Defining Terrorism: Types, Features, and Strategies

Running head: DEFINING TERRORISM
DEFINING TERRORISM
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1
DEFINING TERRORISM
Answer to question 1:
Terrorism in not a new phenomenon and the Americans has felt its impact during the
attacks of September 11, 2001. It was one of the biggest terrorist attacks in the history of the U.S
and the world and yet the term ‘terrorism’ is difficult to define even today (Open.lib.umn.edu, p.
31). Defining terrorism has always been a topic of contention for scholars for ages because as the
saying goes, “one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist”. Several definitions of
terrorism have come up over the years but most refer to the three essential features that
somewhat define terrorism. These features include, 1) using violence; 2) sole purpose of making
people terrified and 3) the yearning to change the social, political, economic and cultural
establishment. However, these features do not accumulate to defining terrorism because many
examples from the past prove that terrorism cannot be defined. The British considered the
revolutionaries who fought for freedom from the British in Northern Ireland and in India as well
as terrorists. Even the 9/11 attackers were hailed by many as heroes fighting for a cause.
Answer to question 2:
Although terrorism is difficult to define, scholars and sociologists have distinguished
terrorism into four major types- vigilante terrorism, insurgent terrorism, transnational terrorism
and state terrorism (Open.lib.umn.edu, pp. 32-33).
Private Citizens mostly commit vigilante terrorism against other private citizens and its
motivations often include race, ethnicity, religion, or hatred of some kind. Examples of this type
of terrorism may include the atrocities of the Ku Klux Klan against the black people and the
white Europeans against the Native Americans.