12/01/2015

DefinitionofTerrorism|MedillNationalSecurityZone

Whyisterrorismsohardtodefine?
ByJennaBarnes|July26,2012
WASHINGTONIfyousearchforthewordterrorismonCNNswebsite,youllgetmore
than30,000results.Theresnodoubtitsahottopicandamajorconcernworldwide.But
whatexactlyisterrorism?Asitturnsout,theresnosimpleanswertothatquestion.
TheU.S.CodeofFederalRegulationsdefinesthewordastheunlawfuluseofforceand
violenceagainstpersonsorpropertytointimidateorcoerceagovernment,thecivilian
population,oranysegmentthereofinfurtheranceofpoliticalorsocialobjectives.
Althoughitsgenerallyagreeduponthatterrorismistheuseofviolencetopursuepolitical
aims,definingthewordgetstrickierthebroaderyoutrytocastthescope.
Peoplecanagreeuponitsdefinitionincertainplacesorcontexts,buttherearetoomany
variablesforauniversaldefinition,accordingtoBillBraniff,executivedirectorNational
ConsortiumfortheStudyofTerrorismandResponsestoTerrorism.
TheUnitedNationshasbeentryingtocomeupwithadefinitionsincelongbeforeSeptember
11th,2001,buttheystillhaventbeenabletosettleonone.Theholdupcomesmainlyfrom
Islamicstatesthatwanttodrawadistinctionbetweenactsofterrorismandactsofnational
resistanceagainstforeignoccupation.
Althoughthewordishardtodefinepolitically,itsalsoculturallyrelative,meaningpeople
fromdifferentplacesorculturesoftenjudgetheworddifferentlyfromeachother.According
toRogerShuy,professorofLinguisticsEmeritusatGeorgetownUniversity,theword
terrorismalmostalwaysimpliesotherness.
Itsaveryethnocentricterm,hesaid.Inasenseitsassociatedwithsomebodyotherthan
us.
SomeAmericansautomaticallyassociateterrorismwiththeMiddleEastwearefighting
theWaronTerroroverthere,afterallbutthatdoesntnecessarilymeantheWestorany
otherregionisexemptfromblame.
Terrorismisahumanphenomenon,Braniffsaid.Peopleofeveryrace,cultureandcreed
haveusedviolencetoforwardtheirpoliticalinterests.
WhenBraniffstudiesactsofterrorism,hecategorizesthembasedonagreeduponcriteriaof
theagreedupondefinitionfortheparticularstudyhesworkingon.Inotherwords,hesas
objectiveaspossible,giventhepossibleunknowns.
Wedonttalkaboutwhethertheactionwasrightorwrongorgoodorbad,hesaid.
Others,however,cantordontmakesuchobjectivejudgments.Thatsbecauseterrorism
isavalueladentermwithsignificantemotionalimplications.Andthoseemotionalsemantics
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12/01/2015

DefinitionofTerrorism|MedillNationalSecurityZone

furthercomplicatethedefinition.
Atabasichumanlevel,youretalkingaboutbeliefsystemsandviolence,andthosearereally
emotionallychargedthingstotalkabout,Braniffsaid.
Otherwise,objectively,terrorismisapoliticaltacticplainandsimple.
Warisanextensionofpoliticsbyothermeans,Braniffsaid.Terrorismisanextensionof
politicsbyothermeans.
Thecomplicationsthatdelaydefiningterrorismarentbecauseoftheworditself,butthe
politics,cultureandemotionsassociatedwithit.
Usingadifferentwordisnotgoingtochangesomeofthoseunderlyingissues,Braniff
said.Theresnotingwrongwiththewordterrorism.Itsjustthatpeoplegetreallyinvolved
intheemotionsandpolitics.

ByJennaBarnes|PostedonJuly26,2012|CommentsOff

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