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{{short description|Use of violence to achieve aims}}
{{terrorism}}
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The term "'''terrorism'''" is controversial and has many definitions, none of which are universally accepted.
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] hits the ] of the ] during the ] of 2001 in New York City, an act of terrorism planned by ] and executed by ]]]
Quotability for this article (for the intro, no less) can be too controversial to be tenable, and requires the person be highly notable--mere affiliation with any particular thinktank does not qualify:
{{Terrorism}}
/// According to Walter Laqueur of the ], "the only general characteristic generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence." ///
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For most of the 20th century, the word was used primarily to describe the attacks of "a clandestine or expatriate organization aiming to coerce an established government by acts of violence against it or its subjects" (]). However, it was always a ''] term,'' and has largely been used to assert the ] of an enemy as being ] or wanton, relative to acceptable forms.


'''Terrorism''', in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against ]s to achieve political or ideological aims.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Ganor |first=Boaz |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/gano17212 |title=Global Alert: The Rationality of Modern Islamist Terrorism and the Challenge to the Liberal Democratic World |date=2015 |publisher=Columbia University Press |pages=2–3, 5–6, 14–16 |chapter=Introduction to Multidimensional Warfare |doi=10.7312/gano17212|jstor=10.7312/gano17212 |isbn=978-0-231-53891-6 }}</ref> The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during ] or in the context of ] against ]s.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QbALBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA175 |title=Torture, Terrorism, and the Use of Violence (also available as Review Journal of Political Philosophy Volume 6, Issue Number 1) |editor-last=Wisnewski |editor-first=J. Jeremy |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-0291-8 |page=175 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-date=January 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110004436/https://books.google.com/books?id=QbALBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA175 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are various different ], with no universal agreement about it.<ref>"The ordinary current use of the word ''terrorism'' is much too wide. That is to say, if we list all the different phenomena which are at one time or another described as terrorism in ordinary conversation, or in ordinary newspapers, or by ordinary politicians, we will end up with a huge rag-bag of not very similar items . . The disadvantages of trying to construct an ordinary-language definition based on current usage can be seen, too, in the plethora of conflicting definitions occurring in philosophical and political literature. Thus philosophers for instance disagree about whether or not terrorism is wrong by definition or wrong just as a matter of fact; they disagree about whether terrorism should be defined in terms of its aims, or its methods, or both, or neither; they disagree about whether or not states can perpetrate terrorism; they even disagree about the importance or otherwise of ''terror'' for a definition of ''terrorism''." ], , '']'', October 1989, Vol. 64, No. 250, pp. 505–517.</ref><ref name="USCode">{{cite book |last1=Halibozek |first1=Edward P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qpwcHUNXw-kC&pg=PA4 |title=The corporate security professional's handbook on terrorism |last2=Jones |first2=Andy |last3=Kovacich |first3=Gerald L. |publisher=Elsevier (Butterworth-Heinemann) |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7506-8257-2 |edition=illustrated |pages=4–5 |access-date=December 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Walzer">{{cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=November 20, 2009 |title=Can Soldiers Be Victims of Terrorism? |work=The New York Times |url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/define-terrorism/ |access-date=January 11, 2010 |quote=Terrorism is the deliberate killing of innocent people, at random, in order to spread fear through a whole population and force the hand of its political leaders. |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612103418/http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/define-terrorism/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Different definitions of terrorism emphasize its ], its aim to instill ], and its broader impact beyond its immediate victims.<ref name=":2" />
The word is used exclusively to refer to ''others''. No known group self-identifies as 'terrorist'. The use of the term broadened considerably since the ] declared its "international ] (IWOT)," in response to the ].


Modern terrorism, evolving from earlier iterations, employs various tactics to pursue political goals, often leveraging fear as a strategic tool to influence decision makers. By targeting densely populated public areas such as transportation hubs, airports, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and nightlife venues, terrorists aim to instill widespread insecurity, prompting ] through ] and undermining confidence in security measures.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Ganor |first=Boaz |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/gano17212 |title=Global Alert: The Rationality of Modern Islamist Terrorism and the Challenge to the Liberal Democratic World |date=2015 |publisher=Columbia University Press |pages=21–23 |chapter=The Challenges and Dilemmas Faced by Liberal Democracies coping with Modern Islamist Terrorism |doi=10.7312/gano17212|jstor=10.7312/gano17212 |isbn=978-0-231-53891-6 }}</ref>
] definitions of the word range very widely. They typically involve some subset of the following criteria:
* The act is ''violent''
* The ''motive'' is political or religious
* The ''target'' is civilian
* The ''objective'' is to intimidate
* The intimidation is directed at ''government'' or ''society''
* The ''perpetrator'' is non-governmental
* The act is ''unlawful''
* The act is mainly ''islamic''
None of these are universally accepted as being either necessary or sufficient.


The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" ] of the late 18th century<ref name="Oxford">{{cite book |editor-last1=Stevenson |editor-first1=Angus |title=Oxford dictionary of English |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-957112-3 |edition=3rd}}</ref> but became widely used internationally and gained worldwide attention in the 1970s during ] in Northern Ireland, the ] and the ]. The increased use of ]s from the 1980s onwards was typified by the 2001 ] in the United States. The ], maintained by the ], has recorded more than 61,000 incidents of non-state terrorism, resulting in at least 140,000 deaths between 2000 and 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Terrorism Index 2015 |url=http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207153725/http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2019 |access-date=July 19, 2016 |publisher=Institute for Economics and Peace |page=33}}</ref>
== Definition ==
{{main|Definitions of terrorism}}


Various organizations have used terrorism to achieve their objectives. These include ] and ] political organizations, ], ], ], and ].<ref name="britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrorism |title=Terrorism |access-date=September 8, 2020 |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |page=3 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818124916/https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrorism |url-status=live }}</ref> In recent decades, hybrid terrorist organizations have emerged, incorporating both military and political arms.<ref name=":2" />
===Etymology===
The term "terrorism" comes from the ] ] word ''terrorisme'' based on the ] verbs ''terrere'' (to frighten) and ''deterrere'' (to frighten from). It dates to ], and originally used to describe the actions of the ] in their rule of post-Revolutionary France, the so-called "]". The Jacobins are even said to have coined the term "terrorists" to refer to themselves, although that is not certain. Note that the method employed was in most cases simply the arrest, and sometimes execution, of opponents. Terrorism and terror therefore originally referred to methods employed by regimes to control their own populations through fear, a tactic seen again in many totalitarian regimes, such as ] and ]. The terms did not refer to bomb attacks, but rather to what is now called a ]. The current use of the term ], and the use of the term "terrorist", have much broader meanings.


==Etymology and definition==
===Official definitions===
Many definitions of terrorism exist. Definitions are produced by the media, politicians, other political actors such as think-tanks, by academics, but above all by government. Law enforcement agencies and ] formulated most of these official definitions. Official definitions have the most impact, because they determine anti-terrorism policy. Most of them outline primary criteria: the target, objective, motive, perpetrator, and legitimacy or legality of the act.


=== Etymology ===
*'''Target''' &ndash; It is commonly held that the distinctive nature of terrorism lies in its deliberate and specific selection of ]s as targets. Furthermore, an act is more likely to be considered terrorism if it targets a general populace than if it purposefully targets a specific individual or group. See also ] and ].
{{See also|Reign of Terror}}
:This criterion excludes: conventional warfare in accordance with the ], any attacks on military targets (such as the bombing of the ]), ] and ] when limited to military targets, and ] of a ] or other leader of comparable stature (such as ]).
:This criterion may also be held to exclude actions where the attackers make at least some attempt to reduce civilian casualties. For example, the ] organization ] preceded many, though not all, of its attacks (notably the ] ]) with warnings to the press, the target, or the authorities of the ]. They were nevertheless considered to be terrorists by the ]. The ] ] group is also known for pre-emptive warnings. By contrast, groups who use ] attacks against civilians (such as ], ] and the ]) rely on the element of surprise in order to maximize casualties, and therefore never issue warnings.


] Club]]
*'''Objective''' &ndash; As the name implies, terrorism is understood as an attempt to provoke fear and intimidation. Hence, terrorist acts are designed and intended to attract wide publicity and cause public shock, outrage, and/or fear. The intent may be to provoke disproportionate reactions from states.
The term "terrorism" itself was originally used to describe the actions of the ] during the "]" in the ]. "Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible", said Jacobin leader ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bienvenu |first1=Richard |title=THE NINTH OF THERMIDOR {{!}} THE FALL OF ROBESPIERRE |date=January 1, 1968 |publisher=] |isbn=9780196806198 |pages=30–50}}</ref> In 1795, ] denounced the Jacobins for letting "thousands of those hell-hounds called Terrorists&nbsp;... loose on the people" of France.<ref>] – To The Earl Fitzwilliam (Christmas, 1795.) In: Edmund Burke, ''Select Works of Edmund Burke, vol. 3 (Letters on a Regicide Peace)'' (1795).<br/>This Internet version contains two, mingled, indications of page numbers: one with single brackets like , one with double brackets like ]. Burke lengthily introduces his view on 'this present ]', and then writes on page : "Those who arbitrarily erected the new building out of the old materials of their own ], were obliged to send for an Army to support their work. (...) At length, after a terrible struggle, the Troops prevailed over the Citizens. (...) This power is to last as long as the Parisians think proper. (...) To secure them further, they have a strong corps of ], ready armed. Thousands of those Hell-hounds called Terrorists, whom they had shut up in Prison on their last Revolution, as the Satellites of Tyranny, are let loose on the people. (...)"</ref> ]'s rule over Geneva in the 16th century has also been described as a reign of terror.<ref name="de Niet Paul 2009 p. 275">{{cite book | last1=de Niet | first1=J. | last2=Paul | first2=H. | title=Sober, Strict, and Scriptural: Collective Memories of John Calvin, 1800-2000 | publisher=Brill | series=Brill's Series in Church History | year=2009 | isbn=978-90-474-2770-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cBuwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA275 | access-date=October 21, 2022 | page=275 | archive-date=October 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021161414/https://books.google.com/books?id=cBuwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA275 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Oechsli Paul Paul 1922 p. 166">{{cite book | last1=Oechsli | first1=W. | last2=Paul | first2=E. | last3=Paul | first3=C. | title=History of Switzerland, 1499-1914 | publisher=The University Press | series=Cambridge historical series | year=1922 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oS1pAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA166 | access-date=October 21, 2022 | page=166 | archive-date=October 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021161414/https://books.google.com/books?id=oS1pAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA166 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Association of American Law Schools 1916 p. 297">{{cite book | author=Association of American Law Schools | title=The Continental Legal History Series | publisher=Little, Brown, & Company | issue=v. 6 | year=1916 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-eb3FqiVzLoC&pg=PA297 | access-date=October 21, 2022 | page=297 | archive-date=October 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021161413/https://books.google.com/books?id=-eb3FqiVzLoC&pg=PA297 | url-status=live }}</ref>
:This criterion excludes: the ] and other cases of ], which are undertaken to exterminate rather than to intimidate, and which are usually hidden rather than publicized. Also, any violence against targets unlikely to attract public notice and having little effect on the populace at large.


The terms "terrorism" and "terrorist" gained renewed currency in the 1970s as a result of the ] (PLO),<ref>{{cite book |last=Peleg |first=Ilan |title=The Politics of Terrorism |date=1988 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-8247-7814-9 |editor-last=Stohl |editor-first=Michael |editor-link=Michael Stohl |edition=third |page=531 |chapter=Terrorism in the Middle East: The Case of the Arab-Israeli Conflict |access-date=February 14, 2019 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R60c_2nCcnYC&pg=PA531}}</ref> the ] (IRA),<ref>{{cite book |last=Crenshaw |first=Martha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9nFyZaZGthgC&q=IRA |title=Terrorism in Context |date=2010 |publisher=Penn State Press |isbn=978-0-271-04442-2 |page=xiii |access-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref> the ],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shabad |first1=Goldie |title=Terrorism in Context |last2=Llera Ramo |first2=Francisco Jose |date=2010 |publisher=Penn State Press |isbn=9780271044422 |editor1-last=Crenshaw |editor1-first=Martha |chapter=Political Violence in a Democratic State: Basque Terrorism in Spain |author-link=Martha Crenshaw |access-date=February 14, 2019 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9nFyZaZGthgC&pg=PA411 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132440/https://books.google.com/books?id=9nFyZaZGthgC&pg=PA411#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> and the operations of groups such as the ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Corrado |first1=Raymond R. |title=The Politics of Terrorism |last2=Evans |first2=Rebecca |date=January 29, 1988 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9780824778149 |editor1-last=Stohl |editor1-first=Michael |edition=Third |page=373 |chapter=Ethnic and Ideological Terrorism in Western Europe |access-date=February 14, 2019 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R60c_2nCcnYC&pg=PA373 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132433/https://books.google.com/books?id=R60c_2nCcnYC&pg=PA373#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> ] was described as a terrorist in a 1970 issue of '']'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Khaled |first1=Leila |date=September 18, 1970 |title=This is Your New Captain Speaking |page=34 |magazine=Life |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8lUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 |access-date=February 14, 2019 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132448/https://books.google.com/books?id=8lUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> A number of books on terrorism were published in the 1970s.<ref>Committee on the Judiciary, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132435/https://books.google.com/books?id=JjkTAAAAIAAJ |date=March 29, 2024 }}; Lester A. Sobel, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132449/https://books.google.com/books?id=YC5nAAAAMAAJ |date=March 29, 2024 }}; Lauran Paine, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132437/https://books.google.com/books?id=xiLmAAAAIAAJ |date=March 29, 2024 }} (1975); Walter Laqueur, ; Paul Wilkinson, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132452/https://books.google.com/books?id=rILaAAAAMAAJ |date=March 29, 2024 }}; Albert Parry, ] (1976); Ovid Demaris, ] (1977); Yonah Alexander, David Carlton and Paul Wilkinson, ; Christopher Dobson and Ronald Payne, ; Brian Michael Jenkins, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133030/https://books.google.com/books?id=uo_sAAAAMAAJ |date=March 29, 2024 }} (1979)</ref> The topic came further to the fore after the ]<ref name="Heryant">{{Cite book |last=Heryanto |first=Ariel |author-link=Ariel Heryanto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6qSjk2C9x6wC&pg=PA161 |title=State Terrorism and Political Identity in Indonesia: Fatally Belonging |date=April 7, 2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-19569-5 |page=161}}</ref> and again after the 2001 ]<ref name="Heryant" /><ref name="Gabriel">{{Cite book |last=Faimau |first=Gabriel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y9IwBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27 |title=Socio-Cultural Construction of Recognition: The Discursive Representation of Islam and Muslims in the British Christian News Media |date=July 26, 2013 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-5104-6 |page=27}}</ref><ref name="Campo">{{Cite book |last=Campo |first=Juan Eduardo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZbyz_Hr-eIC&pg=PA667 |title=Encyclopedia of Islam |date=January 1, 2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-2696-8 |page=xxii}}</ref> and the ].<ref name="Heryant" />
*'''Motive''' &ndash; These acts are intended to achieve political or religious goals, not for personal gain. For example, a gang of bank robbers who kill a bank manager, blow up his vault and escape with the contents would normally not be classed as terrorists, because their motive was profit. However, if a gang were to execute the same assault with the intent of causing a crisis in public confidence in the banking system, followed by a run on the banks and a subsequent destabilization of the economy, then the gang would be classed as terrorists.
:This criterion excludes: ] (the ], etc.)


=== Definition ===
*'''Perpetrator''' &ndash; Some hold that a legitimate government cannot, by definition, commit terrorism of any kind. In this view, a state can commit ] or ], but these actions are distinct from terrorism.
{{Main|Definition of terrorism}}
:This criterion excludes: warfare between ]s, government repression of its own civilians, the ], the ], and possibly even the ].
] during the ] in France, 1793]]
No definition of terrorism has gained universal agreement.<ref>{{cite book |author=Schmid, Alex P. |title=The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research |publisher=Routledge |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-203-82873-1 |page=39 |chapter=The Definition of Terrorism |author-link=Alex P. Schmid |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PXpFxKRsHgC&pg=PA39 |access-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132100/https://books.google.com/books?id=_PXpFxKRsHgC&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Frampton |first=Martyn |title=History and the Definition of Terrorism |date=2021 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-history-of-terrorism/history-and-the-definition-of-terrorism/9AAA71F34DEDBC0A911AFA0041BA5115 |work=The Cambridge History of Terrorism |pages=31–57 |editor-last=English |editor-first=Richard |access-date=May 11, 2021 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-66262-8 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511215347/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-history-of-terrorism/history-and-the-definition-of-terrorism/9AAA71F34DEDBC0A911AFA0041BA5115 |url-status=live}}</ref> Challenges emerge due to the politically and emotionally charged nature of the term, the double standards used in applying it,<ref>"Scholars have similarly noticed a double standard, in which the media is more likely to adopt an Islamic terror frame when the perpetrator is Muslim, and more likely to explore the attacker's personal life and mental health if the perpetrator is not." Connor Huff, Joshua D. Kertzer, ], January 2018, Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 55-71 p.56.</ref> and disagreement over the nature of terrorist acts and limits of the right to ].<ref name="Hoffman-1998-p23">Hoffman (1998), p. 23, See {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417020102/http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/11/01/reviews/981101.01bonnert.html |date=April 17, 2017}} in '']'' of </ref><ref name=nlr>{{cite journal |title=Battling Aerial Terrorism and Compensating the Victims |date=1990 |journal=Naval Law Review |volume=39 |pages=242–243 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_naval-law-review_1990_39/page/240/mode/2up?q=intimidate}}</ref> Harvard law professor ], a leading expert on the law of war, was a skeptic: "We have cause to regret that a legal concept of 'terrorism' was ever inflicted upon us. The term is imprecise; it is ambiguous; and above all, it serves no operative legal purpose."<ref>{{cite book |title=International and Transnational Criminal Law |date=2010 |publisher=Aspen Publishing |page=617}}</ref><ref name=nlr/>


Different legal systems and government agencies employ diverse definitions of terrorism, with governments showing hesitation in establishing a universally accepted, legally binding definition. ] defines terrorism as acts that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or government.<ref>{{USC|18|113B|2331}}</ref> The ] has been slow to formulate a universally agreed, legally binding definition of this crime, and has been unable to conclude a ] that incorporates a single, all-encompassing, legally binding, criminal law definition of terrorism.<ref>Diaz-Paniagua (2008), {{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, p. 47.</ref> These difficulties arise from the fact that the term "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged.{{sfn|Hoffman|1998|p=32}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://icct.nl/publication/radicalisation-de-radicalisation-counter-radicalisation-a-conceptual-discussion-and-literature-review/ |title=Radicalisation, De-Radicalisation, Counter-Radicalisation: A Conceptual Discussion and Literature Review |date=March 27, 2013 |publisher=The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague (ICCT) |access-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-date=December 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207124224/https://icct.nl/publication/radicalisation-de-radicalisation-counter-radicalisation-a-conceptual-discussion-and-literature-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The international community has instead adopted a series of ] that define and criminalize various types of terrorist activities.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
*'''Legitimacy''' &ndash; Many definitions include a proviso that the action must be "unlawful" or "illegitimate". This is by far the least objective of the criteria, in the absence of any objective interpreter of international law. For example, the laws of war generally exclude the deliberate targeting of civilians, yet in ] it is unquestioned that acts such as the bombing of Hiroshima or ] were carried out with the knowledge that civilian casualties would greatly exceed military ones. Whether the actions were legally justified, either in self-defense or on the grounds that they actually minimised civilian suffering by bringing the war to an earlier end, is not a question that can be objectively determined.


Counterterrorism analyst ] has noted that it is not only individual agencies within the same governmental apparatus that cannot agree on a single definition of terrorism; experts and other long-established scholars in the field are equally incapable of reaching a consensus.{{sfn|Hoffman|2006|p=34}} In 1992, terrorism studies scholar ] proposed a simple definition to the ] (CCPCJ) as "peacetime equivalents of war crimes", but it was not accepted.<ref name="siegel">{{cite book |last=Siegel |first=Larry |url=https://archive.org/details/criminologycore00sieg |title=Criminology |date=January 2, 2008 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=9780495391029 |access-date=November 27, 2015 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="contemp2020">{{cite journal |last=Schmid |first=Alex P. |date=October 7, 2020 |editor1-last=Brunton |editor1-first=Gillian |editor2-last=Wilson |editor2-first=Tim |others=Issue title: Terrorism: Its Past, Present & Future Study - A Special Issue to Commemorate CSTPV at 25 |title=Discussion 1 - Revisiting the wicked problem of defining terrorism |journal=] |volume=1 |issue=1 |page= |doi=10.15664/jtr.1601 |issn=2516-3159 |doi-access=free}} ] Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a ] licence. (Per {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004191038/https://cvir.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/research-integrity/ |date=October 4, 2023}}.</ref> In 2006, it was estimated that there were over 109 different definitions of terrorism.<ref name="Arie W 2006 pp. 45-48">Arie W. Kruglanski and Shira Fishman ''Current Directions in Psychological Science'' Vol. 15, No. 1 (February 2006), pp. 45–48</ref>
No definition of terrorism has been accepted as authoritative by the ]. However, the "academic consensus definition", written by terrorism expert A.P. Schmid and widely used by ]s, defines terrorism as follows:


== History ==
:Terrorism is an ]-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby &mdash; in contrast to ] &mdash; the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat- and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperilled) victims, and main targets are used to ] the main target (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether ], ], or ] is primarily sought."
{{Main|History of terrorism}}


=== Pre-modern terrorism ===
Schmid has also proposed a short legal definition of terrorism to the UN, namely that an act of terrorism should be defined as "the peacetime equivalent of a ]". This brings the question of legitimacy to the front.
Early published studies like ] considered terrorism a product of 19th-century revolutionary politics. Technological developments like the ] and ] made possible the relentless onslaught of successful attacks and assassinations that shook the 19th-century.{{sfn|Dietze|Verhoeven|2022|p=128}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Clark |first=David S. |title=Encyclopedia of Law and Society |date=2007 |publisher=Sage |location=United Kingdom |page=1474 |quote=Before the advent of dynamite and automatic weapons, groups had to kill on a one-to-one basis. It took one terrorist (or soldier) to kill one enemy or perhaps a handful of enemies, except in unusual cases, such as the failed ] of ] in England. The weapons of choice for the earlier terrorists were the dagger, the noose, the sword and the poison elixir. This changed with the hand-thrown bomb and the pistol, introduced in the nineteenth century, and the machine gun and plastic explosives, common in the twentieth century.}}</ref> Scholars of terrorism had largely assumed that terrorism was a modern phenomenon until ] published his seminal article ''Fear and Trembling: Terrorism in Three Religious Traditions'' in 1984.{{sfn|Dietze|Verhoeven|2022|p=128}}


Rapoport proposed three case studies to demonstrate "ancient lineage" of religious terrorism, which he called "sacred terror": the ], the ] and the Jewish ]. Rapoport argued religious terrorism has been ongoing since ancient times and that "there are signs that it is reviving in new and unusual forms". He is the first to propose that religious doctrines were more important than political rationales for some terrorist groups.<ref>Rapoport, D. (1984) "Fear and Trembling" in Mahan, S., Griset, P. L. (2012). Terrorism in Perspective. United Kingdom: Sage Publications:"Furthermore, the three cases illustrate a kind of terror nowhere adequately analyzed in our theoretical literature, terror designated here as holy or sacred. Before the nineteenth century, religion provided the only acceptable justifications for terror, and the differences between sacred and modern expressions (differences of nature, not scale) raise questions about the appropriateness of contemporary definitions. The holy terrorist believes that only a transcendental purpose which fulfills the meaning of the universe can justify terror, and that the deity reveals at some early moment in both time and end the means and may even participate in the process as well. We see terrorists as free to seek different political ends in this world by whatever means of terror they consider most appropriate."</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Laqueur|2001}}: "The misunderstandings about the nature of terrorism in the 1970s were founded, in part, on political reasons. At the time, terrorism was predominantly left wing in inspiration and it did not come as a surprise that commentators belonging to the same political persuasion would produce theoretical explanations which were, at the very least, not unsympathetic as far as terrorists were concerned. It was argued in these circles that terrorism always occurred where there was oppression, social or national, that the terrorists had genuine, legitimate grievances—hence the conclusion that once the grievances were eradicated, terrorism would also disappear. Terrorism, in brief, was seen as a revolutionary phenomenon; it was carried out by poor and desperate human beings and had, therefore, to be confronted with sympathetic understanding."</ref> Rapoport's work has since become the basis of the model of "New Terrorism" proposed by ] and developed by other scholars. "New Terrorism" has had an unparalleled impact on policymaking. Critics have pointed out that the model is politically charged and over-simplified. The underlying historical assertions have received less critical attention.{{sfn|Dietze|Verhoeven|2022|p=129}} According to ''The Oxford Handbook on the History of Terrorism'':{{sfn|Dietze|Verhoeven|2022|p=128}}
Definitions of terrorism are not static: like all politicised concepts they are subject to historical evolution. In response to the 2001 attacks, western politicians have placed terrorism in the context of a global struggle against ] itself. That implies that the emphasis in definition should lay on the nature of a country's government, rather the specific targets or methods. It also implies that 'coercion' is no longer relevant to the definition - the terrorists don't want the government to do anything specific, they want it to disappear. The ] includes the aim of "destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country" in its 2004 definition of terrorism. The idea of a 'war against democracy' is related to the theory of the ], and they are sometimes quoted together.


