Examining the Need for a Unified Definition of Terrorism

In our world today, terrorism is a factor in our day-to-day lives, even if we choose to ignore it. It has touched countless lives around the world and has changed each of them forever. Most likely, you personally have been affected in one way or another by terrorism. Personally, I know that terrorism has permanently altered who I am. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, I had felt completely safe as an American. I had believed that being a citizen of the most powerful nation in the world would always protect me from any sort of threat. And terrorism was nothing more than a distant concept with no real importance to me. Nevertheless, when the terrorist attacks happened, my whole outlook changed. Two of the three incidents (the ones in NY and PA) devastated two places that are near areas I considered home. It struck me with horror and disbelief that, in reality, no one is safe from the hideous arm of terror, even myself. Therefore, it became one of my goals in life to find a way to stop hiding behind our country and actually play an active role in protecting my loved ones and myself from terrorism.

The Truth About Terrorism

Ultimately, this should be the goal of each American, even if he or she does not have any intention to seek careers and/or opportunities to directly play a part in combating terrorism. Essentially, the first step to this goal is for us to familiarize ourselves with the true nature of terrorism. For example, although it is difficult to admit, we must all remember that terrorism originates from all parts of the world and ideologies, even at the hands of our fellow Americans (The Associated Press, 1999; Bullock et al, 2006, p. 13-14). Also, we must remember that terrorism is anything but a modern occurrence. Rather, terrorism has been plaguing the world for innumerable generations and has been widely used to obtain political, ideological, and religious objectives since the revolution in France (International Terrorism and Security Research, n.d.; Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 4-13).

Lack of Unified Definition

Yet, despite its overshadowing presence across the globe for so long, no one can seem to agree on the exact nature of terrorism. At times, acts of terrorism are excused or even condoned, depending on the reasons behind the acts or the parties involved. In fact, in these instances, many individuals may be convinced that these acts should not and could not be classified as terrorism, largely because they sympathize with the cause. Consequently, there are countless definitions of terrorism throughout the world (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 13-23; Schmid, 2004).

Three U.S. Government Definitions

Even within our own country, we cannot seem to develop a unified definition. Different agencies have developed their own definitions to fit their own purposes and needs (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 19-20). To illustrate this, I would like to examine three of these definitions: the official terrorism definitions for the FBI, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. State Department:

Official Terrorism Definition of the FBI:

"The unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or an individual . . . committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives" (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 19; Schmid, 2004, p. 177).

Official Terrorism Definition of the U.S. Department of Defense:

"The calculated use of violence or threat of violence to inculcate fear: intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious or ideological" (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 19; Schmid, 2004, p. 177).

Official Terrorism Definition of the U.S. State Department:

"Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience" (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 19; Schmid, 2004, p. 177).

Compare & Contrast of Three Definitions

As you can see, these different definitions share some similarities in their ideas of terrorism. For example, all three definitions include such points as (1) terrorism involves the coercion of persons, (2) it involves violent acts, and (3) it can be politically motivated. However, each also has its own twist on terrorism (Howard & Sawyer, 2006, p. 19; Schmid, 2004, p. 177):

FBI:

Focuses on acts of terrorism as violations of statutes and laws.

Identifies property as an injured party of acts of terrorism.

States that social issues can also motivate terrorists.

U.S. Department of Defense:

Reinforces the calculated nature of terrorism.

Asserts that terrorism's ultimate goal is to inspire fear.

Names religion and ideologies as other sources of motivation for terrorists.

U.S. State Department:

Emphasizes that acts of terrorism are premeditated.

Maintains that victims of terrorism are noncombatants.

Explains terrorists are not directly affiliated with entire nations or government bodies.

In conclusion, I cannot see us ever having an easy time fighting terrorism in the U.S. or around the world without a clear-cut definition of terrorism. Ultimately, we cannot successfully confront an adversary that we cannot unmistakably define. Instead of making a unified stand against acts of terrorism, we are quarrelling among ourselves over what actually constitutes terrorism. For that reason, I feel that we as a nation really need to step up and make developing a single terrorism definition a major priority.

References:

The Associated Press. (1999, October 8). List of foreign terrorists. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/19991008/aponline200109_000.htm

Bullock, J. A., Haddow, G.D., Coppola, D., Ergin, E., Westerman, L, & Yeletaysi, S. (2006). Introduction to homeland security (2^nd ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Howard, R. D., & Sawyer, R. L. (2006). Terrorism and counterterrorism: Understanding the new security environment (2^nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill.

International Terrorism and Security Research. (n.d.). What is terrorism? Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.terrorism-research.com/

Schmid, A. (2004, April). Terrorism - The definitional problem. Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, 36, 375-419. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from Colorado Technical University Online Library, Articles & Books, Business Source Premier: https://campus.ctuonline.edu