Defining Terrorism Is Difficult - Research Paper Example

Defining and addressing the phenomenon of terrorism is in the preliminary stages (Ronczkowski 17).
Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the difficulty in defining terrorism because of the different types of terrorist missions confronting governments.
The Difficulty in Defining Terrorism

There are numerous working definitions of terrorism. According to Jonathan R. White (7-11), terrorism is an abstract concept with no tangible presence; hence a true definition that accounts for all the potential uses of the term is not possible. At the same time, however, two common characteristics are that terrorization is done, and terrorists have targets and victims. The definition changes according to the context of the violent activity. This weakness is taken into consideration when examining some popular definitions of terrorism (White 7). Of five official definitions from various United States government agencies, “three of the more commonly cited definitions come from the FBI, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Defense” (Ronczkowski 18).

The FBI, 2003 defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof” toward achieving political or social purposes. According to Ronczkowski (p.18), the United States Department of State defines terrorism as an activity directed against persons involving violent acts or measures hazardous to human life which would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States. Further, it purposefully intimidates or compels a civilian population to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or terrorist acts affect the performance of a government by assassination or kidnapping. Similarly, the Department of Defense defines terrorism as the predetermined use of violence or threat of violence to create fear, “intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological” states Philip B. Heyman (3).

The common elements among the above definitions are clear, but it is essential to find out whether only one definition is correct, to determine which is correct, and the reasons for one government having only one definition. The solution to these queries is simple; it is that the missions of the different types of terrorism vary. Hence, instead of an all-inclusive definition of terrorism, it would be better to focus on an understanding of the elements that constitute terrorism (Ronczkowski 18). Heyman (3) adds that numerous attempts to define terrorism as distinctly as murder, robbery, or rape have been unsuccessful. Analytical practitioners as well as law enforcement personnel should receive a foundation for performing their daily duties related to terrorism and terrorist activity, along with an understanding of its history.

Donald M. Snow states that the root of the word terrorism is derived from the Latin word terrace which means ‘to frighten’. However, this meaning can also be applied to modern criminal statutes related to robbery and other crimes, consequently causing confusion and debate (Snow 1). Therefore, law enforcement agencies and analysts use a standardized, open definition. The U.S. Code of 22 USC Sec. 2656f(d) states that the following definitions of terrorism can be used commonly by all sections dealing with terrorism and terrorist activity. The term ‘terrorism’ implies “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience” (Ronczkowski 19). Further, ‘international terrorism’ involves citizens or territories of more than one country.
Conclusion

This paper has examined the difficulty in defining terrorism because of the varying types of terrorist missions faced by governments and their different departments. The evidence indicates that various U.S. government agencies have different definitions of terrorism, with some common elements. Although a written definition of terrorism is helpful to government agencies, it is not required that they dwell on the definitions which have been debated and changed over several decades. Ronczkowski (19) adds that defining the related concepts of ‘terrorist activity and ‘terrorists’ is also essential. Read More