<blockquote>Since the publication of Rapoport's article, it has become seemingly pre-requisite for standard works on terrorism to cite the three case studies and to reproduce uncritically its findings. In lieu of empirical research, authors tend to crudely paraphrase Rapoport and the assumed relevance of "Thuggee" to the study of modern terrorism is taken for granted. Yet the significance of the article is not simply a matter of citations―it has also provided the foundation for what has become known as the "New Terrorism" paradigm. While Rapoport did not suggest which late 20th century groups might exemplify the implied recurrence of "holy terror", Bruce Hoffman, recognized today as one of the world's leading terrorism experts, did not hesitate to do so. A decade after Rapoport's article. Hoffman picked up the mantle and taking the three case studies as inspiration, he formulated a model of contemporary "holy terror" or, as he defined it, "terrorism motivated by a religious imperative". Completely distinct from "secular terrorists", Hoffman argued that "religious terrorists" carry out indiscriminate acts of violence as a divine duty with no consideration for political efficacy―their aim is transcendental and "holy terror" constitutes an end in itself. Hoffman's concept has since been taken up and developed by a number of other writers, including Walter Laquer, Steven Simon and Daniel Benjamen, and rebranded as the "New Terrorism".</blockquote>
===Subjectivity===
The saying "one man's terrorist is another man's ]" is older than the ]. However, since the ], the term "terrorist" has become much more heavily politicized. Because the term has strong negative connotations without having any widely-accepted definition, there is a definite tendency to use the term only when politically convenient. Indeed, the actual definition of terrorism is not as much debated as which parties and which acts of violence are to be labelled "terrorist". That can shift over the course of time, as this quote illustrates:
<blockquote><i>
The tragedy of Afghanistan continues as the valiant and courageous Afghan freedom fighters persevere in standing up against the brutal power of the Soviet invasion and occupation... The Soviet forces are pitted against an extraordinary people who, in their determination to preserve the character of their ancient land, have organized an effective and still spreading country-wide resistance. The resistance of the Afghan freedom fighters is an example to all the world of the invincibility of the ideals we in this country hold most dear, the ideals of freedom and independence.</i> ~], Proclamation of Afghanistan Day, 1983.
</blockquote>
For many critics of anti-terrorism policy, it is the anti-terrorism which requires theoretical attention, and especially its internal political uses. In this view, terrorism exists primarily as a ], more accurately a political construct. According to the ], widely held beliefs can determine social realities. Obviously that is even more true, if the beliefs are held by the government. The 'war on terror' has had a substantial social and political impact on the United States, for instance, although in no way comparable with the impact on the ] during the ].


=== Modern era (1850-1980) ===
The longstanding critic of US foreign and military policy, ] comments that "the term 'terrorism' is used, standardly, to refer to the terrorism that ''they'' carry out against ''us'', whoever 'we' happen to be. Even the worst mass murderer - the Nazis for example - adopted this practice. Since the rich and powerful set the terms for discussion, the term 'terrorism' is restricted, in practice, to the terror that affects the US and its clients and allies." He argues that "terrorism" is used not objectively to describe any particular type of behavior, but as a characterization that demonizes a perceived enemy in order to promote moral repulsion and outrage.
] by the ] militant group ], July 1946]]
Arguably, the first organization to use modern terrorist techniques was the ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Terrorism: From the Fenians to Al Qaeda |url=http://www.ucd.ie/adulted/coursesbycode/hn258/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203100430/http://www.ucd.ie/adulted/coursesbycode/hn258/ |archive-date=December 3, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2012}}</ref> founded in 1858 as a revolutionary Irish nationalist group<ref>Irish Freedom, by Richard English Publisher: Pan Books (2007), {{ISBN|0-330-42759-8}} p. 179</ref> that carried out attacks in England.<ref>Irish Freedom, by Richard English Publisher: Pan Books (November 2, 2007), {{ISBN|0-330-42759-8}} p. 180</ref> The group initiated the ] in 1881, one of the first modern terror campaigns.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whelehan |first=Niall |title=The Dynamiters: Irish Nationalism and Political Violence in the Wider World 1867–1900 |year=2012 |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref> Instead of earlier forms of terrorism based on political assassination, this campaign used timed ] with the express aim of sowing fear in the very heart of ], in order to achieve political gains.<ref>{{cite web |date=13 February 2012 |title='One skilled scientist is worth an army' – The Fenian Dynamite campaign 1881-85 |url=http://www.theirishstory.com/2012/02/13/one-skilled-scientist-is-worth-an-army-the-fenian-dynamite-campaign-1881-85/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130110063402/http://www.theirishstory.com/2012/02/13/one-skilled-scientist-is-worth-an-army-the-fenian-dynamite-campaign-1881-85/ |archive-date=January 10, 2013 |access-date=December 17, 2012 |website=The Irish Story}}</ref>


Another early terrorist-type group was ], founded in Russia in 1878 as a revolutionary anarchist group inspired by ] and "]" theorist ].<ref name="cdi.org2">{{Cite web |last1=Burgess |first1=Mark |date=July 2, 2003 |title=A Brief History of Terrorism |url=https://www.pogo.org/center-for-defense-information |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511140810/http://www.cdi.org/friendlyversion/printversion.cfm?documentID=1502 |archive-date=May 11, 2012 |website=Center for Defense Information}}</ref>{{sfn|Hoffman|1998|p=5}} The group developed ideas—such as ] of the 'leaders of oppression', which were to become the hallmark of subsequent violence by small non-state groups, and they were convinced that the developing technologies of the age—such as the invention of dynamite, which they were the first anarchist group to make widespread use of<ref>''A History of Terrorism'', by Walter Laqueur, Transaction Publishers, 2000, {{ISBN|0-7658-0799-8}}, p. 92 </ref>—enabled them to strike directly and with discrimination.<ref name="bbc.co.uk2">{{cite web |author=Adam Roberts |date=September 18, 2014 |title=The Changing Faces of Terrorism |website=BBC – History |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/sept_11/changing_faces_02.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208113613/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/sept_11/changing_faces_02.shtml |archive-date=December 8, 2017 |access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> In 1920 ] wrote '']'' to justify the ] and defend the moral superiority of ].{{sfn|Primoratz|2004|p=xv}}
A frequent response is to '''dispute the attribution''' of terrorism. Often that is accompanied by a '''counter-charge'''. The controversy about "]" is a good example. This term was coined in the United States to refer to violent ] actions, for instance attacks on ] machinery. The response of those who sympathise with the environmentalists has been to describe the timber companies as being the real eco-terrorists, for destroying forests and damaging the ecosystem. In the long term, this type of dispute tends to ] the population. That undermines ], that is, the willingness of the population to accept government and court decisions, even if they personally disagree with them. It implies a sense of shared values and a minimal respect, which can not survive if wide sections of the population believe each other to be terrorists.


The assassination of the ] ] in 1898 resulted in the ], the first international conference ].<ref name="t1362">{{cite book |title=The Battle against Anarchist Terrorism |date=2013-12-05 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-52412-4 |pages=131–184 |chapter=The first international conference on terrorism: Rome 1898 |doi=10.1017/cbo9781139524124.008}}</ref>
In most western countries there are now political disputes of this kind, about ''Who is the real terrorist?'' As an example, Noam Chomsky believes that terrorism is typically sponsored by governments through the organisation, funding or training of ] and similar paramilitary groups, often under the banner of ]. In his view the causes of terrorism include attempts to gain or consolidate power either by instilling fear in the population to be controlled, or by stimulating another group into becoming a hardened foe, thereby increasing social polarisation. US policy in Nicaragua is often cited by Chomsky as an example, see ].


According to ] of ], in 1980, 2 out of 64 terrorist groups were categorized as having religious motivation while in 1995, almost half (26 out of 56) were religiously motivated with the majority having Islam as their guiding force.<ref name="Hoffman-1999-V">{{cite book |last1=Hoffman |first1=Bruce |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/congress/terrorism/phase1/countering.pdf |title=Countering the New Terrorism |date=1999 |publisher=Rand Corporation |page=V |chapter=Two: Terrorism Trends and Prospects |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{cite web |author=John Moore |title=The Evolution of Islamic Terrorism: an Overview |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/modern.html |publisher=PBS Frontline}}</ref>
Counter-accusations are not the same as the issue of ''provocation''. The ] were followed by political debate about whether the ] had brought the bombings on Spain by ], and that contributed to its defeat in the national election a few days later. Similarly, London mayor ] declared that "80 years of western intervention into predominantly Arab lands because of the western need for oil" was one cause of the ].
Groups accused of terrorism, and their supporters, invariably use neutral or positive terms to describe their actions, such as "]s" or ]. Even terms like "]" or "]" are considered much less pejorative than "terrorist". Islamist groups would refer to themselves as 'jihadi' or ].


== Causes == == Types of terrorism ==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}
Theories on the causes of terrorism include:
Depending on the country, the political system, and the time in history, the types of terrorism are varying.
* ] explanations, which focus on the position of the perpetrators in society
]. Source: ].<ref name="Europol">{{cite web |title=TE-SAT 2011 EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/te-sat2011.pdf |year=2011 |publisher=] |access-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304103700/https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/te-sat2011.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TE-SAT 2010 Terrorism Situation and Trend Report |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/tesat2010_0.pdf |year=2010 |publisher=] |access-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-date=March 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325144100/https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/tesat2010_0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TE-SAT 2009 Terrorism Situation and Trend Report |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/tesat2009_0.pdf |year=2009 |publisher=] |access-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405132039/https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/tesat2009_0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
* ] which includes their relationship to those in power
* ] explanations, which focus on the differences in ideology, and the different goals of the ideologies
* ] explanations, which treat terrorist acts as a form of communication.


] caused by ] and ]]]
Some anti-terrorist commentators refuse to consider the causes, since that implies justification. For them, the terrorists are simply evil people. Some theories of the ] of terrorism also exist, and they too are concerned with moral judgment on terrorism and specific actions. They do not attempt to explain its origins. They often treat terrorism as a form of warfare, and refer to the ], and to ] law.


In early 1975, the ] in the United States formed the National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. One of the five volumes that the committee wrote was titled ''Disorders and Terrorism'', produced by the Task Force on Disorders and Terrorism under the direction of H. H. A. Cooper, Director of the Task Force staff.
The existing social order within countries, and the global order of states, include ] compromises and agreements between various groups and interests. Often they arose in resolution of past conflicts. Over time, these arrangements may become less relevant to the current situation. New groups and interests may not be foreseen. ] itself is intended to prevent small groups redesigning society according to their norms - but then they have to live in a society which they often reject. Some theories assume that groups resort to terrorism when other avenues for change, including economic campaigns, protest, public appeal, and standard warfare, hold no hope of success. This is related to the criterion of ''ultima ratio'' (last resort), in ]. In this perspective, terrorist acts are calculated to disrupt the existing order and provoke conflicts, in the expectation that the outcome will be a new order, more favourable to their interests. This is, crudely, the ''seat-at-the-table theory'' of terrorism. Applied to anti-terrorism policy, this approach implies policies to create and sustain an alternative, peaceful, avenue of problem resolution, particularly in the case of marginalised and oppressed populations. Ideological theories, on the other hand, often imply that nothing can be 'resolved', because the conflicting ideologies are logically incompatible.


The Task Force defines terrorism as "a tactic or technique by means of which a violent act or the threat thereof is used for the prime purpose of creating overwhelming fear for coercive purposes". It classified disorders and terrorism into seven categories:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/39469NCJRS.pdf |title=Disorders and Terrorism |website=National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals |year=1976 |pages=3–6 |access-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423124520/https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/39469NCJRS.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><!--], Baghdad, ] in 2006.]]-->
The ] is also a theory of the causes of terrorism, at least ‘inter-civilisation’ terrorism, but also suggests it is historically inevitable. It sees history as a millennia long conflict between very large-scale units, founded on incompatible values: violence is then simply part of the historical process. Ironically, the theory coincides with the world view of the ], who see the mediaeval ] as the standard expression of western culture, and war as inevitable.
* '''Civil disorder''' – A form of collective violence interfering with the ], security, and normal functioning of the community.
* '''Political terrorism''' – ] criminal behaviour designed primarily to generate ] in the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
* '''Non-Political terrorism''' – Terrorism that is not aimed at political purposes, but which exhibits "conscious design to create and maintain a high degree of fear for ] purposes, but the end is individual or collective gain rather than the achievement of a political objective".
* ''']''' – In the two decades prior to 2016–19, "fewer than half" of all terrorist attacks were either "claimed by their perpetrators or convincingly attributed by governments to specific terrorist groups". A number of theories have been advanced as to why this has happened.<ref name="1 February 2019 Economist why">{{cite news |title=Why do terrorists claim credit for some attacks but not others? |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/02/01/why-do-terrorists-claim-credit-for-some-attacks-but-not-others |access-date=May 9, 2021 |agency=The Economist |date=February 1, 2019 |archive-date=May 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509172226/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/02/01/why-do-terrorists-claim-credit-for-some-attacks-but-not-others |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''Quasi-terrorism''' – The activities incidental to the commission of crimes of violence that are similar in form and method to genuine terrorism, but which nevertheless lack its essential ingredient. It is not the main purpose of the quasi-terrorists to induce terror in the immediate victim as in the case of genuine terrorism, but the quasi-terrorist uses the modalities and techniques of the genuine terrorist and produces similar consequences and reaction.<ref>{{cite web |title=TERRORISM |url=http://www.earthdash.org/more_info/terrorism.html |publisher=Earth Dashboard |access-date=July 13, 2016 |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021101305/http://www.earthdash.org/more_info/terrorism.html |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, the fleeing ] who takes ]s is a quasi-terrorist, whose methods are similar to those of the genuine terrorist but whose purposes are quite different.
* '''Limited political terrorism''' – Genuine political terrorism is characterized by a ] approach; limited political terrorism refers to "acts of terrorism which are committed for ] or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the ]".
* '''Official or state terrorism''' – "referring to nations whose rule is based upon ] and ] that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions". It may be referred to as '''Structural Terrorism''' defined broadly as terrorist acts carried out by governments in pursuit of political objectives, often as part of their foreign policy.
Other sources have defined the typology of terrorism in different ways, for example, broadly classifying it into '''domestic terrorism''' and '''international terrorism''', or using categories such as vigilante terrorism or insurgent terrorism.<ref>{{cite book |title=Terrorism and homeland security: an introduction with applications |first=Philip P. |last=Purpura |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-7506-7843-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ItzwLVo8DwC&pg=PA17 |pages=16–19}}</ref> Some ways the typology of terrorism may be defined are:<ref>Hudson, Rex A. ''Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why: The 1999 Government Report on Profiling Terrorists'', Federal Research Division, The Lyons Press, 2002.</ref><ref>Barry Scheider, Jim Davis, ''Avoiding the abyss: progress, shortfalls and the way ahead in combatting the WMD threat'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009 p. 60.</ref>
* '''Political terrorism'''
**'''Sub-state terrorism'''
***]
***]
***]
**** Religious fundamentalist Terrorism
**** New religions terrorism
*** ]
*** ]
**** ]
** ''']'''
** ''']'''
* '''Criminal terrorism'''
* '''Pathological terrorism'''


=== Religious terrorism ===
An increasingly relevant causal factor, at least for recruitment to terrorist groups, is the often ] counter-terrorist policy which was intended to defeat them. For instance, the conditions of detention in ] are such, that any reasonable person could be expected to resist them, and there is no legal means of exit either. If large sections of the population fear that they ''might'' end up in such conditions, on the basis of their religion or ethnic origin, then a vicious circle can arise, and terrorism becomes a defensive response to counter-terror policy.
{{Main|Religious terrorism|List of Islamist terrorist attacks|List of terrorist incidents linked to the Islamic State}}
According to the ] by the ], ] has overtaken ] and become the main driver of terrorist attacks around the world. Since 9/11 there has been a five-fold increase in deaths from terrorist attacks. The majority of incidents over the past several years can be tied to groups with a religious agenda. Before 2000, it was nationalist separatist terrorist organizations such as the ] and Chechen rebels who were behind the most attacks. The number of incidents from nationalist separatist groups has remained relatively stable in the years since while religious extremism has grown. The prevalence of Islamist groups in ], ], ], ] and ] is the main driver behind these trends.<ref name="arnett">{{cite news |last=Arnett |first=George |date=November 19, 2014 |title=Religious extremism main cause of terrorism, according to report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/nov/18/religious-extremism-main-cause-of-terrorism-according-to-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323235922/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/nov/18/religious-extremism-main-cause-of-terrorism-according-to-report |archive-date=March 23, 2017 |access-date=March 22, 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>
] (IS) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group. ], in grey, at the time of its greatest territorial extent in May 2015.{{Collapsible list
| title = Map legend
| 1 = {{legend|#b4b2ae|Islamic State}}
| 2 = {{legend|#db8ca6|]}}
| 3 = {{legend|#ebc0b3|Syrian government}}
| 4 = {{legend|#ffa067|Lebanese government}}
| 5 = {{legend|#D2CD7E|] forces}}
| 6 = {{legend|#e2d974|]}}
| 7 = {{legend|#caffc4|] forces}}
| 8 = {{legend|#80c490|]}}
| 9 = {{legend|#ffffff|]}}
| 10 = {{legend|#3e79ff|]}}
| 11 = '''Note:''' Iraq and Syria contain large desert areas with sparse populations. These areas are mapped as under the control of forces holding roads and towns within them.
}}]]
The emergence of ] in 1982 marked a pivotal moment in terrorism's history.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Kushner |first=Harvey W. |title=Encyclopedia of terrorism |date=2003 |publisher=SAGE publications |isbn=978-0-7619-2408-1 |location=Thousand Oaks (Calif.) London |pages=xxiv}}</ref> The ] Islamist group, rooted in ], drew inspiration from the ] and Ayatollah ]'s ], responding to the ]. Beyond pursuing revolutionary goals, Hezbollah members were deeply concerned about the social conditions of Shiite communities across the Middle East. Their activities in Lebanon during the 1980s garnered support among ], leading to the rise of smaller terrorist groups, notably the ].<ref name=":03" />


], the main Islamist movement in the ], was formed by Palestinian ] ] in 1987. Some scholars, including constitutional law professor ], have voiced concerns over the ]'s apparent advocacy of ].<ref name=":4">{{cite book |last1=Bayefsky |first1=Anne F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHxTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA91 |title=Incitement to Terrorism |last2=Blank |first2=Laurie R. |date=March 22, 2018 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-35982-6 |quote=The governing charter of Hamas, "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement," openly dedicates Hamas to genocide against the Jewish people. |access-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015101112/https://books.google.com/books?id=lHxTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA91 |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite journal |last=Tsesis |first=Alexander |date=2014–2015 |title=Antisemitism and Hate Speech Studies |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/rjlr16&id=352&div=&collection= |url-status=live |journal=Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion |volume=16 |pages=352 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015101043/https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/rjlr16&id=352&div=&collection= |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2024 |quote=For Jews, the Holocaust remains a real concern in an age when Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, continues to advocate genocide in its core Charter.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last = Hoffman| first = Bruce| title = Understanding Hamas's Genocidal Ideology| work = The Atlantic| access-date = 2024-11-27| date = 2023-10-10| url = https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/hamas-covenant-israel-attack-war-genocide/675602/}}</ref> In the periods of 1994–1996 and 2001–2007, Hamas orchestrated ], primarily directed at civilian targets in Israel, killing over 1,000 Israeli civilians.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Litvak |first=Meir |date=July 15, 2010 |title="Martyrdom is Life": Jihad and Martyrdom in the Ideology of Hamas |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2010.494170 |url-status=live |journal=Studies in Conflict & Terrorism |volume=33 |issue=8 |pages=716–734 |doi=10.1080/1057610X.2010.494170 |issn=1057-610X |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212103657/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2010.494170 |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref>
===Separatism===
During much of the 20th century, the term terrorism was primarily applied with ] movements of some kind. Most of them were ], seeking to create a new independent ], on the territory of a larger existing state. There were also some cases of non-state ] violence, seeking to ] territory. Classic counter-terrorist operations were a feature of the ] in Africa and the Middle East. Now-forgotten campaigns, such as the ] and the ], were well known in western media, but unlike ] their violence was remote, confined to the disputed ]. However, ] groups did consistently target England, and the Basque ] often targeted Madrid. The motives of these groups always derive from their nationalist ideology, and an underlying ] about which state should control what. In this respect no separate theory of the causes is required, since violence is the standard instrument of geopolitical change. For example, given the competing claims on the former ], the chance that the ] movement could ever have reached agreement on the peaceful transfer of millions of Jews to the region, seems non-existent. One explanation for the resulting violence is: inevitability.


Five of the terrorist groups that have been most active since 2001 are Hamas, ], ], the ] and ]. These groups have been most active in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. Eighty percent of all deaths from terrorism occurred in these five countries.<ref name="arnett" /> In 2015 four ] were responsible for 74% of all deaths from Islamic terrorism: ], Boko Haram, the Taliban, and al-Qaeda, according to the ] 2016.<ref name="GTI2016-4">{{cite book |url=http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2016.2.pdf |title=Global Terrorism Index 2016 |date=2016 |publisher=Institute for Economics and Peace |page=4 |access-date=December 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117233155/http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2016.2.pdf |archive-date=November 17, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Since approximately 2000, these incidents have occurred on a global scale, affecting not only ] in Africa and Asia, but also states with non-Muslim majority such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Such attacks have targeted both Muslims and non-Muslims, however the majority affect Muslims themselves.<ref>{{cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Mona |author-link=Mona Siddiqui |date=August 23, 2014 |title=Isis: a contrived ideology justifying barbarism and sexual control |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/24/isis-ideology-islamic-militants-british-appeal-iraq-syria |access-date=January 7, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824131118/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/24/isis-ideology-islamic-militants-british-appeal-iraq-syria |archive-date=August 24, 2014}}</ref>
===Stated motives of groups===
Actions defined as ‘terror’ are sometimes followed by statements or communiques by the perpetrators. They often issue additional information, and may even have representative offices in countries which sympathise with them. Several themes recur, and they can be considered as categories, without implying that they are true or not. The stated motives include:


]. Approximately 35,000 Pakistanis died from ] between 2001 and 2011.<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915122832/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13318673|date=September 15, 2018}}". BBC News. May 7, 2011.</ref>]]
* reference to the '''ideals''' of the group, implying that they justify, in themselves, the actions. ] groups, for instance, often emphasise the name and flag of their future independent state.
] has become a great problem. From the summer of 2007 until late 2009, more than 1,500 people were killed in ] and other attacks on civilians<ref>] {{cite web |title=Two bomb blasts kill 27 in northwest Pakistan |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h2jRTJSm-efNfhS_Wm9wP1w_TB5Q |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304174328/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h2jRTJSm-efNfhS_Wm9wP1w_TB5Q |archive-date=March 4, 2014 |access-date=February 20, 2020}}</ref> for reasons attributed to a number of causes—sectarian violence between ] and ]s; easy availability of guns and explosives; the existence of a "] culture"; an influx of ideologically driven Muslims based ], who originated from various nations around the world and the subsequent war against the pro-Soviet Afghans in the 1980s which blew back into Pakistan; the presence of ] insurgent groups and forces such as the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. On July 2, 2013, in ], 50 Muslim scholars of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) issued a collective fatwa against suicide bombings, the killing of innocent people, bomb attacks, and targeted killings declaring them as ] or forbidden.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 2, 2013 |title=Fatwa issued against suicide bombings, targeted killings and terrorism |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1022298 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112021345/https://www.dawn.com/news/1022298 |archive-date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=November 16, 2018 |location=Lahore}}</ref>
* reference to '''historical grievances''' - usually the oppression of an ethnic or religious group.

