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Email this citationCIAO DATE: 03/03
Current Issues on Terrorism: Global vs. National Terrorism, State- vs. Terrorism-Violence
November 2002
Abstract
After something more than a year elapsed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2002, assessments of terrorism and ways and means to respond to it continue to be central in public debates. In this paper two questions are raised with respect to terrorism.
The first question relates to the difference that should be made - and is in contrast neglected - between transnational / global and national / regional terrorism. The need to recognize the difference as to calibrate responses to terrorism does divide the government of the United States from a good deal of American citizens and allied countries.
The second question concerns the difference that should be made and maintained between terrorism by non-state actors and illegitimate violence by states against civilians. This question is linked to that of the allegedly legitimate use of terrorism in the framework of people resistance to illegitimate state-violence. In sum, the question is well known as that of defining terrorism. Such concern of definition does divide Western governments and public opinions from Arab and Muslim ones; the latter being convinced that terrorism is a legitimate response to illegitimate state-violence. The question is not new nor it concerns the Muslim and Arab world only. In general, “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”.
