An In-depth Look at Terrorism, Part 1: Defining Terrorism

Retired United States Ambassador to Paraguay Timothy L. Towell draws upon a career in the United States foreign and diplomatic service in his current role as President of The Foreign Policy Group. In this capacity, Ambassador Towell pursues multiple areas of expertise, including Africa, South and Central America, human rights, drug trafficking, and counterterrorism. With years of experience in American diplomacy, Ambassador Towell understands terrorism today. Terrorism remains notoriously difficult to define on a universal basis. An individual viewed by one country as a terrorist or insurgent might appear to be a militant revolutionary to another. This difficulty achieving a succinct definition of terrorism arises from the nuances in personal politics, as well as the subtleties of political motivation. Just as American soldiers headed for the battlefield believe in the justness of their cause, so do those labeled as terrorists. It is however easier to arrive at a more generalized concept of terrorism if it is viewed as being comprised of politically motivated, violent attacks against non-combatants, intended to influence intended targets by instilling fear. The religiously motivated attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 generated a stereotypical portrait of a terrorist in the American psyche; however, many other motivations drive terrorist acts beyond mere religious ideals. Until the mid-1990s, the label terrorist defied race, country, or religion; however, an increase in radical Islamic violent acts led to a new face on terrorism. Many factors give rise to terrorism, which nearly always occurs following a long history of political, social, cultural, economic, or spiritual frustration. Before resorting to terrorism, most groups have tried many other processes, such as attempts at reform, civil disobedience, and organized dissent to solve the inequities they have identified. Terrorism becomes the end result of an escalation of multiple failed processes.