* '''retaliation''' for specific acts, including ongoing military campaigns. Islamist groups, for instance, repeatedly refer to the ] in this context.
In 2015, the ] released a report on ] in the United States. The report (titled ''The Age of the Wolf'') analyzed 62 incidents and found that, between 2009 and 2015, "more people have been killed in America by non-Islamic ] than ]."<ref name="splc">{{cite report |url=https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/d6_legacy_files/downloads/publication/lone_wolf_special_report_0.pdf |title=Age of the Wolf |last=Lenz |first=Ryan |date=February 2015 |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |page=4 |quote=A large number of independent studies have agreed that since the 9/11 mass murder, more people have been killed in America by non-Islamic domestic terrorists than jihadists. |access-date=March 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010105848/https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/d6_legacy_files/downloads/publication/lone_wolf_special_report_0.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> The "virulent racist and ]" ideology of the ultra-right wing ] movement is usually accompanied by anti-government sentiments.<ref name="adlci">" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328021833/https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/christian-identity|date=March 28, 2017}}". Anti-Defamation League 2017.</ref> Adherents of Christian Identity are not connected with specific ]s,<ref name="BehindBars">{{cite web |title=Bigotry Behind Bars: Racist Groups In U.S. Prisons |url=http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/domestic-extremism-terrorism/c/bigotry-behind-bars-racist-groups-in-US-prisons.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729081815/http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/domestic-extremism-terrorism/c/bigotry-behind-bars-racist-groups-in-US-prisons.html |archive-date=July 29, 2015}}</ref> and they believe that ] of European descent can be traced back to the "]". Adherents have committed ]s, bombings and other acts of terrorism, including the ].<ref>{{Cite news| last1 = N| last2 = P| last3 = R| title = Full Text of Eric Rudolph's Confession| work = NPR| access-date = 2024-11-27| date = 2005-04-14| url = https://www.npr.org/2005/04/14/4600480/full-text-of-eric-rudolphs-confession}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0190-8286| last = Ahrens| first = Frank| title = Steered to Extremism at an Early Age| newspaper = Washington Post| access-date = 2024-11-27| date = 2003-06-01| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/06/01/steered-to-extremism-at-an-early-age/2c0c8da5-f862-4181-abd5-817b761f60c8/}}</ref> Its influence ranges from the ] and ] groups to the anti-government ] and ]s.<ref name="adlci" />
* a '''specific demand''' related to the above factors, for instance the demand to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Some other attributed motives of terrorists, such as ], are never quoted in these statements or communiques.
== Causes and motivations ==

Terrorist acts frequently have a political purpose based on self-determination claims, ethnonationalist frustrations, single issue causes (like abortion or the environment), or other ideological or religious causes that terrorists claim are a moral justification for their violent acts.{{sfn|Chalk|2013|loc=Introduction}}

===Choice of terrorism as a tactic===
Individuals and groups choose terrorism as a tactic because it can:
* Act as a form of ] in order to directly force a government to agree to demands
* Intimidate a group of people into capitulating to the demands in order to avoid future injury
* Get attention and thus political support for a cause
* Directly inspire more people to the cause (such as revolutionary acts) – ]
* Indirectly inspire more people to the cause by provoking a hostile response or over-reaction from enemies to the cause<ref name="Think"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075734/https://think.kera.org/2016/04/05/the-meaning-behind-extremism/ |date=June 10, 2023 }}, audio interview summarizing {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075734/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/special-report-the-psychology-of-terrorism/ |date=June 10, 2023 }}</ref>

Attacks on "collaborators" are used to intimidate people from cooperating with the state in order to undermine state control. This strategy was used in Ireland, in ], in ] and in ] during their independence struggles.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtRBDwAAQBAJ&q=Attacks+on+%27collaborators%27+are+used+to+intimidate+people+from+cooperating+with+the+state+in+order+to+undermine+state+control.+This+strategy+was+used+in+Ireland%2C+in+Kenya%2C+in+Algeria+and+in+Cyprus+during+their+independence+struggles&pg=PT247|title=Handbook of Emergency Management Concepts: A Step-by-Step Approach|last=Madigan|first=Michael L.|date=December 6, 2017|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781351337472|language=en|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=March 29, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132957/https://books.google.com/books?id=MtRBDwAAQBAJ&q=Attacks+on+%27collaborators%27+are+used+to+intimidate+people+from+cooperating+with+the+state+in+order+to+undermine+state+control.+This+strategy+was+used+in+Ireland%2C+in+Kenya%2C+in+Algeria+and+in+Cyprus+during+their+independence+struggles&pg=PT247#v=snippet&q=Attacks%20on%20'collaborators'%20are%20used%20to%20intimidate%20people%20from%20cooperating%20with%20the%20state%20in%20order%20to%20undermine%20state%20control.%20This%20strategy%20was%20used%20in%20Ireland%2C%20in%20Kenya%2C%20in%20Algeria%20and%20in%20Cyprus%20during%20their%20independence%20struggles&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

Stated ] included inspiring more fighters to join the cause of repelling the United States from Muslim countries with a successful high-profile attack. The attacks prompted some criticism from domestic and international observers regarding perceived injustices in U.S. foreign policy that provoked the attacks, but the larger practical effect was that the United States government declared a ] that resulted in substantial military engagements in several Muslim-majority countries. Various commentators have inferred that ] expected a military response and welcomed it as a provocation that would result in more Muslims fight the United States. Some commentators believe that the resulting anger and suspicion directed toward innocent Muslims living in Western countries and the indignities inflicted upon them by security forces and the general public also contributes to radicalization of new recruits.<ref name="Think" /> Despite criticism that the Iraqi government had no involvement with the September 11 attacks, Bush declared the ] to be part of the War on Terror. The resulting backlash and instability enabled the rise of ] and the temporary creation of an Islamic caliphate holding territory in Iraq and Syria, until ISIL lost its territory through military defeats.

Attacks used to draw international attention to struggles that are otherwise unreported have included the ] and the ].

===Causes motivating terrorism===
Specific political or social causes have included:
* Independence or ] movements
* ] movements
* Adoption of a particular political philosophy, such as ] (]), ], or ] (possibly through a ] or as an ideology of an independence or separatist movement)
* Environmental protection (])
* ] of a particular group
** Preventing a rival group from sharing or occupying a particular territory (such as by discouraging immigration or encouraging flight)
** Subjugation of a particular population (such as ])
* Spread or dominance of a particular religion – ]
* Ending perceived government ]
* Responding to a violent act (for example, tit-for-tat attacks in the ], in ] in Northern Ireland, or ]'s revenge for the ] and ] incident)

Causes for ] have included ], ], fascism, anti-socialism, the ], and ].

Sometimes terrorists on the same side fight for different reasons. For example, in the ] secular Chechens using terrorist tactics fighting for national independence are allied with radical Islamist terrorists who have arrived from other countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Janeczko |first1=Matthew |title='Faced with death, even a mouse bites': Social and religious motivations behind terrorism in Chechnya |date=June 19, 2014 |pages=428–456 |journal=Small Wars & Insurgencies |volume=25 |issue=2 |doi=10.1080/09592318.2014.903975 }}</ref>

===Personal and social factors===
{{main|Radicalization}}
Various personal and social factors may influence the personal choice of whether to join a terrorist group or attempt an act of terror, including:
* ], including affiliation with a particular culture, ethnicity, or religion
* Previous exposure to violence
* Financial reward (for example, the ])
* ]
* Social isolation
* Perception that the cause responds to a profound injustice or indignity

A report conducted by Paul Gill, John Horgan and Paige Deckert {{dubious|date=October 2019}} found that for "lone wolf" terrorists:<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |title=Bombing Alone: Tracing the Motivations and Antecedent Behaviors of Lone-Actor Terrorists |first1=Paul |last1=Gill |first2=John |last2=Horgan |first3=Paige |last3=Deckert |date=March 1, 2014 |journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=425–435 |doi=10.1111/1556-4029.12312|pmid = 24313297|pmc=4217375 }}</ref>
* 43% were motivated by religious beliefs
* 32% had pre-existing mental health disorders, while many more are found to have mental health problems upon arrest
* At least 37% lived alone at the time of their event planning and/or execution, a further 26% lived with others, and no data were available for the remaining cases
* 40% were unemployed at the time of their arrest or terrorist event
* 19% subjectively experienced being disrespected by others
* 14% percent experienced being the victim of verbal or physical assault

], a psychologist who has studied the psychological profiles of suicide terrorists since 1983 through media reports that contained biographical details, interviews with the suicides' families, and interviews with jailed would-be ]ers, concluded that they were unlikely to be psychologically abnormal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Merari |first1=Ariel |title="Psychological Aspects of Suicide Terrorism," in Bruce Bongar et al., Psychology of Terrorism. |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York}}</ref> In comparison to economic theories of criminal behaviour, ] found that suicide terrorists exhibit none of the socially dysfunctional attributes—such as fatherless, friendless, jobless situations—or suicidal symptoms. By which he means, they do not kill themselves simply out of hopelessness or a sense of 'having nothing to lose'.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Atran |first1=Scott |title=Mishandling Suicide Terrorism |journal=The Washington Quarterly |year=2004 |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=67–90 |doi=10.1162/016366004323090269|s2cid=155714216 }}</ref>

Abrahm suggests that terrorist organizations do not select terrorism for its political effectiveness.<ref name="Abrahm">{{cite journal |last=Abrahms |first=Max |title=What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy |journal=] |volume=32 |issue=4 |pages=86–89 |date=March 2008 |url=http://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/publications/what_terrorists_really_want_terrorist_motives_and_counterterrorism_strategy |format=PDF 1933 ] |issn=0162-2889 |access-date=November 4, 2008 |doi=10.1162/isec.2008.32.4.78 |s2cid=57561190 |archive-date=February 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217201432/http://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/publications/what_terrorists_really_want_terrorist_motives_and_counterterrorism_strategy |url-status=live }}</ref> Individual terrorists tend to be motivated more by a desire for social solidarity with other members of their organization than by political platforms or strategic objectives, which are often murky and undefined.<ref name="Abrahm" />

Michael Mousseau shows possible relationships between the type of economy within a country and ideology associated with terrorism.{{example needed|date=October 2019}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mousseau |first1=Michael |title=Market Civilization and its Clash with Terror |journal=International Security |year=2002 |volume=27 |issue=3 |doi=10.1162/01622880260553615 |pages=5–29 |s2cid=26190384 |url=http://digitalcollections.library.ku.edu.tr/cdm/ref/collection/IR/id/527 |access-date=December 11, 2019 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133015/https://librarydigitalcollections.ku.edu.tr/en/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many terrorists have a history of domestic violence.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/06/many-terrorists-first-victims-are-their-wives-were-not-allowed-talk-about| title = Many terrorists' first victims are their wives – but we're not allowed to talk about that| date = June 7, 2017| access-date = June 8, 2017| archive-date = June 8, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170608190151/http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/06/many-terrorists-first-victims-are-their-wives-were-not-allowed-talk-about| url-status = live}} '']''</ref>

== Democracy and domestic terrorism ==
Terrorism is most common in nations with intermediate political freedom, and it is least common in the most democratic nations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/11.04/05-terror.html |title=Freedom squelches terrorist violence: Harvard Gazette Archives |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919050732/http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/11.04/05-terror.html |archive-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~.aabadie.academic.ksg/povterr.pdf |title=Freedom squelches terrorist violence: Harvard Gazette Archives |access-date=December 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221053220/http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~.aabadie.academic.ksg/povterr.pdf |archive-date=December 21, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~.aabadie.academic.ksg/povterr.pdf |title=Poverty, Political Freedom, and the Roots of Terrorism |year=2004 |access-date=December 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221053220/http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~.aabadie.academic.ksg/povterr.pdf |archive-date=December 21, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://titan.iwu.edu/~econ/uer/articles/kevin_goldstein.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070614004845/http://titan.iwu.edu/~econ/uer/articles/kevin_goldstein.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2007 |title=Unemployment, Inequality and Terrorism: Another Look at the Relationship between Economics and Terrorism |year=2005 |access-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref>

Some examples of terrorism in non-democratic nations include ] in Spain under ] (although the group's activities increased sharply after Franco's death),<ref name="tws11janfjlk">{{cite news |title=Basque Terrorist Group Marks 50th Anniversary with New Attacks |quote=Europe's longest-enduring terrorist group. This week, ETA (the initials stand for Basque Homeland and Freedom in Euskera, the Basque language) |magazine=] |date=July 31, 2009 |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1913931,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804074643/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1913931,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2009|access-date= January 11, 2010}}</ref> the ] in pre-war ],<ref>]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029211526/http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/feb/24/a-fascist-hero-in-democratic-kiev |date=October 29, 2015 }}. New York Review of Books. February 24, 2010</ref> the ] in Peru under ],<ref name="tws11janaawsw">{{cite news |title=Shining Path |quote=The Shining Path, a faction of Peruvian militants, has resurfaced in the remote corners of the Andes. The war against the group, which took nearly 70,000 lives, supposedly ended in 2000.&nbsp;... In the 1980s, the rebels were infamous for atrocities like planting bombs on donkeys in crowded markets, assassinations and other terrorist tactics. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 18, 2009 |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/shining_path/index.html |access-date=January 11, 2010 |first=Simon |last=Romero |archive-date=January 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128231325/http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/shining_path/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the ] when ] was ruled by military leaders and the ] in South Africa.<ref name="tws11jangvdf">{{cite news |title=1983: Car bomb in South Africa kills 16 |quote=The outlawed anti-apartheid group the African National Congress has been blamed for the attack&nbsp;... He said the explosion was the "biggest and ugliest" terrorist incident since anti-government violence began in South Africa 20 years ago. |publisher=BBC |date=May 20, 2005 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/20/newsid_4326000/4326975.stm |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011231304/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/20/newsid_4326000/4326975.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to Boaz Ganor, "Modern terrorism sees the liberal democratic state, in all its variations, as the perfect launching pad and a target for its attacks. Moreover, some terrorist organizations—particularly Islamist-jihadist organizations—have chosen to cynically exploit democratic values and institutions to gain power and status, promote their interests, and achieve internal and international legitimacy".<ref name=":2" /> Jihadist militants have shown an ambivalent view towards democracy, as they both exploit it for their ends and oppose it in their ideology. Various quotes from jihadist leaders note their disdain for democracy and their efforts to undermine it in favor of Islamic rule.<ref name=":2" /> Democracies, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, the ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and the ], have all experienced domestic terrorism.

While a democratic nation espousing ] may claim a sense of higher moral ground than other regimes, an act of terrorism within such a state may cause a dilemma: whether to maintain its civil liberties and thus risk being perceived as ineffective in dealing with the problem; or alternatively to restrict its civil liberties and thus risk delegitimizing its claim of supporting civil liberties.<ref name="tws11janetrr">{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Young |title=PBS Frontline: 'Spying on the Home Front' |quote=...&nbsp;we and Frontline felt that it was important to look more comprehensively at the post-9/11 shift to prevention and the dilemma we all now face in balancing security and privacy. |publisher=PBS: Frontline |date=May 16, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/05/03/DI2007050301142.html |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324184615/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/05/03/DI2007050301142.html |url-status=live }}</ref> For this reason, ] has started to be seen as a greater threat, as stated by former CIA Director Michael Hayden.<ref name="Hayden">{{cite news |first=Jordy |last=Yager |title=Former intel chief: Homegrown terrorism is a devil of a problem |newspaper=thehill.com |date=July 25, 2010 |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/167252-former-intel-chief-homegrown-terrorism-is-a-devil-of-a-problem/ |access-date=April 28, 2011 |archive-date=September 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926004919/http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/110759-former-intel-chief-homegrown-terrorism-is-a-devil-of-a-problem |url-status=live }}</ref> This dilemma, some social theorists would conclude, may very well play into the initial plans of the acting terrorist(s); namely, to delegitimize the state and cause a systematic shift towards anarchy via the accumulation of negative sentiments towards the state system.<ref>shabad, goldie and francisco jose llera ramo. "Political Violence in a Democratic State", ''Terrorism in Context''. Ed. Martha Crenshaw. University Park: Pennsylvania State University, 1995. p. 467.</ref>


== Perpetrators == == Perpetrators ==
]
The perpetrators of acts of terrorism can be individuals, groups, or states. According to some definitions, clandestine or semi-clandestine state actors may carry out terrorist acts outside the framework of a state of war. The most common image of terrorism is that it is carried out by small and secretive ], highly motivated to serve a particular cause and many of the most deadly operations in recent times, such as the ], the ], ] and the ] were planned and carried out by a close clique, composed of close friends, family members and other strong social networks. These groups benefited from the free flow of information and efficient ] to succeed where others had failed.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sageman |first=Mark |title=Understanding Terror Networks |journal=International Journal of Emergency Mental Health |publisher=U. of Pennsylvania Press |year=2004 |volume=7 |issue=1 |location=Philadelphia |pages= |pmid=15869076 |isbn=978-0-8122-3808-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/understandingter00sage/page/166 }}</ref>


Over the years, much research has been conducted to distill a terrorist profile to explain these individuals' actions through their psychology and socio-economic circumstances.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://icct.nl/publication/personal-characteristics-of-lone-actor-terrorists/ |title=Personal Characteristics of Lone-Actor Terrorists |date=February 29, 2016 |author1=Edwin Bakker |author2=Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn |access-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915205907/https://icct.nl/publication/personal-characteristics-of-lone-actor-terrorists/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some specialists highlight the lack of evidence supporting the idea that terrorists are typically psychologically disturbed. The careful planning and detailed execution seen in many terrorist acts are not characteristics generally associated with mentally unstable individuals.<ref>{{cite book|title=Thinking Like a Terrorist|url=|first=Mike|last=German| date=2007|publisher=Potomac Books| isbn=978-1597970259|pages=49}}</ref> Others, like Roderick Hindery, have sought to discern profiles in the propaganda tactics used by terrorists. Some security organizations designate these groups as ''violent non-state actors''.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} A 2007 study by economist ] found that terrorists were less likely to come from an impoverished background (28 percent versus 33 percent) and more likely to have at least a high-school education (47 percent versus 38 percent). Another analysis found only 16 percent of terrorists came from impoverished families, versus 30 percent of male Palestinians, and over 60 percent had gone beyond high school, versus 15 percent of the populace.<ref name="Arie W 2006 pp. 45-48" /><ref>{{cite book |title=Superfreakonomics: global cooling, patriotic prostitutes, and why suicide bombers should buy life insurance |first1=Steven D. |last1=Levitt |first2=Stephen J. |last2=Dubner |publisher=William Morrow |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-06-088957-9 |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/superfreakonomic00levi/page/62 }} citing Alan B. Krueger, ''What Makes a Terrorist'' (Princeton University Press 2007); Claude Berrebi, "Evidence About the Link Between Education, Poverty, and Terrorism among Palestinians", Princeton University Industrial Relations Section Working paper, 2003 and Krueger and Jita Maleckova, "Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Causal Connection?" ''Journal of Economic Perspectives'' 17 no. 4 Fall 2003 / 63.</ref>
Acts of terrorism can be perpetrated by individuals, groups, or states. The most common image of terrorism is that it is carried out by relatively small and highly secretive groups, highly motivated to serve a particular cause. However, some acts have been committed by individuals acting alone, while others are alleged to have the backing of established states.


To avoid detection, a terrorist will look, dress, and behave normally until executing the assigned mission. Some claim that attempts to profile terrorists based on personality, physical, or sociological traits are not useful.<ref name="tws11janhfgf">{{cite news |first=Sean |last=Coughlan |title=Fear of the unknown |quote=A passenger on the flight, Heath Schofield, explained the suspicions: "It was a return holiday flight, full of people in flip-flops and shorts. There were just two people in the whole crowd who looked like they didn't belong there." |work=BBC News |date=August 21, 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5270500.stm |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=January 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112164415/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5270500.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The physical and behavioral description of the terrorist could describe almost any normal person.<ref name="Library of Congress"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208042551/http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Soc_Psych_of_Terrorism.pdf |date=December 8, 2017 }} – Federal Research Division ''The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism''.</ref> The majority of terrorist attacks are carried out by military age men, aged 16 to 40.<ref name="Library of Congress" />
===Terrorist groups ===
:''See the main article: ]''


==="Lone wolves" === === Non-state groups ===
] were the work of a ''lone wolf''.]]
:''Main article: ]''
{{Main|List of designated terrorist groups|Lone wolf (terrorism)|Violent non-state actor}}


Groups not part of the state apparatus of in opposition to the state are most commonly referred to as a "terrorist" in the media.
Law enforcement agencies such as the ] have identified a pattern of "lone wolf" terrorism resulting in unannounced attacks on civilians. These individuals appear to operate independently, but only become terrorists due to early indoctrination, training, and support by organized groups. They function under the tacit approval of the group, and protect it by operating alone. This stands in contrast to more "conventional" terrorist operations carried out by groups following a more or less consistent chain of command: not only indoctrination, but also logistics, timing, and direction of operatives to perform attacks. Terrorists cited as "lone wolves" include ] gunman ] (1994), ] ] (1995), ] ] (1996), "London Nailbomber" ] (1999), and ] gunman ] (1999).


