What is terrorism?

Terrorism is defined in the U.S. by the Code of Federal Regulations as: "..the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."

The FBI further describes terrorism as either domestic or international, depending on the origin, base, and objectives of the terrorists:

Domestic Terrorism: is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

International Terrorism: involves violent acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. International terrorist acts occur outside the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which the perpetrations operate or seek asylum.

History of Terrorism

Terrorism is not new. It has been practiced throughout history all over the world.

Without the benefits of modern communication systems rulers of ancient kingdoms and empires tended to rule with a system of punishments for wrongdoing. The idea that if you don’t obey the laws you and everyone around you will be slaughtered was in many cases very effective, particularly if it was known that the punishment would definitely be carried out. Ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans all used terror to subdue conquered peoples (sometimes even their own citizens), giving very little thought or worry about wiping out entire cities if the “end justified the means”. Taking of hostages was commonplace, using them to guarantee the “good” behaviour of the rest of the populace.

These practices continued throughout the ages, sometimes moderated by western democracies imparting a code of law, which was used to a greater or lesser extent “depending on the need”, until fast travel and even faster communication made it less needful for “civilised” states to adopt the final sanction. After this, terror in the late 19th century and most of the 20th century became the weapon of smaller groups often calling themselves “revolutionaries”. That is not to say the nations did not adopt “terrorism” when it suited their needs - the ultra-left and ultra-right regimes of Stalin’s Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi Germany being prime examples of states that ruled their citizens through terror.

The 20th century saw the rise of state-sponsored terrorism, where countries not wanting to have a head-to-head confrontation with other countries or religions (sometimes both) would pay for atrocities to be committed, sometimes in their name, more often not. This has given rise to professional terrorism, with well trained groups acting on behalf of third parties. Many of these groups claim that they are ideologically driven, either politically or religiously, but most still demand high prices for their services. These terrorists use many different styles, from kidnapping to use the victims as hostages for political aims or for the purpose of ransoming for financial gain, to the destruction of property or buildings to make political statements, and the murder of military or civilian personnel to intimidate others. The main thing that all these acts have in common is that they regarded as being unlawful, by the majority of us as uncivilised, and they are having an increasingly significant ‘terrorist affect’ on ordinary, innocent people.