# Defining terrorism



## SpitfireV (May 15, 2013)

I've done a search and we've had some discussion on this but it's always been an offshoot of the main topic rather than the topic itself. This has been rehashed a lot over the last few years in academic, military and LE circles and I think a lot depends on what your particular organisation's focus is.

So on that note I'd like to make it a slightly different discussion and ask the question: What is YOUR definition of "terrorism" and "terrorist"? If the legal definition fits, cool, I'd like to hear why you agree with it and anything you don't agree with.

I generally quite like Hoffman's definition:

(Lifted from Wiki because I've loaned out my copy of his book)



> By distinguishing terrorists from other types of criminals and terrorism from other forms of crime, we come to appreciate that terrorism is :
> 
> ineluctably political in aims and motives
> violent—or, equally important, threatens violence
> ...


 
I'm sure I read something in his definition about being transnational but maybe that was in the chapter rather than the definition.

One of the important things to consider, IMO, is the delineation between a common criminal and terrorism. I think it needs to be quite narrowly defined in order to remove overuse of the term/charge.


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## pardus (May 16, 2013)

SpitfireV said:


> I generally quite like Hoffman's definition:


 
How do you justify this with this then? 

http://www.shadowspear.com/vb/threa...ations-oh-and-the-haqqanis.17977/#post-282120 




> I don't really agree that they're a terrorist outfit, per say, but I do realise this is a legal move to stop fundraising and whatnot so it's good.


 
You contradicted yourself, you can't have it both ways.​


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## SpitfireV (May 16, 2013)

Because I thought there was an transnational element to this one, which I'm wrong about. So yes, terrorist group, other thread statement retracted :)


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## pardus (May 16, 2013)

Cool bananas.


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## Robal2pl (May 16, 2013)

The one of used in US Code (22 USC § 2656f - Annual country reports on terrorism ) is short but quite well IMHO describes the problem



> " 'terrorism' means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents;"


 
And the last elements of that as well as those points in Hoffman's definition , wich are related to modus operandi (clandestine cells/networks), I think are most important, because there are many acts of politically motivated violence (war for example, or rural guerilla, or riots etc. ) and where also psychological and propaganda factors may be important (WW II city bombings for example - including nuclear ones)


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