According to the Global Terrorism Database, the most active terrorist group in the period 1970 to 2010 was ] (with 4,517 attacks), followed by ] (FMLN), ] (IRA), ] (ETA), ] (FARC), ], ], ], ] (ELN), and ] (PKK).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.start.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/publications/br/ETACeasefires.pdf |title=Background Report: ETA Ceasefires by the Numbers |publisher=The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) |access-date=November 12, 2021 |archive-date=November 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104025002/https://www.start.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/publications/br/ETACeasefires.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
===States===
:''Main article: ]''


] has had problems with ] even before independence in 1948. During ], the secular ] were among the Zionist groups labelled as terrorist organisations by the British authorities and ],<ref>Martin Gilbert. Churchill and the Jew Quotings. p. 270.</ref> for violent terror attacks against Britons and Arabs.<ref>Pope Brewer, Sam. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124132040/https://www.nytimes.com/1947/12/30/archives/irgun-bomb-kills-11-arabs-2-britons-missile-thrown-from-a-taxi-in.html?sq=terrorist+Irgun&scp=2&st=p|date=November 24, 2018}}. ''New York Times''. December 30, 1947.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ned |last2=Farrell |first2=Stephen |date=July 20, 2006 |title=British anger at terror celebration |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article690085.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805100845/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article690085.ece |archive-date=August 5, 2010 |access-date=May 5, 2010 |work=The Times |location=London}}</ref> Another extremist group, the ], openly declared its members as "terrorists".<ref>{{cite journal |author=Calder Walton |year=2008 |title=British Intelligence and the Mandate of Palestine: Threats to British national security immediately after the Second World War |journal=Intelligence and National Security |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=435–462 |doi=10.1080/02684520802293049 |s2cid=154775965 | issn = 0268-4527}}</ref><ref>Heller, J. (1995). ''The Stern Gang''. Frank Cass. {{ISBN|0-7146-4558-3}}</ref> Historian William Cleveland stated many Jews justified any action, even terrorism, taken in the cause of the creation of a Jewish state.<ref>Cleveland, William L. ''A History of the Modern Middle East''. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2004. Print. p. 243</ref> In 1995, ] assassinated Israeli Prime Minister ]. For Amir, killing Rabin was an exemplary act that symbolized the fight against an illegitimate government that was prepared to cede Jewish Holy Land to the Palestinians.{{sfn|Spaaij|2012|page=68}} Members of ], a Jewish ultranationalist party, employed terrorist tactics in pursuit of what they viewed as religious imperatives. Israel and a few other countries have designated the party as a terrorist group.<ref>Shah, S. A. A. (2005). Religious terrorism in other faiths. ''Strategic Studies'', ''25''(2), 126-141.</ref>
The violence committed by state combatants in conventional wars is often considered more acceptable than that of the "terrorist", who by definition refuses to follow the established ], and hence cannot share in the acceptance given to establishment violence. The common public distinction between state violence and terrorism is based on a perception that terrorism targets noncombatants as a consistent policy, and therefore more irrational than state violence, which is assumed to be more considerate of human life, or at least does not consistently pursue unarmed civilian targets with the same zeal. Of course, this does not mean that acts of conventional warfare cannot be condemned. When the Japanese bombed ] in 1941, the level of outrage from the Americans was similar to what one might expect from a terrorist incident, even though the bombing is not usually classified as terrorism.
=== Funding ===
{{Main|Terrorist financing}}


] have constituted a major form of funding; for example, ], ] and other groups sometimes considered to be terrorist organizations, were funded by the ].<ref name="ncua" /><ref name="tws11jan4r67">{{cite magazine |first=Jeremy |last=Lott |title=Tripped Up |quote=and before the Soviet Union fell, terrorist organizations were funding themselves through subsidies from Communist governments |magazine=Reason Magazine |date=October 6, 2004 |url=http://reason.com/archives/2004/10/06/tripped-up |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133003/https://reason.com/2004/10/06/tripped-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] has provided funds, training, and weapons to organizations such as Lebanese Shi’ite group ], the Yemenite ], and ] such as ] and ].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite news |date=October 20, 2023 |title=What to know about Iran's role in the Israel–Hamas war |work=Axios |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/10/20/iran-hezbollah-middle-east-war-israel-hamas |access-date=December 19, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133009/https://www.axios.com/2023/10/20/iran-hezbollah-middle-east-war-israel-hamas |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 17, 2023 |title=Explainer: What you need to know about Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas against Israel |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-hezbollah-lebanese-group-backing-hamas-its-war-with-israel-2023-10-16/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203125214/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-hezbollah-lebanese-group-backing-hamas-its-war-with-israel-2023-10-16/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] is estimated to reach several hundred million dollars annually.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Hamas? |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en |archive-date=October 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012162713/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Warrick |first1=Joby |last2=Nakashima |first2=Ellen |last3=Harris |first3=Shane |last4=Mekhennet |first4=Souad |date=October 10, 2023 |title=Hamas received weapons and training from Iran, officials say |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/09/iran-support-hamas-training-weapons-israel/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012234730/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/09/iran-support-hamas-training-weapons-israel/ |url-status=live }}</ref> These groups and others have played significant roles in ] and served as proxies in conflicts.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |title=Iran's proxies in the Middle East remain a powerful force |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/05/18/irans-proxies-in-the-middle-east-remain-a-powerful-force |access-date=December 19, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=December 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219101039/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/05/18/irans-proxies-in-the-middle-east-remain-a-powerful-force |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] received funding from ] officers in Beirut to undermine the ].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Aims and activities of the Stern Group in Palestine |journal=Research and Analysis Branch |volume=2717 |issue=R & N |date=December 1, 1944}}</ref>
However, history does not always bear out the above generalization. States who engage in warfare often do so outside of the laws of war and carry out violence against civilian populations, yet rarely receive the label of "terrorist". Those for whom "terrorism" is a term characterising the violence of an enemy as being immoral, often claim that deliberate attacks on civilians have no right to be portrayed as more justifiable than similar attacks by non-governmental groups. As the attacks are attempts to achieve political goals through "terror" inflicted on civilians, they designate them "]".


"]" is another major form of funding, and essentially a euphemism for "]".<ref name="ncua"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814082429/http://ncua.gov/letters/2002/02-CU-14.pdf |date=August 14, 2009 }}, U.S. National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), 2002.</ref> Revolutionary taxes "play a secondary role as one other means of intimidating the target population".<ref name="ncua" />
==== State sponsors of terrorism ====
Some states have been accused of sponsoring terrorist actions in foreign countries, as an alternative to carrying them out directly and risking an open declaration of war. State sponsored terrorism is widely denounced by the international community, and all but a few isolated countries have subscribed to protocols denouncing terrorist sponsorship or activity, the exceptions being Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, and until recently, Iraq.


Other major sources of funding include ] for ransoms, ] (including ]),<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222022640/http://site.d66.nl/gerbrandy/document/eu_action_plan_against_wildlife/f%3D/vj7iilz6wlmw.pdf |date=February 22, 2014}}</ref> fraud, and robbery.<ref name="ncua" /> The ] has reportedly received funding "via private donations from the ]".<ref>" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527003950/http://www.france24.com/static/infographies/2013/syrie-groupes-terroristes-carte/en/index.html |date=May 27, 2014}}". ].</ref> ] militants, primarily the ] and the ], and ] paramilitaries, primarily the ] and ], received far more financing from criminal and legitimate activities within the ] than overseas donations, including ] and ] (see ] for more information).<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1187&context=mjil#page=8|title=Anti-Terrorist Finance in the United Kingdom and United States|author=Laura K. Donohue|pages=8|date=2006 |journal=Michigan Journal of International Law |volume=27|issue=2|publisher=Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation|access-date=July 10, 2023|archive-date=May 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505230746/https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1187&context=mjil#page=8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BHT">{{cite report|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmniaf/978/97806.htm|title=Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs - Part One: The continuing threat from paramilitary organisations|date=June 26, 2002|website=UK Parliament|access-date=July 10, 2023|archive-date=September 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927172741/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmniaf/978/97806.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/republic-ireland-played-integral-role-supporting-ira-says-historian-988519|title=Republic of Ireland played integral role in supporting IRA, says historian|date=April 5, 2019|publisher=]|access-date=July 10, 2023|archive-date=March 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306054425/https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/republic-ireland-played-integral-role-supporting-ira-says-historian-988519|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Support in Republic during Troubles 'key for IRA', book claims|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/04/06/news/headline-1591367/|author=John Manley|date=April 6, 2019|publisher=]|access-date=July 10, 2023|archive-date=August 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811012525/https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/04/06/news/headline-1591367/|url-status=live}}</ref>
When states do provide funding for such groups, they rarely acknowledge them as terrorist. For example, Iran has been linked to a number of organisations, but maintains that where funds have been transferred, these have been legitimate.


The ] is an inter-governmental body whose mandate, since October 2001, has included combating ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/pages/0,3417,en_32250379_32236947_1_1_1_1_1,00.html |title=Terrorist Financing |publisher=The Financial Action Task Force |access-date=January 7, 2011 |archive-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630182256/http://www.fatf-gafi.org/pages/0,3417,en_32250379_32236947_1_1_1_1_1,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
When comprehensive proof has been mounted, the reaction is usually open criticism, from which sanctions (in the form of money or trade) follow. Sometimes state sponsors of terrorism are forced to back down by offering incentives. An example is that of ] that supported the ] which in turn sheltered Al-Qaeda. After much pressure Pakistan was forced to sever its links with Afghanistan, though it still maintains its covert relationship with ] terrorists.


==Tactics== == Tactics ==
{{main|Tactics of terrorism}}
Terrorists often seek to demoralize and paralyze their enemy with fear, using their acts as a form of ] to apply pressure on governments for goals the terrorists could not achieve by other means.
] at noon on September 16, 1920, killed thirty-eight people and injured several hundred. The perpetrators were never caught.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gage |first=Beverly |title=The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror |location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-19-975928-6 |page= |url=https://archive.org/details/daywallstreetexp0000gage |url-access=registration}}</ref>]]
Terrorist attacks are often targeted to maximize fear and publicity, most frequently using ].<ref>Suicide bombings are the most effective terrorist act in this regard. See the following works:
*{{cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Hoffman |title=The Logic of Suicide Terrorism |work=] |volume=291 |issue=5 |pages=40–47 |date=June 2003 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/06/the-logic-of-suicide-terrorism/302739/ |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621132811/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/06/the-logic-of-suicide-terrorism/302739/ |url-status=live}}
*{{cite journal |last=Pape |first=Robert A. |author-link=Robert Pape |title=The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism |journal=] |volume=97 |issue=3 |pages=343–361 |url=http://www.danieldrezner.com/research/guest/Pape1.pdf |format=reprint |doi=10.1017/s000305540300073x |year=2003 |doi-broken-date=November 1, 2024 |hdl=1811/31746 |s2cid=1019730 |hdl-access=free |access-date=April 18, 2009 |archive-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226183631/http://www.danieldrezner.com/research/guest/Pape1.pdf |url-status=live}}
*{{cite book |last=Ricolfi |first=Luca |year=2005 |contribution=Palestinians 1981–2003 |editor-last=Gambetta |editor-first=Diego |title=Making Sense of Suicide Missions |url=https://archive.org/details/makingsensesuici00gamb |url-access=limited |edition=1st |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=–130 |isbn=978-0-19-927699-8}}
Cited in {{cite book |last=Richardson |first=Louise |author-link=Louise Richardson |title=What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Terrorist Threat |publisher=] |year=2006 |location=London|page=33 |isbn=978-0-7195-6306-5}}</ref>
Terrorist groups usually methodically plan attacks in advance, and may train participants, plant undercover agents, and raise money from supporters or through ]. Communications occur through modern ], or through old-fashioned methods such as ]s. There is concern about terrorist attacks employing ]. Some academics have argued that while it is often assumed terrorism is intended to spread fear, this is not necessarily true, with fear instead being a by-product of the terrorist's actions, while their intentions may be to avenge fallen comrades or destroy their perceived enemies.<ref>Kurtulus, Ersun N. "Terrorism and fear: do terrorists really want to scare?." Critical Studies on Terrorism 10, no. 3 (2017): 501–522.</ref>


Terrorism is a form of ] and is more common when direct ] will not be effective because opposing forces vary greatly in power.<ref name="tws11jan1q21q">{{cite news |title=Hackers warn high street chains |quote=That's the beauty of asymmetric warfare. You don't need a lot of money, or an army of people. |work=BBC News |date=April 25, 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7366995.stm |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327124453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7366995.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Yuval Harari argues that the peacefulness of modern states makes them paradoxically more vulnerable to terrorism than pre-modern states. Harari argues that because modern states have committed themselves to reducing political violence to almost zero, terrorists can, by creating political violence, threaten the very foundations of the legitimacy of the modern state. This is in contrast to pre-modern states, where violence was a routine and recognised aspect of politics at all levels, making political violence unremarkable. Terrorism thus shocks the population of a modern state far more than a pre-modern one and consequently the state is forced to overreact in an excessive, costly and spectacular manner, which is often what the terrorists desire.<ref>Harari, Yuval Noah. Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow. Random House, 2016, pp.103–106</ref>
Terrorism relies heavily on surprise. Terrorist attacks can trigger sudden transitions into conflict or war. Frequently, after a terrorist attack, a number of unassociated groups may claim responsibility for the action; this may be considered "free publicity" for the organization's aims or plans. Because of its anonymous and sometimes self-sacrificial nature, it is not uncommon for the reasons behind the terrorist action to remain unknown or murky for a considerable period.


The type of people terrorists will target is dependent upon the ideology of the terrorists. A terrorist's ideology will create a class of "legitimate targets" who are deemed as its enemies and who are permitted to be targeted. This ideology will also allow the terrorists to place the blame on the victim, who is viewed as being responsible for the violence in the first place.<ref>Drake, Charles JM. "The role of ideology in terrorists' target selection." Terrorism and Political Violence 10, no. 2 (1998): 53–85.</ref><ref>Hoffman, Bruce. "The contrasting ethical foundations of terrorism in the 1980s." Terrorism and Political Violence 1, no. 3 (1989): 361–377, p.8</ref>
Where terrorism occurs in the context of open warfare or insurgency, its perpetrators may shelter behind a section of the local population. Examples include the ] on Israeli-occupied territory, and the ]. This population, which is usually ethnically distinct from the counter-terrorist forces, is either sympathetic to their cause, indifferent, or under duress. The 'counter-terror' forces (on their own definition, that is) are often prevented from retaliating by the prospect of high civilian casualties. Even small US units in Iraq may have enough firepower to destroy an entire village, but if they do that in retaliation for ''every'' attack, they would kill most of the rural population. Civilian casualties always damage the public image of the state responsible, and may generate further sympathy for the terrorist cause. This is a recurrent dilemma in such insurgences. Not all terror campaigns take place in an insurgency context, but the one-off urban attacks now typical of ] terrorism in the West are carried out by people from a specific religious context. Counter-terror policy directed at one section of the population may not result in direct civilian casualties, but has long-term political effects, which may be equally counterproductive.


=== Attack types ===
Terrorist groups sometimes arrange for secondary devices to detonate at a slightly later time in order to kill emergency response personnel attempting to attend to the dead and wounded. Repeated or suspected use of secondary devices can also delay emergency response out of concern that such devices may exist. Examples include a (failed) cyanide gas device that was meant to explode shortly after the ], ] World Trade Center bombing, and a second car bomb that detonated 20 minutes after the ], ] Ben Yehuda bombing by Hamas in ].
], a historical tactic, have reemerged as a prevalent form of terrorism in the 21st century, notably during the 2010s and 2020s.<ref name="RiseOMuwahhid">{{cite news |last1=Bergema |first1=Reinier |last2=Kearney |first2=Olivia |title=Rise O Muwahhid, Wherever You May Be: An Analysis of the Democratization of the Terrorist Threat in the West |url=https://icct.nl/publication/rise-o-muwahhid-wherever-you-may-be-an-analysis-of-the-democratization-of-the-terrorist-threat-in-the-wes/}}</ref> This resurgence originated with the ] in the 1990s and later expanded among ] and ].<ref name=":32">{{cite book |last=Romero |first=Juan |title=Terrorism: the Power and Weakness of Fear |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-032-19806-4 |series=Routledge Studies in Modern History |location=Abingdon, UK / New York City |pages=246 |chapter=A comparative evolution of terrorism}}</ref> The trend gained momentum with a wave of ] by Palestinians targeting Israelis beginning in 2015.<ref name="WedemanViolence">{{cite news |last=Wedeman |first=Ben |date=15 October 2015 |title=Israeli–Palestinian violence: What you need to know |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/14/middleeast/israel-palestinians-violence-explainer/ |access-date=4 April 2017 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> Subsequently, this pattern extended to Europe during the surge of ] in the 2010s, witnessing "at least" 10 stabbing attacks allegedly motivated by Islamic extremism by the spring of 2017, with France experiencing a notable concentration of such incidents.<ref name="JenkinsTimeline">{{cite magazine |last=Jenkins |first=Nash |date=19 December 2016 |title=A Timeline of Recent Terrorist Attacks in Europe |url=https://time.com/4607481/europe-terrorism-timeline-berlin-paris-nice-brussels/ |access-date=4 April 2017 |magazine=Time}}</ref><ref name="RubinOfficersStabbed">{{cite news |last=Rubin |first=Alissa |date=5 October 2016 |title=2 Brussels Police Officers Are Stabbed in 'Potential Terrorist Attack' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/world/europe/police-brussels-knife-terrorism.html |access-date=4 April 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>


=== Media spectacle ===
In the absence of state funding, terrorists often rely on ] to fund their activities. This can include ], ], or ]. But terrorists have also found many more legitimate sources of revenue. ], for example, invested millions in terrorism that his family made in the construction industry building luxury castles for those making their money from selling the country's ]. The ] industry emerged early in the twenty-first century as an important new source of funding for terrorism, and Islamist terrorist groups in particular have been very effective at procuring funding through a system of charitable contributions.
Terrorists may attempt to use the media to spread their message or manipulate their target audience. ] used this tactic during the ] and again in the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=de Waal |first1=Thomas |title=Bin Laden and the Theater of Terrorism |url=https://carnegieeurope.eu/2011/05/13/bin-laden-and-theater-of-terrorism-pub-44015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516145635/https://carnegieeurope.eu/2011/05/13/bin-laden-and-theater-of-terrorism-pub-44015 |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Carnegie Europe}}</ref> Terrorists may also target national symbols for attention.<ref>{{cite book |last=Juergensmeyer |first=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/terrorinmindofgo00juer |title=Terror in the Mind of God |publisher=University of California Press |year=2000 |isbn=9780520223011 |pages= |url-access=registration}}</ref> ] wrote that "terrorism was always, to a large extent, about public relations and propaganda ('Propaganda by Deed' had been the slogan in the nineteenth century)".{{sfn|Laqueur|2001|p=xi}}


The ] is considered a turning point for modern terrorism studies. The ] (PFLP) realized they could combine the tactics of targeting national symbols and civilians (in this case as hostages) to generate a mass media spectacle. ] made a public statement about this in 1976: "The first several hijackings aroused the consciousness of the world and awakened the media and world opinion much more ― and more effectively ― than 20 years of pleading at the United Nations".{{sfn|Hoffman|2006|p=64}}
Since the ], ] attack on the ] the overlap between ] and ] has become an area of discussion among law enforcement, intelligence and state department officials. The structure of smuggling organizations is described in Terrance G. Lichtenwald's (2003, 2004) seven year research study. The ] described how Phase III smugglers and organizations developed sophisticated smuggling techniques, such as document forgery ranging from manipulating identy papers to cargo manifests. A behavioral analysis of the terrorists who attacked the United States by Janice Kephart in the ''9/11 and Terrorists Travel: Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States'' found that terrorists have employed techniques commonly found among Phase II and Phase III smuggling organizations. On July 25, 2003, Charles H, Denmore, interim assistant director of investigations at the ] testified before the ] that terrorists and human smugglers combining their efforts for three reasons: "the growing number and sohistication of criminal organizations, their ability to exploit public corruption, and the weak immigration controls in may source and transit countries". The probability that Phase II and Phase III smuggling organizations will work with terrorists on a shared goal is addressed by Lichtenwald (2003).


==== Mass media ====
] is sometimes confused with terrorism, in that a relatively small force attempts to achieve large goals by using organized acts of directed violence against a larger force. But in contrast to terrorism, these acts are almost always against military targets, and civilian targets are minimized in an attempt to increase public support. For this reason, guerrilla tactics are generally considered military strategy rather than terrorism, although both terrorism and guerrilla warfare could be considered forms of ].
]
] throwing a bomb at a Russian official's car]]
Mass media exposure may be a primary goal of those carrying out terrorism, to expose issues that would otherwise be ignored by the media. Some consider this to be manipulation and exploitation of the media.<ref>The Media and Terrorism: A Reassessment ]. ''Terrorism and Political Violence'', Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer 1997), pp. 51–64 Published by Frank Cass, London.</ref>


The Internet has created a new way for groups to spread their messages.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bibi van Ginkel |date=March 31, 2015 |title=Responding to Cyber Jihad: Towards an Effective Counter Narrative |url=https://icct.nl/publication/responding-to-cyber-jihad-towards-an-effective-counter-narrative/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916055232/https://icct.nl/publication/responding-to-cyber-jihad-towards-an-effective-counter-narrative/ |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |access-date=September 7, 2016 |publisher=The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague (ICCT)}}</ref> This has created a cycle of measures and counter measures by groups in support of and in opposition to terrorist movements. The United Nations has created its own online counterterrorism resource.<ref>{{cite web |title=Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee |url=https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611145715/http://www.un.org/sc/ctc/ |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |access-date=June 17, 2009}}</ref>
==Responses to terrorism==
{{main|Counter-terrorism}} <!-- Most of this section should be moved to there. -->
Responses to terrorism, and anti-terrorism policy, are very broad in scope. The can include re-alignments of the ] and reassessments of ]. It usually includes an identification of certain groups as an ]. The term '''counter-terrorism''' has a more narrow connotation, implying that it is directed at terrorist acts or terrorist groups.


The mass media will, on occasion, censor organizations involved in terrorism (through self-restraint or regulation) to discourage further terrorism. This may encourage organizations to perform more extreme acts of terrorism to be shown in the mass media. Conversely ] explains the significant relationship between terrorism and the media, and the underlying benefit each receives from the other:<ref>{{cite book |author=Pastor, James F. |title=Terrorism & Public Safety Policing: Implications of the Obama Presidency |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4398-1580-9 |location=New York}}</ref>
A typical sequence of events, following a major terrorist attack in a country with no recent equivalent, is this. First, there is widespread ] of the attack, not only by the government. The government then tries to gain ''political support'' for a response, and appeals to ''national unity''. It introduces ], and possibly ]. The government takes ''security measures'' to hinder further attacks, and implements plans for ''emergency response'' to future attacks. It establishes special ''police and military units'', to deal with the terrorist threat. It usually seeks more ''international cooperation'' against terrorism unless the threat is purely internal. If the threat is from an identifiable foreign state it may launch a ''military operation'' which is in most cases legally an act of war, and may result in a prolonged overseas ''war''.


{{blockquote
===Backlash===
| text =There is always a point at which the terrorist ceases to manipulate the media gestalt. A point at which the violence may well escalate, but beyond which the terrorist has become symptomatic of the media gestalt itself. Terrorism as we ordinarily understand it is innately media-related.
One of the fastest reactions to terrorism is non-state and generally unorganised: aggression and threats against sections of the population considered to be associated with the perpetrators. With the rise of ] terrorism, this has become a significant factor, especially in western Europe, where some countries have very substantial ]. In the United States, the September 11 attacks were followed by many threats against Muslims, and some violence, but they are a relatively small minority in the US. In some large European cities, they are approaching a majority. Defusing potential backlash is now a standard item of European counter-terrorism policy.
| cite =Novelist ], 2004<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118192753/http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2004_10_01_archive.asp |date=November 18, 2009 }}, October 31, 2004. Retrieved April 26, 2007.</ref>
}}


Former ] ] famously spoke of the close connection between terrorism and the media, calling publicity 'the oxygen of terrorism'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Speech to American Bar Association {{!}} Margaret Thatcher Foundation |url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/106096 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009202343/http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/106096 |archive-date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=October 5, 2015 |website=www.margaretthatcher.org}}</ref>
===Target-hardening===
Common targets of terrorists are areas of high population concentration, such as mass transit vehicles (metro, bus, and trains), aircraft, office buildings, and crowded restaurants. Whatever the target of terrorists, there are multiple ways of hardening the targets so as to prevent the terrorists from hitting their mark. Perhaps the single most effective of these is bag-searching (for explosives), which is obviously only effective if it is conducted before the search subjects enter an area of high population concentration. It might have prevented the ], which utilised 10 backpack bombs, that were left on trains.


=== Terrorism and tourism ===
Another method is to place concrete barriers a sufficient distance outside of buildings, so as to prevent truck bombing. There is also the method of keeping aircraft cockpits locked throughout every flight, and with reinforced doors, in which only the pilots in the cabin are capable of opening the doors (as distinguished from other aircraft personnel). Some people think that would have prevented the September 11 attacks.
The connection between terrorism and tourism has been widely studied since the ], during which 62 people, including 58 foreign nationals, were killed by Islamist group ] in an archaeological site in ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sönmez |first1=S.F. |last2=Apostolopoulos |first2=Y. |last3=Tarlow |first3=P. |year=1999 |title=Tourism in crisis: Managing the effects of terrorism |url=http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/Y_Apostolopoulos_Tourism_1999.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Journal of Travel Research |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=13–18 |citeseerx=10.1.1.465.286 |doi=10.1177/004728759903800104 |s2cid=154984322 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828190037/http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/y_apostolopoulos_tourism_1999.pdf |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>Tarlow, P.E. (2006). "Tourism and Terrorism". In Wilks J, Pendergast D & Leggat P. (Eds) Tourism in turbulent times: Towards safe experiences for visitors (Advances in Tourism Research), Elsevier, Oxford, pp. 80–82.</ref> In the 1970s, the targets of terrorists were politicians and chiefs of police while now, international tourists and visitors are selected as the main targets of attacks.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, were the symbolic center, which marked a new epoch in the use of civil transport against the main power of the planet.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bianchi |first1=R |year=2006 |title=Tourism and the globalisation of fear: Analysing the politics of risk and (in) security in global travel |journal=Tourism and Hospitality Research |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=64–74 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.thr.6050028 |s2cid=154888544}}</ref> From this event onwards, the spaces of leisure that characterized the pride of West were conceived as dangerous and frightful.<ref>Floyd, M. et al. (2003). "The Effects of Risk Perception on Intention to Travel in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001". In ''Safety and Security in Tourism: relationships, Management and Marketing'', (Eds) Hall, M. Timothy, D. y Duval, T. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brun |first1=W. |last2=Wolff |first2=K. |last3=Larsen |first3=S. |year=2011 |title=Tourist worries after terrorist attacks: Report from a field experiment |journal=Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=387–394 |doi=10.1080/15022250.2011.593365 |s2cid=143842574}}</ref>


== Counterterrorism strategies ==
===Preemptive neutralisation===
]
Depending on the political culture, some countries see pre-emptive attacks as a legitimate strategy. Israel, the United States, and Russia have taken this approach, western European states are generally more cautious. The neutralisation strategy includes capturing, killing, or disabling suspected terrorists before they can mount an attack. Another major method of preemptive neutralisation is ] of known or suspected terrorists, so as to learn of specific plots, specific targets, the identity of other terrorists, and whether the interrogation subject himself is guilty of terrorist involvement. Sometimes ] is used, or milder means of increasing ] such as ] or drugs. Apart from the human rights objections, such methods carry a risk that the captive will give false information, either in an an attempt to stop the treatment or from confusion brought on by it.
Responses to terrorism are broad in scope. They can include re-alignments of the ] and reassessments of ].


