24:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Less formation drills. I’m reasonably sure bombers (whether suicidal or plant) aren’t required to be particularly good at the whole “sight right AAAAAAAAAAAAARH!” Uh, is the military in Spain trained by stereotypical pirates with Long John Silver accents? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/23 "2015-03-11T09:32:11Z")
> [@grude](#): > > What exactly did these camps offer that needed people to travel half way across the world for? Indoctrination/bonding/groupthink/brainwashing - choose your term, but, as I understand it, a major part of any sort of military activity is about creating and reinforcing group loyalty and commitment so that it becomes instinctive, just as much as fighting techniques. Isolating the group from the outside world is part of that, particularly if you’re setting yourselves up to change this world and secure a better place in the next. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/24 "2015-03-11T09:56:23Z")
> [@jezzaOZ](#): > > You are, I assume, an American. You know what they say about when you assume… **Alessan** is in Israel. Which has (kinda-)universal conscription. > [@](#): > > Or your readers certainly are. Man, your record on assuming stuff isn’t so hot, is it? ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/25 "2015-03-11T10:31:09Z")
Actually Alessan is a Hispanic name. I’ll let the original Alessan confirm what it actually is, but it sure doesn’t turn up in the first pages Google searches of Israel and turns up plenty of times in a Hispanic context. Regarding the Straight Dope audience it’s a matter of simple observation that the vast majority are American. Sarf Efrican sports like you are a rarity. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/26 "2015-03-11T10:40:37Z")
> [@jezzaOZ](#): > > Actually Alessan is a Hispanic name. Tiganese, actually, but it’s a common mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/27 "2015-03-11T10:54:34Z")
> [@jezzaOZ](#): > > Actually Alessan is a Hispanic name. Is it? My parents are Spanish, and I’ve never heard of it. Maybe a Central American or South American thing…? Also, uh… If it was a Hispanic name, why did you assume the guy was American? Could be short for Alessandro, I guess, but that’s Italian - the Spanish-language equivalent being Alejandro, which is generally shortened into Ale. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/28 "2015-03-11T11:09:30Z")
> [@jezzaOZ](#): > > Actually Alessan is a Hispanic name. Whereas Dibble is a common South African surname… you do realise how usernames work, right? > [@](#): > > Sarf Efrican Don’t. Just … don’t. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/29 "2015-03-11T11:12:22Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Tiganese, actually, but it’s a common mistake. 🙂 Your Highness. ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/30 "2015-03-11T11:17:07Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Whereas Dibble is a common South African surname… > > you do realise how usernames work, right? I apologise. I didn’t realise clicking on a user profile and using the reported nationality in a comment was in breach of LL rules! ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/31 "2015-03-11T11:27:32Z")
> [@grude](#): > > This never made a bit of sense to me, all that stuff could be done right where these people already were. Set up an obstacle course in your rural lot, set up a shooting range, hell go to an existing shooting range. In the United States, that’s certainly possible. But in other parts of the world, for instance in Europe, it is much, much more difficult to organize paramilitary training, learn all about firearms and explosives and practice shooting without being noticed almost immediately. The German Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorists of the 1970s and 80s had learned their trade in training camps which were run by the PLO in Jordan, Lebanon and South Yemen. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/32 "2015-03-11T11:29:45Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Whereas Dibble is a common South African surname… > > you do realise how usernames work, right? Dibble is a reference to an animal, right? Or am I misremembering? Happy birthday, regardless! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/33 "2015-03-11T12:25:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Dibble is a reference to an animal, right? Or am I misremembering? Happy birthday, regardless! Naah, it’s a Pratchettism - “Dibbler” and variants were already taken. Also, it turns out, a policeman character in some show called _Top Cat_ that I’ve never seen. But I’d sooner cut off my posting fingers than name myself after a policeman… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/34 "2015-03-11T14:48:40Z")
I’ll cop to some ignorance about terrorist training camps. My imagined view of terrorist trainees are guy who just don’t fit in anywhere else. They can’t make it in the real world, can’t hold a job, can’t get a girl. So they have this “romantic” vision of becoming a jihadist - “NOW they can’t ignore me!” So it would be a big surprise if they got there and it was boot camp - close order drill, scrubbing the toilet with a toothbrush, etc. These potential warriors would be “you travel halfway around the word, and it’s the same old shit!” And, instead of glorious battle killing infidels, they end up doing the same menial job they ran away from. “I was a graduate of terrorist training camp, and they have me scrubbing toilets! That’s what I was doing at home!” I wouldn’t think terrorist training camps would be anything like “some bearded dudes crawling under barb wire and rappelling up [sic] a wall.” For people with the mindset to become rogue soldiers, I wouldn’t think they could be convinced to got through an organized boot camp. I figure they wouldn’t have the patience. “Just give me a gun/bomb and let me at 'em!” I can’t picture your stereotypical terrorist-wannabe sitting in a classroom watching an instructor show them how to make IEDs. The terrorist stereotype seems too…I dunno, anarchical, to sit still long enough. If they could, they might not have become the loner outsider that thinks becoming a member of the most hated group in the world was a step up. But obviously that can’t be entirely true. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/35 "2015-03-11T16:50:39Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Uh, is the military in Spain trained by stereotypical pirates with Long John Silver accents? No, by Spanish-speaking noncoms who use “ar” (make that a size=8 ar, leather lungs being a requirement for noncoms in any army) to indicate the exact time of execution. _Vista derecha, ¡AAR! Derecha, ¡AAAAAR! Presen’eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen ¡AR!_ and so forth ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/36 "2015-03-11T17:16:46Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > My imagined view of terrorist trainees are guy who just don’t fit in anywhere else. They can’t make it in the real world, can’t hold a job, can’t get a girl. So they have this “romantic” vision of becoming a jihadist - “NOW they can’t ignore me!” This certainly seems to fit the descriptions I’ve seen of Jihadi John, now that it’s known who he is. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/37 "2015-03-11T17:38:18Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I can’t picture your stereotypical terrorist-wannabe sitting in a classroom watching an instructor show them how to make IEDs. Actually, they do. [And it can go hilariously wrong.](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/world/middleeast/suicide-bomb-instructor-accidentally-kills-iraqi-pupils.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682/38 "2015-03-11T17:50:23Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Also, it turns out, a policeman character in some show called _Top Cat_ that I’ve never seen. Don’t allow yourself to [wallow in ignorance](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14l9y5_top-cat-1-hawaii-here-we-come_shortfilms) ;). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-terrorist-training-camps/714682.md?page=1)