Difficulties of Defining Terrorism

 Different governmental agencies and international agencies have different definitions of terrorism. The agencies employ different factors such as time period, location, among other subjective perspectives in trying to understand terrorism (Martin, 2008).  Example of definitions from agencies include;

• The U.S Department of Defense (DOD) - the DOD defines terrorism as a planned unlawful act of violence to attack the public and provoke a feeling of fear to the government so that their can meet their political and ideological goals (Martin, 2008).
• The U.S Code- a pre-planned unlawful act of using violence to provoke a feeling of fear to the citizens with the intention of influencing the governmental policy.
• The Federal Burial of Investigation (FBI) - unlawful use of violence to attack the public or the property with the intention of provoking a feeling of fear to both the citizens and the government, and thereafter, achieve political objectives (Martin, 2008).
• The U.S Department of State (DOS) - terrorism is a violent act where the terrorists attack the public and provoke a feeling of fear to both the public and the government with an aim of influencing the governmental policy (Ronczkowski, 2006).
• United Nations Security Council (UNSC) - terrorism is a criminal act against the civilian population with the aim of causing mass killing and provoke a feeling of fear in the civilian population, or the government and the make the meet their objectives (Ronczkowski, 2006).
• European Union- terrorism is a criminal act that causes serious damage so that the civilian population or the government can change their behaviors or behave in a certain way.

 

             Focusing on the comparison and contrast in the different definitions, the definition by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the definition by the Department of Defense are similar in that both agencies use a legalistic approach (Ronczkowski, 2006). In other words, both agencies agree that terrorists use violence, the act is illegal, they target the civilian population, cause devastating consequences, and they destabilize the governments. However, they differ in their definition, and the rationale for their differences is based upon their mission. For example, the FBI focus on the use of violence to attack the public and the government so that the terrorists can achieve their political or social goals (Martin, 2008). Using this definition, the major role of the FBI is to predict the threats and prevent them. Its mission is to protect the terrorist groups from attacking the U.S. On the other hand, the Department of Defense believes that terrorists plan to use violence to cause a threat to the public so that the government can develop a feeling of fear and meet the terrorists' goals (Martin, 2008).  Unlike the FBI, DOD protects the U.S by providing the nation with military forces such as the Army, Air Force and others that serve in the U.S and outside the U.S.  In general, the difference occurs in their defense activities.

One definition of terrorism that I believe defines terrorism accurately is the definition by the U.S Code.  According to the U.S Code, terrorism is a pre-meditated act to use violence against the civilian population with an intent of provoking a feeling of fear in the government to influence governmental policy.  I support this definition in that terrorist attack is not a mere attack but it is a planned act or in other words, terrorist engage in the operational planning process and their target the civilian population (noncombatant) to engage in war with the government (Martin, 2008).  However, one recommendation to the definition is that the U.S Code should add that terrorism is a federal crime and include it in the federal law.  This will help the U.S to impose the necessary penalty for terrorist activities.

 My personal definition of terrorism is that terrorism is illegal to use of force to attack the civilian population with political motives.  The key elements in my personal definition are an illegal force, political motives, and the civilian population.  These elements are important in that when addressing the issue of terrorism,   the responsible agency will understand that terrorism must have a motive such as to achieve a political objective, terrorists must target innocent people like the civilian population so that they can instill fear not only to the target but also to the government, and lastly, terrorists must use force or violence with an aim of causing mass killing and mass destruction (Martin, 2008).  These factors will help identify whether an act is a terrorist act or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Martin, G. (2008). Essentials of terrorism: Concepts and controversies (9781412953139). Sage

Pub.

 

 Ronczkowski R. Michael. (2006). Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence

Gathering, Analysis and Investigations, Second Edition. CRC Press