Specific types of responses include:
===Domestic intelligence and surveillance===
* ]
Most anti-terrorism strategies involve a dramatic increase in standard police and domestic intelligence. The central activities are traditional: ], and the tracing of persons. New technology has however vastly expanded the range of such operations. Domestic intelligence is often directed at specific groups, defined on the basis of origin, or religion. This may be unavoidable, but it is a source of political controversy. ] of the entire population raises objections on ] grounds.
* ], such as locking doors or adding traffic barriers
* ] or reactive military action
* Increased ] and ] activities
* Preemptive ] activities
* More permissive ] and ] policies


===Military intervention=== === Terrorism research ===
<!---Redirect Terrorism studies here.--->
Terrorism has often been used to justify military intervention, in countries where terrorists are said to originate. That was the main stated justification for the ] and one reason for the ]. It was also a stated justification for the second Russian invasion of ].
Terrorism research, also called terrorism studies, or terrorism and counter-terrorism research, is an ] academic field which seeks to understand the causes of terrorism, how to prevent it as well as its impact in the broadest sense. Terrorism research can be carried out in both military and civilian contexts, for example by research centres such as the British ], the ], and the ] (ICCT). There are several academic journals devoted to the field, including '']''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tinnes |first1=J |year=2013 |title=100 Core and Periphery Journals for Terrorism Research |url=http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/258 |journal=Perspectives on Terrorism |volume=7 |issue=2 |access-date=December 29, 2015 |archive-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127173222/http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/258 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| first= Benjamin| last= Freedman| journal= ]| date= November 2010| volume= 4| issue= 5| pages= 48–56| url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26298483.pdf| title= Terrorism Research Centres: 100 Institutes, Programs and Organisations in the Field of Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, Radicalisation and Asymmetric Warfare Studies| jstor= 26298483| access-date= April 11, 2021| archive-date= March 9, 2023| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230309075010/https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26298483.pdf| url-status= live}}</ref>


=== International agreements ===
== History ==
One of the agreements that promote the international legal counterterrorist framework is the Code of Conduct Towards Achieving a World Free of Terrorism that was adopted at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. The Code of Conduct was initiated by ] ]. Its main goal is to implement a wide range of international commitments to counterterrorism and establish a broad global coalition towards achieving a world free of terrorism by 2045. The Code was signed by more than 70 countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=70 countries sign Counter-Terrorism Code initiated by Kazakhstan |url=https://www.inform.kz/en/70-countries-sign-counter-terrorism-code-initiated-by-kazakhstan-says-president_a3450890 |website=inform.kz |date=November 8, 2018 |access-date=November 9, 2018 |archive-date=November 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110000308/https://www.inform.kz/en/70-countries-sign-counter-terrorism-code-initiated-by-kazakhstan-says-president_a3450890 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Although there are earlier related examples, terrorism in the modern sense seems to have emerged around the mid 19th-century.


=== Response in the United States ===
In the ], ]s conducted a fierce and unrelenting terror campaign against the ] occupiers of the eastern ]. The Zealots enlisted ] to strike down rich Jewish collaborators and others who were friendly to the Romans.
{{See also|War on Terror}}
] (]) machine used by the ] to screen passengers. According to the TSA, this is what the remote TSA agent would see on their screen.]]


According to a report by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin in '']'', "Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/ |title=A hidden world, growing beyond control |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 19, 2010 |first1=Dana |last1=Priest |first2=William |last2=Arkin |access-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-date=September 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905202715/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In the ], the radical ]ic sect known as the Hash-Ishiim (This word, derived from the word "]," which the Hash-Ishiim reputedly used to drug their victims, translates directly to the word "Assassin" in the english language) employed systematic murder for a cause they believed to be righteous. For two centuries, they resisted efforts to suppress their religious beliefs and developed ritualized murder into a fine art taught through generations. Political aims were achieved through the power of intimidation. Similarly, the Christian warriors of the ] pursued political aims by means of genocidal assaults on ] civilian populations.


America's thinking on how to defeat radical Islamists is split along two very different schools of thought. Republicans, typically follow what is known as the Bush Doctrine, advocate the military model of taking the fight to the enemy and seeking to democratize the Middle East. Democrats, by contrast, generally propose the law enforcement model of better cooperation with nations and more security at home.<ref name="ankony1">Ankony, Robert C., "A New Strategy for America's War on Terrorism", ''Patrolling'' magazine, 75th Ranger Regiment Association, Winter 2011, 56–57.</ref> In the introduction of the ''U.S. Army / Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual'', ] states the need for "U.S. forces to make securing the civilian, rather than destroying the enemy, their top priority. The civilian population is the center of gravity—the deciding factor in the struggle.... Civilian deaths create an extended family of enemies—new insurgent recruits or informants—and erode support of the host nation." Sewall sums up the book's key points on how to win this battle: "Sometimes, the more you protect your force, the less secure you may be.... Sometimes, the more force is used, the less effective it is.... The more successful the counterinsurgency is, the less force can be used and the more risk must be accepted.... Sometimes, doing nothing is the best reaction."<ref>Sewall, Sarah, introduction to ''The U.S. Army / Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual'', Chicago: University of Chicago Press, (2007).</ref> This strategy, often termed "courageous restraint", has certainly led to some success on the Middle East battlefield. However, it does not address the fact that terrorists are mostly homegrown.<ref name="ankony1" />
During the ] (] - ]), the most severe period of the rule of the ] (] - ]) was labelled "]" (] - ]) and described ] extensive use of ] by ]. Certainly, this induced fear and outrage not only in the domestic population of France, but also throughout the European ], and this period is the first known use of the term "terrorism". However, it does not correspond to the modern use of the term ].


=== Ending terrorist groups ===
In 1867 the ], a ] ] group with support from ]s, carried out attacks in ]. These were the first acts of "] terrorism", which became a recurrent feature of ] history, and these ]s were the precursor of the ]. The ideology of the group was ].
]


Jones and Libicki (2008) created a list of all the terrorist groups they could find that were active between 1968 and 2006. They found 648. Of those, 136 splintered and 244 were still active in 2006.<ref>Jones and Libicki (2008, p. 19)</ref> Of the ones that ended, 43% converted to nonviolent political actions, like the ] in Northern Ireland; 40% were defeated by law enforcement; 7% (20 groups) were defeated by military force; and 10% succeeded.
In ], by the mid-19th century, the ] grew impatient with the slow pace of ]ist reforms, and sought instead to transform peasant discontent into open revolution. ] like ] maintained that progress was impossible without destruction. Their objective was nothing less than complete destruction of the state. Anything that contributed to this goal was regarded as moral. With the development of sufficiently powerful, stable, and affordable explosives, the gap closed between the firepower of the state and the means available to dissidents. Organized into secret societies like the ], Russian terrorists launched a campaign of terror against the state that climaxed in ] when Tsar ] was assassinated.


42 groups became large enough to be labeled an insurgency; 38 of those had ended by 2006. Of those, 47% converted to nonviolent political actors. Only 5% were ended by law enforcement, and 21% were defeated by military force. 26% won.<ref>Jones and Libicki (2008, p. 101, Table 5.4)</ref> Jones and Libicki concluded that military force may be necessary to deal with large insurgencies but are only occasionally decisive, because the military is too often seen as a bigger threat to civilians than the terrorists. To avoid that, the ] must be conscious of ] and work to minimize it.
In 1893 the ] was founded in Thessaloniki, now in Greece but then part of the ]. The organisation was driven by Slavic nationalism, and later acquired a reputation for ferocious attacks, including the 1934 assassination of ] during a state visit to France. The Fenians/IRA and the IMRO may be considered the prototype of all 'nationalist terrorism', and equally illustrate the expression that "one man's terrorist is another mans freedom fighter". Both groups achieved their goal, an independent ] and an independent ].


Another researcher, Audrey Cronin, lists six primary ways that terrorist groups end:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cronin |first1=Audrey Kurth |title=How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns |date=2009 |publisher=Princeton U. Press |isbn=978-0-691-13948-7}}</ref>
Today, modern weapons technology has made it possible for a "super-empowered angry man" (]) to cause a large amount of destruction by himself or with only a few conspirators. It can be, and has been, conducted by small as well as large organizations.
# Capture or killing of a group's leader (Decapitation)
# Entry of the group into a legitimate political process (Negotiation)
# Achievement of group aims (Success)
# Group implosion or loss of public support (Failure)
# Defeat and elimination through brute force (Repression)
# Transition from terrorism into other forms of violence (Reorientation)


== State and state sponsored-terrorism ==
Some people considered at some point in their lives to be terrorists, or supporters of terrorism, have gone on to become dedicated peace activists (]), respected statesmen (]) or even ] laureates (], ]). This illustrates the plasticity of the term.


=== Global trends === === State terrorism ===
{{Main|State terrorism}}
Since 1968, the ] has tallied deaths due to terrorism. In 1985, it counted 816 deaths, the highest annual toll until then. The deaths decreased since the late 1980s, then rose to 3,295 in 2001, mainly as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In 2003, more than 1,000 people died as a result of terrorist acts. Many of these deaths resulted from ] in ], ], ] and ]. It does not tally victims of state terrorism.


{{blockquote|Civilization is based on a clearly defined and widely accepted yet often unarticulated hierarchy. Violence done by those higher on the hierarchy to those lower is nearly always invisible, that is, unnoticed. When it is noticed, it is fully rationalized. Violence done by those lower on the hierarchy to those higher is unthinkable, and when it does occur it is regarded with shock, horror, and the fetishization of the victims.|]<ref>''Endgame: Resistance'', by Derrick Jensen, Seven Stories Press, 2006, {{ISBN|1-58322-730-X}}, p. ix.</ref>}}
Data from the Terrorism Knowledge base showed a similar decline since the 1980s, especially in Western Europe. On the other hand, Asia experienced an increase in international terrorist attacks. Other regions experienced less consistent patterns over time. From 1991 to 2003, there was a consistent increase in the number of casualties from international terrorist attacks in Asia, but few other consistent trends in casualties from international terrorist attacks. Three different regions had, in three different years, a few attacks with a large number of casualties.
], August 28, 1937]]
As with "terrorism" the concept of "state terrorism" is controversial.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pds Sso |url=http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00000137/01/Primorat.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512021205/https://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00000137/01/Primorat.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |access-date=August 10, 2009 |publisher=Eprints.unimelb.edu.au}}</ref> The Chairman of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee has stated that the committee was conscious of 12 international conventions on the subject, and none of them referred to state terrorism, which was not an international legal concept. If states abused their power, they should be judged against international conventions dealing with ]s, ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Addressing Security Council, Secretary-General Calls on Counter-Terrorism Committee To Develop Long-Term Strategy To Defeat Terror |url=https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/SC7276.doc.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305023524/http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/SC7276.doc.htm |archive-date=March 5, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2009 |publisher=United Nations}}</ref> Former United Nations ] ] has said that it is "time to set aside debates on so-called 'state terrorism'. The ] is already thoroughly regulated under international law".<ref>{{cite web |last=Lind |first=Michael |date=May 2, 2005 |title=The Legal Debate is Over: Terrorism is a War Crime &#124; The New America Foundation |url=http://newamerica.net/publications/articles/2005/the_legal_debate_is_over_terrorism_is_a_war_crime |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221153711/http://newamerica.net/publications/articles/2005/the_legal_debate_is_over_terrorism_is_a_war_crime |archive-date=February 21, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2009 |publisher=Newamerica.net}}</ref> He made clear that, "regardless of the differences between governments on the question of the definition of terrorism, what is clear and what we can all agree on is that any deliberate attack on innocent civilians , regardless of one's cause, is unacceptable and fits into the definition of terrorism."<ref>{{cite web |date=January 26, 2002 |title=Press conference with Kofi Annan & FM Kamal Kharrazi |url=https://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/sg-teheran26.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321112534/http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/sg-teheran26.htm |archive-date=March 21, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2009 |publisher=United Nations}}</ref>


] burning during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941]]
== Examples of major incidents ==
State terrorism has been used to refer to terrorist acts committed by governmental agents or forces. This involves the use of state resources employed by a state's foreign policies, such as using its military to directly perform acts of terrorism. Professor of Political Science Michael Stohl cites the examples that include the German ], the Japanese surprise ], the ] ], and the U.S. ] during ]. He argues that "the use of terror tactics is common in international relations and the state has been and remains a more likely employer of terrorism within the international system than insurgents." He cites the ] option as an example of the "terror of coercive diplomacy" as a form of this, which holds the world hostage with the implied threat of using ]s in "crisis management" and he argues that the institutionalized form of terrorism has occurred as a result of changes that took place following World War II. In this analysis, state terrorism exhibited as a form of ] was shaped by the presence and use of ], and the legitimizing of such violent behavior led to an increasingly accepted form of this behavior by the state.<ref name="tws11jangbhh">{{cite news |last=Stohl |first=Michael |date=April 1, 1984 |title=The Superpowers and International Terror |publisher=International Studies Association, Atlanta}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stohl |first=Michael |year=1988 |title=Terrible beyond Endurance? The Foreign Policy of State Terrorism |publisher=International Studies Association, Atlanta}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stohl |first=Michael |year=1984 |title=The State as Terrorist: The Dynamics of Governmental Violence and Repression |publisher=International Studies Association, Atlanta |page=49}}</ref>
{{main|List of terrorist incidents}}
] ]]
The following incidents have been described as domestic and international terrorism: the ], the ] in the ] (], ]); the ] in ] (], ]); the ] in ], and ], USA; the ] of Israeli Olympic athletes in ]; the ] in October 2002, the destruction of ] over ], ] on December 21, ], attack on ] (], ]), the ] in 1996, the ] in ], and the ] in ].


] described ]'s ] as terrorism in his "no-Rent manifesto" in 1881, during the ].<ref>{{cite news |date=August 2, 2009 |title=The 'No Rent' Manifesto.; Text of the Document Issued by the Land League |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C04E6DF113CEE3ABC4951DFB667838A699FDE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304040201/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C04E6DF113CEE3ABC4951DFB667838A699FDE |archive-date=March 4, 2012 |access-date=August 10, 2009 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> The concept is used to describe ]s by governments against their own civilian populations with the purpose of inciting fear. For example, taking and executing civilian ]s or ] campaigns are commonly considered "terror" or terrorism, for example during the ] or the ].<ref name="Black">Nicolas Werth, Karel Bartošek, Jean-Louis Panné, Jean-Louis Margolin, Andrzej Paczkowski, ], ''The ]: Crimes, Terror, Repression'', Harvard University Press, 1999, hardcover, 858 pp., {{ISBN|0-674-07608-7}}</ref> Such actions are often described as ] or ], which have been argued to be equivalent to state terrorism.<ref name="Kisangani2007">{{cite journal |author=Kisangani, E. |last2=Nafziger |first2=E. Wayne |year=2007 |title=The Political Economy of State Terror |journal=Defence and Peace Economics |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=405–414 |citeseerx=10.1.1.579.1472 |doi=10.1080/10242690701455433 |s2cid=155020309}}</ref> Empirical studies on this have found that democracies have little democide.<ref>''Death by Government'' by R.J. Rummel New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1994. Online links: {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118212828/http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/NOTE1.HTM|date=January 18, 2019}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301053804/http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.FIG23.4.GIF|date=March 1, 2009}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301053755/http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/POWER.FIG2.GIF|date=March 1, 2009}}</ref><ref>'''', Barbara Harff, 2003. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030201259/http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/genocide/|date=October 30, 2007}}</ref> Western democracies, ], have supported state terrorism<ref>{{cite book |last=Blakeley |first=Ruth |url=http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415462402/ |title=State Terrorism and Neoliberalism: The North in the South |date=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-68617-4 |pages=, , |access-date=July 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614055306/http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415462402/ |archive-date=June 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and mass killings,<ref>{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Benjamin A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNy55BHupsoC&pg=PA27 |title=Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the 20th Century |date=2005 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-8014-7273-2 |page=27 |access-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133000/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNy55BHupsoC&pg=PA27#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bevins |first1=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Bevins |title=] |date=2020 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1541742406 |page=238}}</ref> with some examples being the ] and ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Simpson |first=Bradley |url=https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=7853 |title=Economists with Guns: Authoritarian Development and U.S.–Indonesian Relations, 1960–1968 |date=2010 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=978-0-8047-7182-5 |page=193 |quote="Washington did everything in its power to encourage and facilitate the army-led massacre of alleged PKI members, and U.S. officials worried only that the killing of the party's unarmed supporters might not go far enough, permitting Sukarno to return to power and frustrate the Administration's emerging plans for a post-Sukarno Indonesia. This was efficacious terror, an essential building block of the ] policies that the West would attempt to impose on Indonesia after Sukarno's ouster" |access-date=July 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625213245/https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=7853 |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BlumenthalMcCormack">Mark Aarons (2007). " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105010004/https://books.google.com/books?id=dg0hWswKgTIC&pg=PA69#v=onepage&q&f=false|date=January 5, 2024}}." In David A. Blumenthal and Timothy L.H. McCormack (eds). '' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105053952/http://www.brill.com/legacy-nuremberg-civilising-influence-or-institutionalised-vengeance|date=January 5, 2016}}'' ]. {{ISBN|90-04-15691-7}} pp. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164759/https://books.google.com/books?id=dg0hWswKgTIC&pg=PA71|date=March 26, 2023}} & {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329133001/https://books.google.com/books?id=dg0hWswKgTIC&pg=PA81#v=onepage&q&f=false|date=March 29, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McSherry |first1=J. Patrice |author-link1=J. Patrice McSherry |title=State Violence and Genocide in Latin America: The Cold War Years (Critical Terrorism Studies) |publisher=Routledge |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-415-66457-8 |editor1=Esparza, Marcia |page= |chapter=Chapter 5: "Industrial repression" and Operation Condor in Latin America |access-date=January 30, 2017 |editor-last2=Huttenbach |editor-first2=Henry R. |editor-last3=Feierstein |editor-first3=Daniel |chapter-url=https://www.routledge.com/State-Violence-and-Genocide-in-Latin-America-The-Cold-War-Years/Esparza-Huttenbach-Feierstein/p/book/9780415496377 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719232658/https://www.routledge.com/State-Violence-and-Genocide-in-Latin-America-The-Cold-War-Years/Esparza-Huttenbach-Feierstein/p/book/9780415496377 |archive-date=July 19, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The deadliest events described as terrorism and not known to have been sponsored by a state were the ] on the ] in ] and ], in ]. So far as is known, the deadliest attack planned but not executed was ], which aimed to murder ] ] and blow up 11 airliners. The plot was aborted after an apartment fire in ], ] on January 5, 1995 exposed the operation to police. The militants who were planning it were just over two weeks away from implementing their plot. Other plots, such as the ], were designed to kill thousands but failed to do so.

=== State-sponsored terrorism ===
{{Main|State-sponsored terrorism}}
] and ] are widely considered responsible for the ] that killed 73 people.<ref>Bardach, Ann Louis; Rohter, Larry (July 13, 1998). . ''The New York Times''.</ref>]]
A state can sponsor terrorism by funding or harboring a terrorist group. Opinions as to which acts of violence by states consist of state-sponsored terrorism vary widely. When states provide funding for groups considered by some to be terrorist, they rarely acknowledge them as such.<ref>{{cite news |title=State Sponsored Terrorism |url=https://www.trackingterrorism.org/article/state-sponsored-terrorism |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823072823/https://www.trackingterrorism.org/article/state-sponsored-terrorism |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=May 28, 2017 |newspaper=Trac |publisher=trackingterrorism.org}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

== Impact and debate ==
Terrorism is a ]. It is often used with the connotation of something that is morally wrong. Governments and non-state groups use the term to abuse or denounce opposing groups.<ref name="Walzer" /><ref name="Sinclair">{{Cite book |last1=Sinclair |first1=Samuel Justin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_2oCOWmQfysC&pg=PT30 |title=The Psychology of Terrorism Fears |last2=Antonius |first2=Daniel |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press, US |isbn=978-0-19-538811-4 |page=14}}</ref><ref name="JR.White">{{Cite book |last=White |first=Jonathan R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XINTCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |title=Terrorism and Homeland Security |date=January 1, 2016 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-305-63377-3 |page=3}}</ref><ref name="Heryant" /><ref name="Ruthven">{{Cite book |last1=Ruthven |first1=Malise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT1xGHPyMA8C&pg=PA184 |title=Historical Atlas of Islam |last2=Nanji |first2=Azim |date=April 24, 2017 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-01385-8}}</ref> While ] has been adopted in many states, the distinction between ] and terrorism remains a complex and debated matter.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Majoran |first=Andrew |date=August 1, 2014 |title=The Illusion of War: Is Terrorism a Criminal Act or an Act of War? |url=https://mackenzieinstitute.com/2014/08/the-illusion-of-war-is-terrorism-a-criminal-act-or-an-act-of-war/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231212018/https://mackenzieinstitute.com/2014/08/the-illusion-of-war-is-terrorism-a-criminal-act-or-an-act-of-war/ |archive-date=December 31, 2020 |access-date=April 24, 2020 |publisher=Mackenzie Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bohmer |first=Carol |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/743396687 |title=Rejecting refugees: political asylum in the 21st century |date=2010 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-77375-1 |pages=258 |oclc=743396687}}</ref> There is no consensus as to whether terrorism should be regarded as a ].<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Eviatar |first=Daphne |date=June 13, 2013 |title=Is 'Terrorism' a War Crime Triable by Military Commission? Who Knows? |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/daphne-eviatar/is-terrorism-a-war-crime_b_3436117.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011222547/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/daphne-eviatar/is-terrorism-a-war-crime_b_3436117.html |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |access-date=April 29, 2017 |website=HuffPost}}</ref> ] is that perpetrated by ], but is not considered such by the state conducting it, making legality a grey area.<ref name="teichman">{{Cite journal |last=Jenny Teichman |year=1989 |title=How to Define Terrorism |journal=Philosophy |volume=64 |issue=250 |pages=505–517 |doi=10.1017/S0031819100044260 |jstor=3751606 |s2cid=144723359}}</ref> Countries sometimes opt to ignore terrorist activities committed by allies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=On Terrorists and Freedom Fighters |url=https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/no-volume/on-terrorists-and-freedom-fighters/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Harvard Law Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harb |first=Ali |title=Do Lebanon explosions violate the laws of war? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/18/do-lebanon-explosions-violate-the-laws-of-war |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

The use of the term in the ] has given rise to controversies concerning the vagueness of how terrorists are defined and identified.<ref>"For the Israeli commander on the ground, the meaning of terrorism has become increasingly vague and contradictory. This problem is both generic and, because of the Oslo Accords,2 Israel-specific . . the term is increasingly losing all operational precision. . . Significantly, despite the growing volume of academic publications dealing with terrorism, little, if any, serious progress has been made in suitably clarifying that concept, in distinguishing it clearly from various other uses of force in world politics and from other related crimes under international law. Indeed, judging from the standard definitions of terrorism now in "professional" use, definitions that offer little or no operational benefit for scholars or for tactical commanders, the term has become so comprehensive and vague that it embraces even the most discrepant and unintended activities.", ], , '' ]'' , Summer/Fall 1997, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 257–276.</ref>

