The Definition Of Terrorism In The United States

Terrorism Definition: Shedding tears at the rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania 9/11 memorial while listening to the heart wrenching air phone calls from heroic passengers on Flight 93 to the answering machines of their loved ones, not only provides a deep emotional understanding of the tragedy of terrorism, but also provides renewed appreciation of the importance of international cooperation required to combat terrorism. Fundamental to creating and sustaining an international coalition to fight terrorism is an understanding of what constitutes terrorism (Ganor, 2002). The United Nations and other international organizations have struggled to develop an accepted definition of the term “terrorism” because one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter (Ganor, 2002).

Therefore, defining terrorism is paramount to understanding and developing responses to the escalating threat of terrorism. Using the legal jargon and voice of a national government, the United States code section 2656f(d) defines terrorism to mean the “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine