Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mnetor.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!clewis From: clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: What is the defintion of Terrorism? Message-ID: <3400@mnetor.UUCP> Date: Sat, 3-May-86 19:01:58 EDT Article-I.D.: mnetor.3400 Posted: Sat May 3 19:01:58 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 3-May-86 21:47:30 EDT References: <157@unido.UUCP> <1200001@ztivax.UUCP> <332@hope.UUCP> <529@looking.UUCP> <507@bu-cs.UUCP> Reply-To: clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis) Distribution: net Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Lines: 80 Keywords: definition Webster Summary: In article <507@bu-cs.UUCP> dml@bucsd.UUCP (David Matthew Lyle) writes: >In article <529@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >| Recently there have been lots of uses of the word 'terrorism.' >| >| What exactly do we mean when we say that word? It's too new for a >| dictionary to be definative, but it is certain that lots of people >| are using it to mean, "a violent act I didn't like or by somebody >| I don't like," and this is pointless. It's just name calling. How about: An attack without a declaration of war which is deliberately designed to cause "terror" in an attempt to cause the opposition to either "do something" or cease "doing something". With such a definition you can (at least try) to eliminate political bias. Also with this definition, you'll notice that "terrorism" isn't automatically "bad" (there may be very good reasons for it), while leaving the word "terrorism" to denote the purpose and part of the method. I'm tempted to leave out the "without a declaration of war" for three reasons: 1) When the perpetrator's aren't a "state". 2) It's hard to tell when everybody is screaming about "holy wars" 3) I think I want to include some acts of war as "terrorism" (eg: Dresden, Coventry, London, Hiroshima) The major distinction, in my mind, between terrorism and more "ordinary" acts of war is whether the objective is the physical result of the attack itself (and related "tactical" objectives), or primarily an attempt to sway opinion one way or another. I rather tend to think that it is irrelevant whether it's civilians, military personnel or politicians that get killed. All three groups are human (tho, perhaps less so in the latter case :-) Guess it depends on whom "terror" would have the best results. It seems quite reasonable to assume that terrorists aim at the targets most likely to yield results. So, if it's a "democratic" country, nail civilians because they do the most screaming. If it's a dictatorship, they could care less about their own civilians - military and political targets make more sense. >I do not think that the US air raid on Libya can be considered a terrorist >act. It was a one time action, not a ``systematic'' action. Also, it's >purpose was not to cause terror, the intention was to disable (at least >temporarily) Libyan military/terrorist facilities as well as to make a >point that the US is not kidding. Hopefully, although not likely, Khaddafi >took note. - what the heck does "one time action" have to do with it? "Air India" was a "one time action"! - "one time action"? In addition to the bombings, the US has provoked Libya twice with the Gulf of Sidra. Maybe the US was "right" according to international law, but it *still* was provocation. Plus all of Reagan's brilliant commentary ("Mad Man of the Middle East") doesn't lead one to believe that the political situation is amenable to any sort of reasonable negotiation. - I assure you that Khaddaffi *did* take note of the precise surgical strikes at military/terrorist facilities like: - his family - the French Embassy - various and sundry civilian homes (that's supposed to be sarcastic) - I'm perfectly willing to accept the assertion that the US was really aiming at military/terrorist facilities. So what? The US is *still* responsible for the deaths of those civilians. ("But officer, I didn't mean to shoot the sherrif - I was varmint hunting - you can't blame me for bad aim!") - "Webster's Dictionary" for the definition of "terror"? Hardly definitive - it doesn't even have the correct spelling for "colour" or "centre"! :-) Next time you quote a dictionary definition, I suggest you include the OED too! I greatly fear the US has made the problem worse by turning Khaddaffi into a martyr without the inconvenience of having to die first. -- Chris Lewis, UUCP: {allegra, linus, ihnp4}!utzoo!mnetor!clewis BELL: (416)-475-8980 ext. 321