Media outlets who wish to convey impartiality may limit their usage of "terrorist" and "terrorism" because they are loosely defined, potentially controversial in nature, and subjective terms.<ref name="GUSG">{{cite news |date=December 19, 2008 |title=Guardian and Observer style guide: T |url=https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-t |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709224453/https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-t |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=April 9, 2014 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Editorial Guidelines on Language when Reporting Terrorism |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/page/guidance-reporting-terrorism-summary |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230022314/http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/page/guidance-reporting-terrorism-summary |archive-date=December 30, 2011 |access-date=January 9, 2011 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

=== Pejorative use ===
The term "terrorism" is often used to abuse or denounce opposite parties, either governments or non-state groups.<ref name="Walzer" /><ref name="Sinclair" /><ref name="JR.White" /><ref name="Heryant" /><ref name="Ruthven" /> An example of this is the '']'' political attack used by right-wing groups in ] to target leftist groups or those opposed to the ] '']'', likening opponents to guerrilla organizations<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904121538/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/abimael-guzman-dead/2021/09/11/0ecee938-131e-11ec-9cb6-bf9351a25799_story.html|date=September 4, 2022}} Whashington Post website: "Abimael Guzmán, the mastermind of the Shining Path terrorist organization in Peru, a brutal Maoist movement that nearly toppled the country's government in the 1980s and early 1990s, leaving thousands of people dead, died Sept. 11 in a hospital at a military prison outside Lima. He was 86."</ref> from the ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last1=Feline Freier |first1=Luisa |last2=Castillo Jara |first2=Soledad |date=January 13, 2021 |title="Terruqueo" and Peru's Fear of the Left |url=https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/terruqueo-and-perus-fear-of-the-left/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212100921/https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/terruqueo-and-perus-fear-of-the-left/ |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=November 18, 2021 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=Qué es el "terruqueo" en Perú y cómo influye en la disputa presidencial entre Fujimori y Castillo |url=https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-57277852 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118065059/https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-57277852 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |access-date=November 18, 2021 |work=] |language=es}}</ref><ref name="PROFE1">{{cite book |last1=Asensio |first1=Raúl |url=https://fondoeditorial.iep.org.pe/producto/el-profe-como-pedro-castillo-se-convirtio-en-presidente-del-peru-y-que-pasara-a-continuacion-2/ |title=El Profe: Cómo Pedro Castillo se convirtió en presidente del Perú y qué pasará a continuación |last2=Camacho |first2=Gabriela |last3=González |first3=Natalia |last4=Grompone |first4=Romeo |last5=Pajuelo Teves |first5=Ramón |last6=Peña Jimenez |first6=Omayra |last7=Moscoso |first7=Macarena |last8=Vásquez |first8=Yerel |last9=Sosa Villagarcia |first9=Paolo |date=August 2021 |publisher=] |isbn=978-612-326-084-2 |edition=1 |location=] |pages=13–24 |language=es |access-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105081352/https://fondoeditorial.iep.org.pe/producto/el-profe-como-pedro-castillo-se-convirtio-en-presidente-del-peru-y-que-pasara-a-continuacion-2/ |archive-date=November 5, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Those labeled "terrorists" by their opponents rarely identify themselves as such, but it was not always so. While a multitude of terms like ], ], liberator, ], ], ], paramilitary, ], ], patriot, have come into use, (including some culturally specific terms borrowed from other languages like ]i, ], and ]), the unwillingness to self-identify as terrorists began when parties in a conflict started to describe each other as terrorists pejoratively.<ref name="tws11janbcvc">{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Paul |author2=quoting David Hannay |author3=Former UK ambassador |date=September 14, 2005 |title=UN staggers on road to reform |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4244842.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103100638/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4244842.stm |archive-date=November 3, 2019 |access-date=January 11, 2010 |work=BBC News |quote=This would end the argument that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter&nbsp;...}}</ref> As an example, when ] attacked a Russian official known for abusing prisoners she told the court "I am not a criminal, I am a terrorist!". The stunned court acquitted Zazulich when they realized that she was trying to become a ]. She was carried out of the courtroom on the shoulders of the crowd.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pedahzur |first1=Ami |title=Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism: The Globalization of Martyrdom |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |location=United Kingdom}}</ref>

Some groups and individuals have openly admitted to using "terrorist tactics" even while maintaining distance from the pejorative term in their self-descriptions. The ] militant group ] admitted that they used terrorist tactics but used the euphemism "Freedom Fighters" to describe themselves (''Lohamei Herut Yisrael'' means "Freedom Fighters for Israel".){{sfn|Hoffman|1998|p=21}}

In his book ''Inside Terrorism'' ] offered an explanation of why the term ''terrorism'' becomes distorted:

{{blockquote|On one point, at least, everyone agrees: ''terrorism'' is a pejorative term. It is a word with intrinsically negative connotations that is generally applied to one's enemies and opponents, or to those with whom one disagrees and would otherwise prefer to ignore. 'What is called terrorism,' Brian Jenkins has written, 'thus seems to depend on one's point of view. Use of the term implies a moral judgment; and if one party can successfully attach the label ''terrorist'' to its opponent, then it has indirectly persuaded others to adopt its moral viewpoint.' Hence the decision to call someone or label some organization ''terrorist'' becomes almost unavoidably subjective, depending largely on whether one sympathizes with or opposes the person/group/cause concerned. If one identifies with the victim of the violence, for example, then the act is terrorism. If, however, one identifies with the perpetrator, the violent act is regarded in a more sympathetic, if not positive (or, at the worst, an ambivalent) light; and it is not terrorism.{{sfn|Hoffman|1998|p=31}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Raymond |last=Bonner |title=Getting Attention: A scholar's historical and political survey of terrorism finds that it works |quote=''Inside Terrorism'' falls into the category of 'must read,' at least for anyone who wants to understand how we can respond to international acts of terror. |newspaper=The New York Times |department=Books |date=November 1, 1998 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/11/01/reviews/981101.01bonnert.html |access-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-date=April 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424193236/http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/11/01/reviews/981101.01bonnert.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

The pejorative connotations of the word can be summed up in the ], "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".<ref name="tws11janbcvc" /> This is exemplified when a group using ] methods is an ally of a ] against a mutual enemy, but later falls out with the state and starts to use those methods against its former ally.

Groups accused of terrorism understandably prefer terms reflecting legitimate military or ideological action.<ref>Sudha Ramachandran '''' ], November 12, 2004, "Insurgent groups that use suicide attacks therefore do not like their attacks to be described as suicide terrorism. They prefer to use terms like "martyrdom&nbsp;..."</ref><ref>Alex Perry '']'', September 26, 2005. "The Tamil Tigers would dispute that tag, of course. Like other guerrillas and suicide bombers, they prefer the term "freedom fighters".</ref><ref name="TCCACR"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301053750/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/dtra/terrorism_concepts.doc|date=March 1, 2009}} ] Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Printed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, January 2003.</ref> Leading terrorism researcher Professor Martin Rudner, director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at Ottawa's ], defines "terrorist acts" as unlawful attacks for political or other ideological goals, and said:

{{blockquote|There is the famous statement: 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.' But that is grossly misleading. It assesses the validity of the cause when terrorism is an act. One can have a perfectly beautiful cause and yet if one commits terrorist acts, it is terrorism regardless.<ref name="famous quote one man's">{{cite book |last1=Quinney |first1=Nigel |last2=Coyne |first2=A. Heather |title=Peacemaker's Toolkit Talking to Groups that Use Terrorism |date=2011 |publisher=United States Institute of Peace |isbn=978-1-60127-072-6 |url=http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/resources/PMT_Talking_to_Groups_that_Use_Terror.pdf |access-date=11 December 2016 |archive-date=May 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506163555/https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/resources/PMT_Talking_to_Groups_that_Use_Terror.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Labelling opponents as "terrorists" has been used as a tactic to evade the usual laws of war against things such as assassinations and other ], particularly by ] and the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Archambault |first1=Emil |last2=Trenta |first2=Luca |last3=Duroy |first3=Sophie |date=2024-10-03 |title=The killing of Hassan Nasrallah and how the west legitimised its use of assassination |url=https://theconversation.com/the-killing-of-hassan-nasrallah-and-how-the-west-legitimised-its-use-of-assassination-240247 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>{{better source|date=November 2024}}{{attribution needed|date=November 2024}} Some international legal opinions suggest that terrorist activities by their very nature "deny" the civilian nature of an ostensibly civilian participant.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/pt/customary-ihl/v2/rule6 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=ihl-databases.icrc.org |title=Practice relating to Norma 6. Civilians' Loss of Protection from Attack}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hoffman |first=Michael H. |date=2002 |title=Terrorists Are Unlawful Belligerents, Not Unlawful Combatants: A Distinction with Implications for the Future of International Humanitarian Law |url=https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/jil/article/1455/&path_info=19_34CaseWResJIntlL227_2002__Hoffman.pdf |journal=] |volume=34 |issue=2}}</ref>

] leaders in the Oval Office in 1983]]
Some groups, when involved in a "liberation" struggle, have been called "terrorists" by the Western governments or media. Later, these same persons, as leaders of the liberated nations, are called "statesmen" by similar organizations. Two examples of this phenomenon are the ] laureates ] and ].<ref>Theodore P. Seto '' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301053751/http://llr.lls.edu/volumes/v35-issue4/seto.pdf|date=March 1, 2009}}'' Includes a list in ] published on July 23, 1946, which were described as Jewish terrorist actions, including those launched by Irgun, of which Begin was a leading member.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115043210/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/israel_at_50/profiles/81305.stm|date=January 15, 2009}} BBC website "Under Begin's command, the underground terrorist group Irgun carried out numerous acts of violence."</ref><ref>Lord Desai {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311054052/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo980903/text/80903-04.htm|date=March 11, 2007}} September 3, 1998 : Column 72, "However, Jomo Kenyatta, ] and ] – to give just three examples – were all denounced as terrorists but all proved to be successful political leaders of their countries and good friends of the United Kingdom."</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115094505/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4255106.stm|date=January 15, 2009}} BBC website "Of all groups active in recent times, the ANC perhaps represents best the traditional dichotomous view of armed struggle. Once regarded by western governments as a terrorist group, it now forms the legitimate, elected government of South Africa, with Nelson Mandela one of the world's genuinely iconic figures."</ref> ] editor ] has been called a "terrorist" by ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Beckford |first=Martin |date=November 30, 2010 |title=Hunt WikiLeaks founder like al-Qaeda and Taliban Leaders |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8171269/Sarah-Palin-hunt-WikiLeaks-founder-like-al-Qaeda-and-Taliban-leaders.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8171269/Sarah-Palin-hunt-WikiLeaks-founder-like-al-Qaeda-and-Taliban-leaders.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |access-date=January 7, 2011 |newspaper=] |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=MacAskill |first=Ewen |date=December 19, 2010 |title=Julian Assange like a hi-tech terrorist |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/19/assange-high-tech-terrorist-biden |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910010111/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/19/assange-high-tech-terrorist-biden |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |access-date=January 7, 2011 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref>

Inversely, some groups like the ] that were labelled as "freedom fighters" later became "terrorists" as alliances shifted.<ref>"An unbiased look at terrorism in Afghanistan reveals that many of these 'terrorists' individuals or groups were once 'freedom fighters' struggling against the Soviets during the 1980s." ({{Cite book |last=Chouvy |first=Pierre-Arnaud |title=Opium: Uncovering the Politics of the Poppy |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-674-05134-8 |edition=illustrated, reprint |page=}})</ref> During the ], the ] were allied with the British, but during the ], members of its successor organisation (the ]) started campaigns against them, and were branded "terrorists" as a result.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324094215/http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9371060/Malayan-People%27s-Anti-Japanese-Army|date=March 24, 2007}} Britannica Concise.</ref><ref>Chris Clark ''{{cite web |title=Malayan Emergency, 16 June 1948 |url=http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering1942/malaya/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608150502/http://awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering1942/malaya/index.htm |archive-date=June 8, 2007}}'', June 16, 2003.</ref>

== Databases ==
The following terrorism databases are or were made publicly available for research purposes, and track specific acts of terrorism:
* ], an open-source database by the ] on terrorist events around the world from 1970 through 2017 with more than 150,000 cases.
* ]
* ]
* ] (dynamic database)
The following public report and index provides a summary of key global trends and patterns in terrorism around the world:
* ], produced annually by the ]
The following publicly available resources index electronic and bibliographic resources on the subject of terrorism:
* ]

The following terrorism databases are maintained in secrecy by the United States Government for intelligence and counterterrorism purposes:
* ]
* ]

Jones and Libicki (2008) includes a table of 268 terrorist groups active between 1968 and 2006 with their status as of 2006: still active, splintered, converted to nonviolence, removed by law enforcement or military, or won. (These data are not in a convenient machine-readable format but are available.)

== Infographics ==
{{See also|Number of terrorist incidents by country}}
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Terrorist incidents map of the world 1970-2015.svg|Terrorist incidents, 1970–2015. A total of 157,520 incidents are plotted. '''{{color|Orange}}''': 1970–1999, '''{{color|Red}}''': 2000–2015
File:The number of terrorist attacks 2000-2014 (Top 10 Countries).png|Top 10 Countries (2000–2014)
File:Terrorist incidents worldwide.svg|Worldwide non-state terrorist incidents 1970–2017
File:Share who are worried about vs. share of deaths from terrorism, OWID.svg|Share who are worried about vs. share of deaths from terrorism
</gallery>


== See also == == See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
** ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
** ]
** ]
** ]
** ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}


== External links == == Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
=== Etymology (history and first use of "terrorism") ===
*
*
===Official definitions and law===
* , German Law Journal. No. 5 (1 May 2004), Special Edition.
* - fully indexed and crosslinked with other documents
* - fully indexed and crosslinked with other documents
*


== References ==
===Controversy about definition ===
* {{cite book |last=Hoffman |first=Bruce |title=Inside Terrorism |location=New York |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=1988}}{{verify source|date=October 2022|reason=Could not find this edition}}
*
* {{cite news |first=Bruce |last=Hoffman |author-link=Bruce Hoffman |year=1998 |title=Inside Terrorism |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=0-231-11468-0 |page= |url=https://archive.org/details/insideterrorism00hoff |access-date=January 11, 2010}}
* Boaz Ganor
** {{cite book |first=Bruce |last=Hoffman |author-link=Bruce Hoffman |title=Inside Terrorism |year=1998a |chapter=Chapter One |chapter-url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hoffman-terrorism.html |access-date=January 11, 2010 |via=The New York Times}}
*
* {{cite book |last=Hoffman|first=Bruce |title=Inside Terrorism |edition=2nd |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2006}}
*
* {{cite book |last=Spaaij |first=Ramon |year=2012 |title=Understanding Lone Wolf Terrorism: Global Patterns, Motivations and Prevention}}
* The ]'s Allan Little -
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022175221/http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/627/html |date=October 22, 2017 }}
* ]'s
* {{cite book |last1=Dietze|first1=Carola |last2=Verhoeven |first2=Claudia |title=The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}
* ] "''''"
* {{cite book |last=Wilkinson |first=Paul |title=Terrorism and the Liberal State |date=1977 |publisher=Macmillan}}
*{{cite book |last=Laqueur |first=Walter |title=A History of Terrorism |date=2001 |publisher=Taylor & Francis}}
*{{cite book|last=Chalk |first=Peter |title=Encyclopedia of Terrorism |date=2013 |publisher=ABC-CLIO}}
*{{cite book |last=Primoratz |first=Igor |title=Terrorism: The Philosophical Issues |date=2004 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan}}


== Further reading ==
===Accounts of terrorism===
* Bakker, Edwin.
*
*{{cite journal |url=https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2021/issue-2/bowie.pdf |title=40 Terrorism Databases and Data Sets: A New Inventory |first=Neil G. |last=Bowie |volume=XV |journal=] |issue=2 |date=April 2021 |publisher=] |issn=2334-3745 |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503001956/https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2021/issue-2/bowie.pdf |url-status=dead}}
*
* Burleigh, Michael. ''Blood and rage: a cultural history of terrorism''. Harper, 2009.
* ]'s
* Chaliand, Gérard and Arnaud Blin, eds. ''The history of terrorism: from antiquity to al Qaeda''. University of California Press, 2007.
*
* Coates, Susan W., Rosenthal, Jane, and Schechter, Daniel S. ''September 11: Trauma and Human Bonds'' (Taylor and Francis, 2003).
* The
* Crenshaw, Martha, ed. ''Terrorism in context''. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995.
* (])
* {{citation |last1=Jones |first1=Seth G. |last2=Libicki |first2=Martin C. |author1-link=Seth Jones (political scientist) |author2-link=Martin C. Libicki |year=2008 |title=How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida |publisher=RAND Corporation |isbn=978-0-8330-4465-5 |url=http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG741-1.pdf}}
*
* Hennigfeld, Ursula/ Packard, Stephan, ed., ''Abschied von 9/11? Distanznahme zur Katastrophe''. Berlin: Frank & Timme, 2013.
* Hennigfeld, Ursula, ed., ''Poetiken des Terrors. Narrative des 11. September 2001 im interkulturellen Vergleich''. Heidelberg: Winter, 2014.
* Hewitt, Christopher. ''Understanding terrorism in America'' (Routledge, 2003).
* Hewitt, Christopher. "Terrorism and public opinion: A five country comparison." ''Terrorism and Political Violence'' 2.2 (1990): 145–170.
* Jones, Sidney. ''''. Jakarta: International Crisis Group, 2013.
* Land, Isaac, ed., ''Enemies of humanity: the nineteenth-century war on terrorism''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
* Lee, Newton. ''Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity: Total Information Awareness (2nd Edition)''. New York: Springer, 2015. {{ISBN|978-3-319-17243-9}}
* Lutz, James and Brenda Lutz. ''Terrorism : origins and evolution'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005)
* Margolin, Devorah; Cook, Joana (2024). "]". ''Studies in Conflict & Terrorism''.
* Miller, Martin A. ''The foundations of modern terrorism: state, society and the dynamics of political violence''. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
* {{cite book |last1=Nairn |first1=Tom |last2=James |first2=Paul |author-link=Paul James (academic) |title=Global Matrix: Nationalism, Globalism and State-Terrorism |url=https://www.academia.edu/1642325 |year=2005 |publisher=Pluto Press |location=London / New York}}
* Neria, Yuval, Gross, Raz, Marshall, Randall D., and Susser, Ezra. ''September 11, 2001: Treatment, Research and Public Mental Health in the Wake of a Terrorist Attack'' (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
*{{cite book |last=Schmid |first=Alex P. |editor-first1=Alex |editor-last1=Schmid |title=Handbook of Terrorism Prevention and Preparedness |publisher=International Centre for Counter-Terrorism |date=November 2020 |url=https://icct.nl/handbook-of-terrorism-prevention-and-preparedness/ |doi=10.19165/2020.6.01 |issn=2468-0486 |isbn=9789090339771}} An open-access publication, issued since November 2020 on the ] (ICCT) website, with a chapter published each week.
* Stern, Jessica. ''The Ultimate Terrorists''. (Harvard University Press 2000 reprint; 1995). 214 p. {{ISBN|0-674-00394-2}}
* Tausch, Arno, (December 11, 2015). '']'', Rubin Center, Research in International Affairs, Idc Herzliya, Israel, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring 2015).
* '''', Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. {{ISBN|978-2-9809728-7-4}}.


===United Kingdom===
===Terrorism and smuggling organizations===
{{Further| Terrorism in the United Kingdom}}
* http://acfei.com/ce-novdec03-DrugSmuggling.php/ Forensic Examiner article :Drug Smuggling Behavior: A Developmental Smuggling Model (Part 1)
* Blackbourn, Jessie. "Counter-Terrorism and Civil Liberties: The United Kingdom Experience, 1968-2008." ''Journal of the Institute of Justice and International Studies'' 8 (2008): 63+
* http://acfei.com/images/PDF/articles/2004sp-DrugSmuggling.pdf/ Forensic Examiner article Drug Smuggling: A Developmental Smuggling Model (Part2)
* Bonner, David. "United Kingdom: the United Kingdom response to terrorism." ''Terrorism and Political Violence'' 4.4 (1992): 171–205.
* http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/.../911_TerrTrav_Monograph.pdf9-11 and Terrorist Travel/- Full (PDF) Walter T. Hempel II. Janice L. Kephart. Kelly Moore ... Hempel II, Janice Kephart, and Kelly Moore, with assistance from Joanne Accolla, and editing assistance from Alice ...
* Chin, Warren. ''Britain and the war on terror: Policy, strategy and operations'' (Routledge, 2016).
* http://judiciary.senate.gov/print_testimony.cfm?id=1414&wit_id=4067/ Testimony of Janice L. Kephart. Senior Consultant, The Investigative Project on Terrorism ... Testimony of Janice L. Kephart. Introduction. Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity ...
* Clutterbuck, Lindsay. "Countering Irish Republican terrorism in Britain: Its origin as a police function." ''Terrorism and Political Violence'' 18.1 (2006) pp: 95–118.
* Greer, Steven. "Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in the UK: From Northern Irish Troubles to Global Islamist Jihad." in ''Counter-Terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice'' (Hart Publishing, 2018) pp.&nbsp;45–62.
* Hamilton, Claire. "Counter-Terrorism in the UK." in ''Contagion, Counter-Terrorism and Criminology'' (Palgrave Pivot, Cham, 2019) pp.&nbsp;15–47.
* Hewitt, Steve. "Great Britain: Terrorism and counter-terrorism since 1968." in ''Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism'' (Routledge, 2018) pp.&nbsp;540–551.
* Martínez-Peñas, Leandro, and Manuela Fernández-Rodríguez. "Evolution of British Law on Terrorism: From Ulster to Global Terrorism (1970–2010)." in ''Post 9/11 and the State of Permanent Legal Emergency'' (Springer, 2012) pp.&nbsp;201–222.
* O'Day, Alan. "Northern Ireland, Terrorism, and the British State." in ''Terrorism: Theory and Practice'' (Routledge, 2019) pp.&nbsp;121–135.
* Sacopulos, Peter J. "Terrorism in Britain: Threat, reality, response." ''Studies in Conflict & Terrorism'' 12.3 (1989): 153–165.
* Staniforth, Andrew, and Fraser Sampson, eds. ''The Routledge companion to UK counter-terrorism'' (Routledge, 2012).
* Sinclair, Georgina. "Confronting terrorism: British Experiences past and present." ''Crime, Histoire & Sociétés/Crime, History & Societies'' 18.2 (2014): 117–122.
* Tinnes, Judith, ed. "Bibliography: Northern Ireland conflict (the troubles)." ''Perspectives on Terrorism'' 10.1 (2016): 83–110.
* Wilkinson, Paul, ed. ''Terrorism: British Perspectives'' (Dartmouth, 1993).


=== Essays and analysis=== == External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*
{{Commons category|Terrorism}}
* Christian Science Monitor : Exactly what is terrorism? |
{{wiktionary}}
* Beinin, Joel, '''', ], Issue 85 (Winter 2003): 12-23.
{{Library resources box
* Gerald A. Juhnke,
|by=no
* ] (1909), ''''
|onlinebooks=yes
* Galak, Michael and Vaknin, Sam
|others=no
*
|about=yes
*
}}
* United Nations:
* ]: {{cite web |url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_conventions.html |title=Conventions against terrorism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070805001945/http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_conventions.html |archive-date=August 5, 2007}}
*
* , International Committee of the Red Cross
*


{{Terrorism topics}}
=== Video ===
{{War on Terrorism|state=collapsed}}
* . (BBC) (5 min.)
*


{{Authority control}}
=== Further reading ===
*''International Terrorism: A New Mode of Conflict'' by ], Crescent Publications, 1975, ISBN 0891440003
*''The Terrorism Reader'' by ] and ], New American Library, 1987, ISBN 0452008433
* ''Inside Terrorism'' by Bruce Hoffman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998, ISBN 0575065095
* '']: ], ] and the future of terrorism'', by ], NUP, 1998, ISBN 1555535097
*''Responding to the Terrorist Threat'' by ] and ], Pergamon Press, 1981, ISBN 0080251064



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Latest revision as of 11:00, 18 December 2024

Use of violence to achieve aims "Terrorist" redirects here. For other uses, see Terrorist (disambiguation).

United Airlines Flight 175 hits the South Tower of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks of 2001 in New York City, an act of terrorism planned by Osama bin Laden and executed by al-Qaeda
Part of a series on
Terrorism and political violence
By ideology
Religious
Special-interest / Single-issue
Related topics
Organizational structures
  • Methods
  • Tactics
Terrorist groups
Relationship to states
State terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
Response to terrorism

Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war against non-combatants. There are various different definitions of terrorism, with no universal agreement about it. Different definitions of terrorism emphasize its randomness, its aim to instill fear, and its broader impact beyond its immediate victims.

Modern terrorism, evolving from earlier iterations, employs various tactics to pursue political goals, often leveraging fear as a strategic tool to influence decision makers. By targeting densely populated public areas such as transportation hubs, airports, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and nightlife venues, terrorists aim to instill widespread insecurity, prompting policy changes through psychological manipulation and undermining confidence in security measures.

The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century but became widely used internationally and gained worldwide attention in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Basque conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The increased use of suicide attacks from the 1980s onwards was typified by the 2001 September 11 attacks in the United States. The Global Terrorism Database, maintained by the University of Maryland, College Park, has recorded more than 61,000 incidents of non-state terrorism, resulting in at least 140,000 deaths between 2000 and 2014.

Various organizations have used terrorism to achieve their objectives. These include left-wing and right-wing political organizations, nationalist groups, religious groups, revolutionaries, and ruling governments. In recent decades, hybrid terrorist organizations have emerged, incorporating both military and political arms.

Etymology and definition

Etymology

See also: Reign of Terror
Seal of the Jacobin Club

The term "terrorism" itself was originally used to describe the actions of the Jacobin Club during the "Reign of Terror" in the French Revolution. "Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible", said Jacobin leader Maximilien Robespierre. In 1795, Edmund Burke denounced the Jacobins for letting "thousands of those hell-hounds called Terrorists ... loose on the people" of France. John Calvin's rule over Geneva in the 16th century has also been described as a reign of terror.

The terms "terrorism" and "terrorist" gained renewed currency in the 1970s as a result of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Basque separatist group, ETA, and the operations of groups such as the Red Army Faction. Leila Khaled was described as a terrorist in a 1970 issue of Life magazine. A number of books on terrorism were published in the 1970s. The topic came further to the fore after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings and again after the 2001 September 11 attacks and the 2002 Bali bombings.

Definition

Main article: Definition of terrorism
Mass killings in the Vendée during the Reign of Terror in France, 1793

No definition of terrorism has gained universal agreement. Challenges emerge due to the politically and emotionally charged nature of the term, the double standards used in applying it, and disagreement over the nature of terrorist acts and limits of the right to self-determination. Harvard law professor Richard Baxter, a leading expert on the law of war, was a skeptic: "We have cause to regret that a legal concept of 'terrorism' was ever inflicted upon us. The term is imprecise; it is ambiguous; and above all, it serves no operative legal purpose."

Different legal systems and government agencies employ diverse definitions of terrorism, with governments showing hesitation in establishing a universally accepted, legally binding definition. Title 18 of the United States Code defines terrorism as acts that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or government. The international community has been slow to formulate a universally agreed, legally binding definition of this crime, and has been unable to conclude a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that incorporates a single, all-encompassing, legally binding, criminal law definition of terrorism. These difficulties arise from the fact that the term "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged. The international community has instead adopted a series of sectoral conventions that define and criminalize various types of terrorist activities.

Counterterrorism analyst Bruce Hoffman has noted that it is not only individual agencies within the same governmental apparatus that cannot agree on a single definition of terrorism; experts and other long-established scholars in the field are equally incapable of reaching a consensus. In 1992, terrorism studies scholar Alex P. Schmid proposed a simple definition to the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) as "peacetime equivalents of war crimes", but it was not accepted. In 2006, it was estimated that there were over 109 different definitions of terrorism.

History

Main article: History of terrorism

Pre-modern terrorism

Early published studies like Paul Wilkinson considered terrorism a product of 19th-century revolutionary politics. Technological developments like the pistol and dynamite made possible the relentless onslaught of successful attacks and assassinations that shook the 19th-century. Scholars of terrorism had largely assumed that terrorism was a modern phenomenon until David C. Rapoport published his seminal article Fear and Trembling: Terrorism in Three Religious Traditions in 1984.

Rapoport proposed three case studies to demonstrate "ancient lineage" of religious terrorism, which he called "sacred terror": the "Thugs", the Assassins and the Jewish Sicarii Zealots. Rapoport argued religious terrorism has been ongoing since ancient times and that "there are signs that it is reviving in new and unusual forms". He is the first to propose that religious doctrines were more important than political rationales for some terrorist groups. Rapoport's work has since become the basis of the model of "New Terrorism" proposed by Bruce Hoffman and developed by other scholars. "New Terrorism" has had an unparalleled impact on policymaking. Critics have pointed out that the model is politically charged and over-simplified. The underlying historical assertions have received less critical attention. According to The Oxford Handbook on the History of Terrorism:

Since the publication of Rapoport's article, it has become seemingly pre-requisite for standard works on terrorism to cite the three case studies and to reproduce uncritically its findings. In lieu of empirical research, authors tend to crudely paraphrase Rapoport and the assumed relevance of "Thuggee" to the study of modern terrorism is taken for granted. Yet the significance of the article is not simply a matter of citations―it has also provided the foundation for what has become known as the "New Terrorism" paradigm. While Rapoport did not suggest which late 20th century groups might exemplify the implied recurrence of "holy terror", Bruce Hoffman, recognized today as one of the world's leading terrorism experts, did not hesitate to do so. A decade after Rapoport's article. Hoffman picked up the mantle and taking the three case studies as inspiration, he formulated a model of contemporary "holy terror" or, as he defined it, "terrorism motivated by a religious imperative". Completely distinct from "secular terrorists", Hoffman argued that "religious terrorists" carry out indiscriminate acts of violence as a divine duty with no consideration for political efficacy―their aim is transcendental and "holy terror" constitutes an end in itself. Hoffman's concept has since been taken up and developed by a number of other writers, including Walter Laquer, Steven Simon and Daniel Benjamen, and rebranded as the "New Terrorism".

Modern era (1850-1980)

Aftermath of the King David Hotel bombing by the Zionist militant group Irgun, July 1946

Arguably, the first organization to use modern terrorist techniques was the Irish Republican Brotherhood, founded in 1858 as a revolutionary Irish nationalist group that carried out attacks in England. The group initiated the Fenian dynamite campaign in 1881, one of the first modern terror campaigns. Instead of earlier forms of terrorism based on political assassination, this campaign used timed explosives with the express aim of sowing fear in the very heart of metropolitan Britain, in order to achieve political gains.

Another early terrorist-type group was Narodnaya Volya, founded in Russia in 1878 as a revolutionary anarchist group inspired by Sergei Nechayev and "propaganda by the deed" theorist Carlo Pisacane. The group developed ideas—such as targeted killing of the 'leaders of oppression', which were to become the hallmark of subsequent violence by small non-state groups, and they were convinced that the developing technologies of the age—such as the invention of dynamite, which they were the first anarchist group to make widespread use of—enabled them to strike directly and with discrimination. In 1920 Leon Trotsky wrote Terrorism and Communism to justify the Red Terror and defend the moral superiority of revolutionary terrorism.

The assassination of the Empress of Austria Elisabeth in 1898 resulted in the International Conference of Rome for the Social Defense Against Anarchists, the first international conference against terrorism.

According to Bruce Hoffman of the RAND Corporation, in 1980, 2 out of 64 terrorist groups were categorized as having religious motivation while in 1995, almost half (26 out of 56) were religiously motivated with the majority having Islam as their guiding force.

Types of terrorism

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Depending on the country, the political system, and the time in history, the types of terrorism are varying.

Number of failed, foiled or successful terrorist attacks by year and type within the European Union. Source: Europol.
A view of damage to the U.S. Embassy in the aftermath of the 1983 Beirut bombing caused by Islamic Jihad Organization and Hezbollah

In early 1975, the Law Enforcement Assistant Administration in the United States formed the National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. One of the five volumes that the committee wrote was titled Disorders and Terrorism, produced by the Task Force on Disorders and Terrorism under the direction of H. H. A. Cooper, Director of the Task Force staff.

The Task Force defines terrorism as "a tactic or technique by means of which a violent act or the threat thereof is used for the prime purpose of creating overwhelming fear for coercive purposes". It classified disorders and terrorism into seven categories:

  • Civil disorder – A form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community.
  • Political terrorismViolent criminal behaviour designed primarily to generate fear in the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
  • Non-Political terrorism – Terrorism that is not aimed at political purposes, but which exhibits "conscious design to create and maintain a high degree of fear for coercive purposes, but the end is individual or collective gain rather than the achievement of a political objective".
  • Anonymous terrorism – In the two decades prior to 2016–19, "fewer than half" of all terrorist attacks were either "claimed by their perpetrators or convincingly attributed by governments to specific terrorist groups". A number of theories have been advanced as to why this has happened.
  • Quasi-terrorism – The activities incidental to the commission of crimes of violence that are similar in form and method to genuine terrorism, but which nevertheless lack its essential ingredient. It is not the main purpose of the quasi-terrorists to induce terror in the immediate victim as in the case of genuine terrorism, but the quasi-terrorist uses the modalities and techniques of the genuine terrorist and produces similar consequences and reaction. For example, the fleeing felon who takes hostages is a quasi-terrorist, whose methods are similar to those of the genuine terrorist but whose purposes are quite different.
  • Limited political terrorism – Genuine political terrorism is characterized by a revolutionary approach; limited political terrorism refers to "acts of terrorism which are committed for ideological or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the state".
  • Official or state terrorism – "referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions". It may be referred to as Structural Terrorism defined broadly as terrorist acts carried out by governments in pursuit of political objectives, often as part of their foreign policy.

Other sources have defined the typology of terrorism in different ways, for example, broadly classifying it into domestic terrorism and international terrorism, or using categories such as vigilante terrorism or insurgent terrorism. Some ways the typology of terrorism may be defined are:

Religious terrorism

Main articles: Religious terrorism, List of Islamist terrorist attacks, and List of terrorist incidents linked to the Islamic State

According to the Global Terrorism Index by the University of Maryland, College Park, religious extremism has overtaken national separatism and become the main driver of terrorist attacks around the world. Since 9/11 there has been a five-fold increase in deaths from terrorist attacks. The majority of incidents over the past several years can be tied to groups with a religious agenda. Before 2000, it was nationalist separatist terrorist organizations such as the IRA and Chechen rebels who were behind the most attacks. The number of incidents from nationalist separatist groups has remained relatively stable in the years since while religious extremism has grown. The prevalence of Islamist groups in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria is the main driver behind these trends.

The Islamic State (IS) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group. IS territory, in grey, at the time of its greatest territorial extent in May 2015. Map legend

The emergence of Hezbollah in 1982 marked a pivotal moment in terrorism's history. The Shiite Islamist group, rooted in Lebanon, drew inspiration from the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's teachings, responding to the 1982 Lebanon War. Beyond pursuing revolutionary goals, Hezbollah members were deeply concerned about the social conditions of Shiite communities across the Middle East. Their activities in Lebanon during the 1980s garnered support among local Shiites, leading to the rise of smaller terrorist groups, notably the Islamic Jihad.

Hamas, the main Islamist movement in the Palestinian territories, was formed by Palestinian imam Ahmed Yassin in 1987. Some scholars, including constitutional law professor Alexander Tsesis, have voiced concerns over the Hamas Charter's apparent advocacy of genocidal aspirations. In the periods of 1994–1996 and 2001–2007, Hamas orchestrated a series of suicide bombings, primarily directed at civilian targets in Israel, killing over 1,000 Israeli civilians.

Five of the terrorist groups that have been most active since 2001 are Hamas, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIL. These groups have been most active in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. Eighty percent of all deaths from terrorism occurred in these five countries. In 2015 four Islamic extremist groups were responsible for 74% of all deaths from Islamic terrorism: ISIS, Boko Haram, the Taliban, and al-Qaeda, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2016. Since approximately 2000, these incidents have occurred on a global scale, affecting not only Muslim-majority states in Africa and Asia, but also states with non-Muslim majority such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, Israel, China, India and Philippines. Such attacks have targeted both Muslims and non-Muslims, however the majority affect Muslims themselves.

Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing. Approximately 35,000 Pakistanis died from terrorist attacks between 2001 and 2011.

Terrorism in Pakistan has become a great problem. From the summer of 2007 until late 2009, more than 1,500 people were killed in suicide and other attacks on civilians for reasons attributed to a number of causes—sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims; easy availability of guns and explosives; the existence of a "Kalashnikov culture"; an influx of ideologically driven Muslims based in or near Pakistan, who originated from various nations around the world and the subsequent war against the pro-Soviet Afghans in the 1980s which blew back into Pakistan; the presence of Islamist insurgent groups and forces such as the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. On July 2, 2013, in Lahore, 50 Muslim scholars of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) issued a collective fatwa against suicide bombings, the killing of innocent people, bomb attacks, and targeted killings declaring them as Haraam or forbidden.

In 2015, the Southern Poverty Law Center released a report on domestic terrorism in the United States. The report (titled The Age of the Wolf) analyzed 62 incidents and found that, between 2009 and 2015, "more people have been killed in America by non-Islamic domestic terrorists than jihadists." The "virulent racist and antisemitic" ideology of the ultra-right wing Christian Identity movement is usually accompanied by anti-government sentiments. Adherents of Christian Identity are not connected with specific Christian denominations, and they believe that whites of European descent can be traced back to the "Lost Tribes of Israel". Adherents have committed hate crimes, bombings and other acts of terrorism, including the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Its influence ranges from the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups to the anti-government militia and sovereign citizen movements.

Causes and motivations

Terrorist acts frequently have a political purpose based on self-determination claims, ethnonationalist frustrations, single issue causes (like abortion or the environment), or other ideological or religious causes that terrorists claim are a moral justification for their violent acts.

Choice of terrorism as a tactic

Individuals and groups choose terrorism as a tactic because it can:

  • Act as a form of asymmetric warfare in order to directly force a government to agree to demands
  • Intimidate a group of people into capitulating to the demands in order to avoid future injury
  • Get attention and thus political support for a cause
  • Directly inspire more people to the cause (such as revolutionary acts) – propaganda of the deed
  • Indirectly inspire more people to the cause by provoking a hostile response or over-reaction from enemies to the cause

Attacks on "collaborators" are used to intimidate people from cooperating with the state in order to undermine state control. This strategy was used in Ireland, in Kenya, in Algeria and in Cyprus during their independence struggles.

Stated motives for the September 11 attacks included inspiring more fighters to join the cause of repelling the United States from Muslim countries with a successful high-profile attack. The attacks prompted some criticism from domestic and international observers regarding perceived injustices in U.S. foreign policy that provoked the attacks, but the larger practical effect was that the United States government declared a War on Terror that resulted in substantial military engagements in several Muslim-majority countries. Various commentators have inferred that al-Qaeda expected a military response and welcomed it as a provocation that would result in more Muslims fight the United States. Some commentators believe that the resulting anger and suspicion directed toward innocent Muslims living in Western countries and the indignities inflicted upon them by security forces and the general public also contributes to radicalization of new recruits. Despite criticism that the Iraqi government had no involvement with the September 11 attacks, Bush declared the 2003 invasion of Iraq to be part of the War on Terror. The resulting backlash and instability enabled the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the temporary creation of an Islamic caliphate holding territory in Iraq and Syria, until ISIL lost its territory through military defeats.

Attacks used to draw international attention to struggles that are otherwise unreported have included the Palestinian airplane hijackings in 1970 and the 1975 Dutch train hostage crisis.

Causes motivating terrorism

Specific political or social causes have included:

Causes for right-wing terrorism have included white nationalism, ethnonationalism, fascism, anti-socialism, the anti-abortion movement, and tax resistance.

Sometimes terrorists on the same side fight for different reasons. For example, in the Chechen–Russian conflict secular Chechens using terrorist tactics fighting for national independence are allied with radical Islamist terrorists who have arrived from other countries.

Personal and social factors

Main article: Radicalization

Various personal and social factors may influence the personal choice of whether to join a terrorist group or attempt an act of terror, including:

  • Identity, including affiliation with a particular culture, ethnicity, or religion
  • Previous exposure to violence
  • Financial reward (for example, the Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund)
  • Mental illness
  • Social isolation
  • Perception that the cause responds to a profound injustice or indignity

A report conducted by Paul Gill, John Horgan and Paige Deckert found that for "lone wolf" terrorists:

  • 43% were motivated by religious beliefs
  • 32% had pre-existing mental health disorders, while many more are found to have mental health problems upon arrest
  • At least 37% lived alone at the time of their event planning and/or execution, a further 26% lived with others, and no data were available for the remaining cases
  • 40% were unemployed at the time of their arrest or terrorist event
  • 19% subjectively experienced being disrespected by others
  • 14% percent experienced being the victim of verbal or physical assault

Ariel Merari, a psychologist who has studied the psychological profiles of suicide terrorists since 1983 through media reports that contained biographical details, interviews with the suicides' families, and interviews with jailed would-be suicide attackers, concluded that they were unlikely to be psychologically abnormal. In comparison to economic theories of criminal behaviour, Scott Atran found that suicide terrorists exhibit none of the socially dysfunctional attributes—such as fatherless, friendless, jobless situations—or suicidal symptoms. By which he means, they do not kill themselves simply out of hopelessness or a sense of 'having nothing to lose'.

Abrahm suggests that terrorist organizations do not select terrorism for its political effectiveness. Individual terrorists tend to be motivated more by a desire for social solidarity with other members of their organization than by political platforms or strategic objectives, which are often murky and undefined.

Michael Mousseau shows possible relationships between the type of economy within a country and ideology associated with terrorism. Many terrorists have a history of domestic violence.

Democracy and domestic terrorism

Terrorism is most common in nations with intermediate political freedom, and it is least common in the most democratic nations.

Some examples of terrorism in non-democratic nations include ETA in Spain under Francisco Franco (although the group's activities increased sharply after Franco's death), the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in pre-war Poland, the Shining Path in Peru under Alberto Fujimori, the Kurdistan Workers Party when Turkey was ruled by military leaders and the ANC in South Africa.

According to Boaz Ganor, "Modern terrorism sees the liberal democratic state, in all its variations, as the perfect launching pad and a target for its attacks. Moreover, some terrorist organizations—particularly Islamist-jihadist organizations—have chosen to cynically exploit democratic values and institutions to gain power and status, promote their interests, and achieve internal and international legitimacy". Jihadist militants have shown an ambivalent view towards democracy, as they both exploit it for their ends and oppose it in their ideology. Various quotes from jihadist leaders note their disdain for democracy and their efforts to undermine it in favor of Islamic rule. Democracies, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Indonesia, India, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Philippines, have all experienced domestic terrorism.

While a democratic nation espousing civil liberties may claim a sense of higher moral ground than other regimes, an act of terrorism within such a state may cause a dilemma: whether to maintain its civil liberties and thus risk being perceived as ineffective in dealing with the problem; or alternatively to restrict its civil liberties and thus risk delegitimizing its claim of supporting civil liberties. For this reason, homegrown terrorism has started to be seen as a greater threat, as stated by former CIA Director Michael Hayden. This dilemma, some social theorists would conclude, may very well play into the initial plans of the acting terrorist(s); namely, to delegitimize the state and cause a systematic shift towards anarchy via the accumulation of negative sentiments towards the state system.

Perpetrators

Al-Qaeda in Maghreb members pose with weapons.

The perpetrators of acts of terrorism can be individuals, groups, or states. According to some definitions, clandestine or semi-clandestine state actors may carry out terrorist acts outside the framework of a state of war. The most common image of terrorism is that it is carried out by small and secretive cells, highly motivated to serve a particular cause and many of the most deadly operations in recent times, such as the September 11 attacks, the London underground bombing, 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2002 Bali bombings were planned and carried out by a close clique, composed of close friends, family members and other strong social networks. These groups benefited from the free flow of information and efficient telecommunications to succeed where others had failed.

Over the years, much research has been conducted to distill a terrorist profile to explain these individuals' actions through their psychology and socio-economic circumstances. Some specialists highlight the lack of evidence supporting the idea that terrorists are typically psychologically disturbed. The careful planning and detailed execution seen in many terrorist acts are not characteristics generally associated with mentally unstable individuals. Others, like Roderick Hindery, have sought to discern profiles in the propaganda tactics used by terrorists. Some security organizations designate these groups as violent non-state actors. A 2007 study by economist Alan B. Krueger found that terrorists were less likely to come from an impoverished background (28 percent versus 33 percent) and more likely to have at least a high-school education (47 percent versus 38 percent). Another analysis found only 16 percent of terrorists came from impoverished families, versus 30 percent of male Palestinians, and over 60 percent had gone beyond high school, versus 15 percent of the populace.

To avoid detection, a terrorist will look, dress, and behave normally until executing the assigned mission. Some claim that attempts to profile terrorists based on personality, physical, or sociological traits are not useful. The physical and behavioral description of the terrorist could describe almost any normal person. The majority of terrorist attacks are carried out by military age men, aged 16 to 40.

Non-state groups

Picture of the front of an addressed envelope to Senator Daschle.
There is speculation that the 2001 anthrax attacks were the work of a lone wolf.
Main articles: List of designated terrorist groups, Lone wolf (terrorism), and Violent non-state actor

Groups not part of the state apparatus of in opposition to the state are most commonly referred to as a "terrorist" in the media.

According to the Global Terrorism Database, the most active terrorist group in the period 1970 to 2010 was Shining Path (with 4,517 attacks), followed by Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), Irish Republican Army (IRA), Basque Fatherland and Freedom (ETA), Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Taliban, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, New People's Army, National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN), and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Israel has had problems with religious terrorism even before independence in 1948. During British mandate over Palestine, the secular Irgun were among the Zionist groups labelled as terrorist organisations by the British authorities and United Nations, for violent terror attacks against Britons and Arabs. Another extremist group, the Lehi, openly declared its members as "terrorists". Historian William Cleveland stated many Jews justified any action, even terrorism, taken in the cause of the creation of a Jewish state. In 1995, Yigal Amir assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. For Amir, killing Rabin was an exemplary act that symbolized the fight against an illegitimate government that was prepared to cede Jewish Holy Land to the Palestinians. Members of Kach, a Jewish ultranationalist party, employed terrorist tactics in pursuit of what they viewed as religious imperatives. Israel and a few other countries have designated the party as a terrorist group.

Funding

Main article: Terrorist financing

State sponsors have constituted a major form of funding; for example, Palestine Liberation Organization, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other groups sometimes considered to be terrorist organizations, were funded by the Soviet Union. Iran has provided funds, training, and weapons to organizations such as Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah, the Yemenite Houthi movement, and Palestinian factions such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Iranian funding for Hamas is estimated to reach several hundred million dollars annually. These groups and others have played significant roles in Iran's foreign policy and served as proxies in conflicts. The Stern Gang received funding from Italian Fascist officers in Beirut to undermine the British authorities in Palestine.

"Revolutionary tax" is another major form of funding, and essentially a euphemism for "protection money". Revolutionary taxes "play a secondary role as one other means of intimidating the target population".

Other major sources of funding include kidnapping for ransoms, smuggling (including wildlife smuggling), fraud, and robbery. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has reportedly received funding "via private donations from the Gulf states". Irish Republican militants, primarily the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army, and Loyalist paramilitaries, primarily the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association, received far more financing from criminal and legitimate activities within the British Isles than overseas donations, including Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and NORAID (see Paramilitary finances in the Troubles for more information).

The Financial Action Task Force is an inter-governmental body whose mandate, since October 2001, has included combating terrorist financing.

Tactics

Main article: Tactics of terrorism
The Wall Street bombing at noon on September 16, 1920, killed thirty-eight people and injured several hundred. The perpetrators were never caught.

Terrorist attacks are often targeted to maximize fear and publicity, most frequently using explosives. Terrorist groups usually methodically plan attacks in advance, and may train participants, plant undercover agents, and raise money from supporters or through organized crime. Communications occur through modern telecommunications, or through old-fashioned methods such as couriers. There is concern about terrorist attacks employing weapons of mass destruction. Some academics have argued that while it is often assumed terrorism is intended to spread fear, this is not necessarily true, with fear instead being a by-product of the terrorist's actions, while their intentions may be to avenge fallen comrades or destroy their perceived enemies.

Terrorism is a form of asymmetric warfare and is more common when direct conventional warfare will not be effective because opposing forces vary greatly in power. Yuval Harari argues that the peacefulness of modern states makes them paradoxically more vulnerable to terrorism than pre-modern states. Harari argues that because modern states have committed themselves to reducing political violence to almost zero, terrorists can, by creating political violence, threaten the very foundations of the legitimacy of the modern state. This is in contrast to pre-modern states, where violence was a routine and recognised aspect of politics at all levels, making political violence unremarkable. Terrorism thus shocks the population of a modern state far more than a pre-modern one and consequently the state is forced to overreact in an excessive, costly and spectacular manner, which is often what the terrorists desire.

The type of people terrorists will target is dependent upon the ideology of the terrorists. A terrorist's ideology will create a class of "legitimate targets" who are deemed as its enemies and who are permitted to be targeted. This ideology will also allow the terrorists to place the blame on the victim, who is viewed as being responsible for the violence in the first place.

Attack types

Stabbing attacks, a historical tactic, have reemerged as a prevalent form of terrorism in the 21st century, notably during the 2010s and 2020s. This resurgence originated with the GIA in the 1990s and later expanded among Palestinian terrorists and Islamic State militants. The trend gained momentum with a wave of "lone wolf" terrorist stabbing attacks by Palestinians targeting Israelis beginning in 2015. Subsequently, this pattern extended to Europe during the surge of Islamic terrorism in the 2010s, witnessing "at least" 10 stabbing attacks allegedly motivated by Islamic extremism by the spring of 2017, with France experiencing a notable concentration of such incidents.

Media spectacle

Terrorists may attempt to use the media to spread their message or manipulate their target audience. Shamil Basayev used this tactic during the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis and again in the Moscow theater hostage crisis. Terrorists may also target national symbols for attention. Walter Lacquer wrote that "terrorism was always, to a large extent, about public relations and propaganda ('Propaganda by Deed' had been the slogan in the nineteenth century)".

The El Al Flight 426 hijacking is considered a turning point for modern terrorism studies. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) realized they could combine the tactics of targeting national symbols and civilians (in this case as hostages) to generate a mass media spectacle. Zehdi Labib Terzi made a public statement about this in 1976: "The first several hijackings aroused the consciousness of the world and awakened the media and world opinion much more ― and more effectively ― than 20 years of pleading at the United Nations".

Mass media

Causes of death in the US vs media coverage. The percentage of media attention for terrorism (about 33-35%) is much greater than the percentage of deaths caused by terrorism (less than 0.01%).
La Terroriste, a 1910 poster depicting a female member of the Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party throwing a bomb at a Russian official's car

Mass media exposure may be a primary goal of those carrying out terrorism, to expose issues that would otherwise be ignored by the media. Some consider this to be manipulation and exploitation of the media.

The Internet has created a new way for groups to spread their messages. This has created a cycle of measures and counter measures by groups in support of and in opposition to terrorist movements. The United Nations has created its own online counterterrorism resource.

The mass media will, on occasion, censor organizations involved in terrorism (through self-restraint or regulation) to discourage further terrorism. This may encourage organizations to perform more extreme acts of terrorism to be shown in the mass media. Conversely James F. Pastor explains the significant relationship between terrorism and the media, and the underlying benefit each receives from the other:

There is always a point at which the terrorist ceases to manipulate the media gestalt. A point at which the violence may well escalate, but beyond which the terrorist has become symptomatic of the media gestalt itself. Terrorism as we ordinarily understand it is innately media-related.

— Novelist William Gibson, 2004

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously spoke of the close connection between terrorism and the media, calling publicity 'the oxygen of terrorism'.

Terrorism and tourism

The connection between terrorism and tourism has been widely studied since the 1997 Luxor massacre, during which 62 people, including 58 foreign nationals, were killed by Islamist group al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya in an archaeological site in Egypt. In the 1970s, the targets of terrorists were politicians and chiefs of police while now, international tourists and visitors are selected as the main targets of attacks. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, were the symbolic center, which marked a new epoch in the use of civil transport against the main power of the planet. From this event onwards, the spaces of leisure that characterized the pride of West were conceived as dangerous and frightful.

Counterterrorism strategies

Sign notifying shoppers of increased surveillance due to a perceived increased risk of terrorism

Responses to terrorism are broad in scope. They can include re-alignments of the political spectrum and reassessments of fundamental values.

Specific types of responses include:

Terrorism research

Terrorism research, also called terrorism studies, or terrorism and counter-terrorism research, is an interdisciplinary academic field which seeks to understand the causes of terrorism, how to prevent it as well as its impact in the broadest sense. Terrorism research can be carried out in both military and civilian contexts, for example by research centres such as the British Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT). There are several academic journals devoted to the field, including Perspectives on Terrorism.

International agreements

One of the agreements that promote the international legal counterterrorist framework is the Code of Conduct Towards Achieving a World Free of Terrorism that was adopted at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. The Code of Conduct was initiated by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Its main goal is to implement a wide range of international commitments to counterterrorism and establish a broad global coalition towards achieving a world free of terrorism by 2045. The Code was signed by more than 70 countries.

Response in the United States

See also: War on Terror
X-ray backscatter technology (AIT) machine used by the TSA to screen passengers. According to the TSA, this is what the remote TSA agent would see on their screen.

According to a report by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin in The Washington Post, "Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States."

America's thinking on how to defeat radical Islamists is split along two very different schools of thought. Republicans, typically follow what is known as the Bush Doctrine, advocate the military model of taking the fight to the enemy and seeking to democratize the Middle East. Democrats, by contrast, generally propose the law enforcement model of better cooperation with nations and more security at home. In the introduction of the U.S. Army / Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, Sarah Sewall states the need for "U.S. forces to make securing the civilian, rather than destroying the enemy, their top priority. The civilian population is the center of gravity—the deciding factor in the struggle.... Civilian deaths create an extended family of enemies—new insurgent recruits or informants—and erode support of the host nation." Sewall sums up the book's key points on how to win this battle: "Sometimes, the more you protect your force, the less secure you may be.... Sometimes, the more force is used, the less effective it is.... The more successful the counterinsurgency is, the less force can be used and the more risk must be accepted.... Sometimes, doing nothing is the best reaction." This strategy, often termed "courageous restraint", has certainly led to some success on the Middle East battlefield. However, it does not address the fact that terrorists are mostly homegrown.

Ending terrorist groups

How terrorist groups end (n = 268): The most common ending for a terrorist group is to convert to nonviolence via negotiations (43%), with most of the rest terminated by routine policing (40%). Groups that were ended by military force constituted only 7%.

Jones and Libicki (2008) created a list of all the terrorist groups they could find that were active between 1968 and 2006. They found 648. Of those, 136 splintered and 244 were still active in 2006. Of the ones that ended, 43% converted to nonviolent political actions, like the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland; 40% were defeated by law enforcement; 7% (20 groups) were defeated by military force; and 10% succeeded.

42 groups became large enough to be labeled an insurgency; 38 of those had ended by 2006. Of those, 47% converted to nonviolent political actors. Only 5% were ended by law enforcement, and 21% were defeated by military force. 26% won. Jones and Libicki concluded that military force may be necessary to deal with large insurgencies but are only occasionally decisive, because the military is too often seen as a bigger threat to civilians than the terrorists. To avoid that, the rules of engagement must be conscious of collateral damage and work to minimize it.

Another researcher, Audrey Cronin, lists six primary ways that terrorist groups end:

  1. Capture or killing of a group's leader (Decapitation)
  2. Entry of the group into a legitimate political process (Negotiation)
  3. Achievement of group aims (Success)
  4. Group implosion or loss of public support (Failure)
  5. Defeat and elimination through brute force (Repression)
  6. Transition from terrorism into other forms of violence (Reorientation)

State and state sponsored-terrorism

State terrorism

Main article: State terrorism

Civilization is based on a clearly defined and widely accepted yet often unarticulated hierarchy. Violence done by those higher on the hierarchy to those lower is nearly always invisible, that is, unnoticed. When it is noticed, it is fully rationalized. Violence done by those lower on the hierarchy to those higher is unthinkable, and when it does occur it is regarded with shock, horror, and the fetishization of the victims.

— Derrick Jensen
Infant crying in Shanghai's South Station after the Japanese bombing, August 28, 1937

As with "terrorism" the concept of "state terrorism" is controversial. The Chairman of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee has stated that the committee was conscious of 12 international conventions on the subject, and none of them referred to state terrorism, which was not an international legal concept. If states abused their power, they should be judged against international conventions dealing with war crimes, international human rights law, and international humanitarian law. Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that it is "time to set aside debates on so-called 'state terrorism'. The use of force by states is already thoroughly regulated under international law". He made clear that, "regardless of the differences between governments on the question of the definition of terrorism, what is clear and what we can all agree on is that any deliberate attack on innocent civilians , regardless of one's cause, is unacceptable and fits into the definition of terrorism."

USS Arizona (BB-39) burning during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

State terrorism has been used to refer to terrorist acts committed by governmental agents or forces. This involves the use of state resources employed by a state's foreign policies, such as using its military to directly perform acts of terrorism. Professor of Political Science Michael Stohl cites the examples that include the German bombing of London, the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Allied firebombing of Dresden, and the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. He argues that "the use of terror tactics is common in international relations and the state has been and remains a more likely employer of terrorism within the international system than insurgents." He cites the first strike option as an example of the "terror of coercive diplomacy" as a form of this, which holds the world hostage with the implied threat of using nuclear weapons in "crisis management" and he argues that the institutionalized form of terrorism has occurred as a result of changes that took place following World War II. In this analysis, state terrorism exhibited as a form of foreign policy was shaped by the presence and use of weapons of mass destruction, and the legitimizing of such violent behavior led to an increasingly accepted form of this behavior by the state.

Charles Stewart Parnell described William Ewart Gladstone's Irish Coercion Act as terrorism in his "no-Rent manifesto" in 1881, during the Irish Land War. The concept is used to describe political repressions by governments against their own civilian populations with the purpose of inciting fear. For example, taking and executing civilian hostages or extrajudicial elimination campaigns are commonly considered "terror" or terrorism, for example during the Red Terror or the Great Terror. Such actions are often described as democide or genocide, which have been argued to be equivalent to state terrorism. Empirical studies on this have found that democracies have little democide. Western democracies, including the United States, have supported state terrorism and mass killings, with some examples being the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 and Operation Condor.

State-sponsored terrorism

Main article: State-sponsored terrorism
Luis Posada and CORU are widely considered responsible for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people.

A state can sponsor terrorism by funding or harboring a terrorist group. Opinions as to which acts of violence by states consist of state-sponsored terrorism vary widely. When states provide funding for groups considered by some to be terrorist, they rarely acknowledge them as such.

Impact and debate

Terrorism is a charged term. It is often used with the connotation of something that is morally wrong. Governments and non-state groups use the term to abuse or denounce opposing groups. While legislation defining terrorism as a crime has been adopted in many states, the distinction between activism and terrorism remains a complex and debated matter. There is no consensus as to whether terrorism should be regarded as a war crime. State terrorism is that perpetrated by nation states, but is not considered such by the state conducting it, making legality a grey area. Countries sometimes opt to ignore terrorist activities committed by allies.

The use of the term in the Israel–Palestine conflict has given rise to controversies concerning the vagueness of how terrorists are defined and identified.

Media outlets who wish to convey impartiality may limit their usage of "terrorist" and "terrorism" because they are loosely defined, potentially controversial in nature, and subjective terms.

Pejorative use

The term "terrorism" is often used to abuse or denounce opposite parties, either governments or non-state groups. An example of this is the terruqueo political attack used by right-wing groups in Peru to target leftist groups or those opposed to the neoliberal status quo, likening opponents to guerrilla organizations from the internal conflict in Peru.

Those labeled "terrorists" by their opponents rarely identify themselves as such, but it was not always so. While a multitude of terms like separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel, patriot, have come into use, (including some culturally specific terms borrowed from other languages like Jihadi, mujahideen, and fedayeen), the unwillingness to self-identify as terrorists began when parties in a conflict started to describe each other as terrorists pejoratively. As an example, when Vera Zasulich attacked a Russian official known for abusing prisoners she told the court "I am not a criminal, I am a terrorist!". The stunned court acquitted Zazulich when they realized that she was trying to become a martyr. She was carried out of the courtroom on the shoulders of the crowd.

Some groups and individuals have openly admitted to using "terrorist tactics" even while maintaining distance from the pejorative term in their self-descriptions. The Zionist militant group Lohamei Herut Yisrael admitted that they used terrorist tactics but used the euphemism "Freedom Fighters" to describe themselves (Lohamei Herut Yisrael means "Freedom Fighters for Israel".)

In his book Inside Terrorism Bruce Hoffman offered an explanation of why the term terrorism becomes distorted:

On one point, at least, everyone agrees: terrorism is a pejorative term. It is a word with intrinsically negative connotations that is generally applied to one's enemies and opponents, or to those with whom one disagrees and would otherwise prefer to ignore. 'What is called terrorism,' Brian Jenkins has written, 'thus seems to depend on one's point of view. Use of the term implies a moral judgment; and if one party can successfully attach the label terrorist to its opponent, then it has indirectly persuaded others to adopt its moral viewpoint.' Hence the decision to call someone or label some organization terrorist becomes almost unavoidably subjective, depending largely on whether one sympathizes with or opposes the person/group/cause concerned. If one identifies with the victim of the violence, for example, then the act is terrorism. If, however, one identifies with the perpetrator, the violent act is regarded in a more sympathetic, if not positive (or, at the worst, an ambivalent) light; and it is not terrorism.

The pejorative connotations of the word can be summed up in the aphorism, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". This is exemplified when a group using irregular military methods is an ally of a state against a mutual enemy, but later falls out with the state and starts to use those methods against its former ally.

Groups accused of terrorism understandably prefer terms reflecting legitimate military or ideological action. Leading terrorism researcher Professor Martin Rudner, director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at Ottawa's Carleton University, defines "terrorist acts" as unlawful attacks for political or other ideological goals, and said:

There is the famous statement: 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.' But that is grossly misleading. It assesses the validity of the cause when terrorism is an act. One can have a perfectly beautiful cause and yet if one commits terrorist acts, it is terrorism regardless.

Labelling opponents as "terrorists" has been used as a tactic to evade the usual laws of war against things such as assassinations and other extrajudicial killing, particularly by Israel and the United States. Some international legal opinions suggest that terrorist activities by their very nature "deny" the civilian nature of an ostensibly civilian participant.

President Reagan meeting with Afghan Mujahideen leaders in the Oval Office in 1983

Some groups, when involved in a "liberation" struggle, have been called "terrorists" by the Western governments or media. Later, these same persons, as leaders of the liberated nations, are called "statesmen" by similar organizations. Two examples of this phenomenon are the Nobel Peace Prize laureates Menachem Begin and Nelson Mandela. WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has been called a "terrorist" by Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.

Inversely, some groups like the Afghan Mujahideen that were labelled as "freedom fighters" later became "terrorists" as alliances shifted. During the Second World War, the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army were allied with the British, but during the Malayan Emergency, members of its successor organisation (the Malayan National Liberation Army) started campaigns against them, and were branded "terrorists" as a result.

Databases

The following terrorism databases are or were made publicly available for research purposes, and track specific acts of terrorism:

The following public report and index provides a summary of key global trends and patterns in terrorism around the world:

The following publicly available resources index electronic and bibliographic resources on the subject of terrorism:

The following terrorism databases are maintained in secrecy by the United States Government for intelligence and counterterrorism purposes:

Jones and Libicki (2008) includes a table of 268 terrorist groups active between 1968 and 2006 with their status as of 2006: still active, splintered, converted to nonviolence, removed by law enforcement or military, or won. (These data are not in a convenient machine-readable format but are available.)

Infographics

See also: Number of terrorist incidents by country
  • Terrorist incidents, 1970–2015. A total of 157,520 incidents are plotted. Orange: 1970–1999, Red: 2000–2015 Terrorist incidents, 1970–2015. A total of 157,520 incidents are plotted. Orange: 1970–1999, Red: 2000–2015
  • Top 10 Countries (2000–2014) Top 10 Countries (2000–2014)
  • Worldwide non-state terrorist incidents 1970–2017 Worldwide non-state terrorist incidents 1970–2017
  • Share who are worried about vs. share of deaths from terrorism Share who are worried about vs. share of deaths from terrorism

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ganor, Boaz (2015). "Introduction to Multidimensional Warfare". Global Alert: The Rationality of Modern Islamist Terrorism and the Challenge to the Liberal Democratic World. Columbia University Press. pp. 2–3, 5–6, 14–16. doi:10.7312/gano17212. ISBN 978-0-231-53891-6. JSTOR 10.7312/gano17212.
  2. Wisnewski, J. Jeremy, ed. (2008). Torture, Terrorism, and the Use of Violence (also available as Review Journal of Political Philosophy Volume 6, Issue Number 1). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-4438-0291-8. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  3. "The ordinary current use of the word terrorism is much too wide. That is to say, if we list all the different phenomena which are at one time or another described as terrorism in ordinary conversation, or in ordinary newspapers, or by ordinary politicians, we will end up with a huge rag-bag of not very similar items . . The disadvantages of trying to construct an ordinary-language definition based on current usage can be seen, too, in the plethora of conflicting definitions occurring in philosophical and political literature. Thus philosophers for instance disagree about whether or not terrorism is wrong by definition or wrong just as a matter of fact; they disagree about whether terrorism should be defined in terms of its aims, or its methods, or both, or neither; they disagree about whether or not states can perpetrate terrorism; they even disagree about the importance or otherwise of terror for a definition of terrorism." Jenny Teichman, "How to Define Terrorism", Philosophy, October 1989, Vol. 64, No. 250, pp. 505–517.
  4. Halibozek, Edward P.; Jones, Andy; Kovacich, Gerald L. (2008). The corporate security professional's handbook on terrorism (illustrated ed.). Elsevier (Butterworth-Heinemann). pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-0-7506-8257-2. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  5. ^ Mackey, Robert (November 20, 2009). "Can Soldiers Be Victims of Terrorism?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Terrorism is the deliberate killing of innocent people, at random, in order to spread fear through a whole population and force the hand of its political leaders.
  6. Ganor, Boaz (2015). "The Challenges and Dilemmas Faced by Liberal Democracies coping with Modern Islamist Terrorism". Global Alert: The Rationality of Modern Islamist Terrorism and the Challenge to the Liberal Democratic World. Columbia University Press. pp. 21–23. doi:10.7312/gano17212. ISBN 978-0-231-53891-6. JSTOR 10.7312/gano17212.
  7. Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010). Oxford dictionary of English (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-957112-3.
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  11. Edmund Burke – To The Earl Fitzwilliam (Christmas, 1795.) In: Edmund Burke, Select Works of Edmund Burke, vol. 3 (Letters on a Regicide Peace) (1795).
    This Internet version contains two, mingled, indications of page numbers: one with single brackets like , one with double brackets like ]. Burke lengthily introduces his view on 'this present Directory government', and then writes on page : "Those who arbitrarily erected the new building out of the old materials of their own Convention, were obliged to send for an Army to support their work. (...) At length, after a terrible struggle, the Troops prevailed over the Citizens. (...) This power is to last as long as the Parisians think proper. (...) To secure them further, they have a strong corps of irregulars, ready armed. Thousands of those Hell-hounds called Terrorists, whom they had shut up in Prison on their last Revolution, as the Satellites of Tyranny, are let loose on the people. (...)"
  12. de Niet, J.; Paul, H. (2009). Sober, Strict, and Scriptural: Collective Memories of John Calvin, 1800-2000. Brill's Series in Church History. Brill. p. 275. ISBN 978-90-474-2770-4. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
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  39. Clark, David S. (2007). Encyclopedia of Law and Society. United Kingdom: Sage. p. 1474. Before the advent of dynamite and automatic weapons, groups had to kill on a one-to-one basis. It took one terrorist (or soldier) to kill one enemy or perhaps a handful of enemies, except in unusual cases, such as the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes in England. The weapons of choice for the earlier terrorists were the dagger, the noose, the sword and the poison elixir. This changed with the hand-thrown bomb and the pistol, introduced in the nineteenth century, and the machine gun and plastic explosives, common in the twentieth century.
  40. Rapoport, D. (1984) "Fear and Trembling" in Mahan, S., Griset, P. L. (2012). Terrorism in Perspective. United Kingdom: Sage Publications:"Furthermore, the three cases illustrate a kind of terror nowhere adequately analyzed in our theoretical literature, terror designated here as holy or sacred. Before the nineteenth century, religion provided the only acceptable justifications for terror, and the differences between sacred and modern expressions (differences of nature, not scale) raise questions about the appropriateness of contemporary definitions. The holy terrorist believes that only a transcendental purpose which fulfills the meaning of the universe can justify terror, and that the deity reveals at some early moment in both time and end the means and may even participate in the process as well. We see terrorists as free to seek different political ends in this world by whatever means of terror they consider most appropriate."
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References

  • Hoffman, Bruce (1988). Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Hoffman, Bruce (1998). "Inside Terrorism". Columbia University Press. p. 32. ISBN 0-231-11468-0. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  • Hoffman, Bruce (2006). Inside Terrorism (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press.
  • Spaaij, Ramon (2012). Understanding Lone Wolf Terrorism: Global Patterns, Motivations and Prevention.
  • Perspectives on Terrorism's Bibliography: Root Causes of Terrorism. 2017. Archived October 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  • Dietze, Carola; Verhoeven, Claudia (2022). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism. Oxford University Press.
  • Wilkinson, Paul (1977). Terrorism and the Liberal State. Macmillan.
  • Laqueur, Walter (2001). A History of Terrorism. Taylor & Francis.
  • Chalk, Peter (2013). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. ABC-CLIO.
  • Primoratz, Igor (2004). Terrorism: The Philosophical Issues. Palgrave Macmillan.

Further reading

United Kingdom

Further information: Terrorism in the United Kingdom
  • Blackbourn, Jessie. "Counter-Terrorism and Civil Liberties: The United Kingdom Experience, 1968-2008." Journal of the Institute of Justice and International Studies 8 (2008): 63+
  • Bonner, David. "United Kingdom: the United Kingdom response to terrorism." Terrorism and Political Violence 4.4 (1992): 171–205. online
  • Chin, Warren. Britain and the war on terror: Policy, strategy and operations (Routledge, 2016).
  • Clutterbuck, Lindsay. "Countering Irish Republican terrorism in Britain: Its origin as a police function." Terrorism and Political Violence 18.1 (2006) pp: 95–118.
  • Greer, Steven. "Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in the UK: From Northern Irish Troubles to Global Islamist Jihad." in Counter-Terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice (Hart Publishing, 2018) pp. 45–62.
  • Hamilton, Claire. "Counter-Terrorism in the UK." in Contagion, Counter-Terrorism and Criminology (Palgrave Pivot, Cham, 2019) pp. 15–47.
  • Hewitt, Steve. "Great Britain: Terrorism and counter-terrorism since 1968." in Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism (Routledge, 2018) pp. 540–551.
  • Martínez-Peñas, Leandro, and Manuela Fernández-Rodríguez. "Evolution of British Law on Terrorism: From Ulster to Global Terrorism (1970–2010)." in Post 9/11 and the State of Permanent Legal Emergency (Springer, 2012) pp. 201–222.
  • O'Day, Alan. "Northern Ireland, Terrorism, and the British State." in Terrorism: Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2019) pp. 121–135.
  • Sacopulos, Peter J. "Terrorism in Britain: Threat, reality, response." Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 12.3 (1989): 153–165.
  • Staniforth, Andrew, and Fraser Sampson, eds. The Routledge companion to UK counter-terrorism (Routledge, 2012).
  • Sinclair, Georgina. "Confronting terrorism: British Experiences past and present." Crime, Histoire & Sociétés/Crime, History & Societies 18.2 (2014): 117–122. online
  • Tinnes, Judith, ed. "Bibliography: Northern Ireland conflict (the troubles)." Perspectives on Terrorism 10.1 (2016): 83–110. online
  • Wilkinson, Paul, ed. Terrorism: British Perspectives (Dartmouth, 1993).

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