06-30-2006, 02:41 PM
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Commentator
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,271
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Sorry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sadistic-Savior";p="
I dont know if that is technically considered terrorism. If a foreign nation tried to assassinate Bush, most people would not consider that terrorism.
He's not a random civilian, he's the leader of their government. I dont think it is unreasonable to hold the leader of a democratic nation responsible for the actions of their military. I would fully expect a foreign nation hostile to the US to target Bush. Why should Palestine be any different?
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Sorry I was just going by the definition. Next time I'll ask you first.
Quote:
Terrorism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, or threat of violence to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, to bring about compliance with specific political demands. The targets of terrorist attacks typically are not the individuals who are killed, injured, or taken hostage, but rather the societies to which these individuals belong. Terrorism is a type of unconventional warfare designed to weaken or supplant existing political landscapes through capitulation or acquiescence, as opposed to subversion or direct military action. The broader influence of terrorism in the modern world is often attributed to the dramatic focus of mass media in amplifying feelings of intense fear and anger.
State terrorism more specifically refers to violence and threats of violence, embargoes and other forms of terrorism against civilians by the government of a state. The civilians, in such case, may be nationals or foreigners.
Main article: Definition of terrorism
Although the term is often used imprecisely, there have been many attempts by various law enforcement agencies and public organizations to develop more precise working definitions of terrorism.
United States Department of Defense The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological."
Federal Bureau of Investigation The unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. [1]
European Union includes in its 2002 definition of "terrorism" the aim of "destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country." [2]
United States Department of Justice Involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any State; Appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping; and occur totally outside the United States, or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum. (50 U.S.C. § 1801(c))
British Government Involves serious violence against a person, endangering the lives of others, risks the health or safety of the public, serious damage to property, or serious interference with an electronic system designed to influence a government or intimidate the public in order to advance a political, religious or ideological cause (Terrorism Act 2000). This definition is unique in that it is designed to include many forms of nonviolent resistance.
The Relative Meaning of Terrorism
If the key dimensions mentioned above represent a working definition of terrorism, then terrorism can be summarized as politically motivated acts featuring or threatening violence upon noncombatants in order to psychologically affect a target audience for what the given terrorist would deem a just cause. While this account of the dimensions of terrorism may help to ascertain the degree to which certain violence-oriented acts can be judged terrorism, one problem repeatedly surfaces that complicates any such definition; namely, perspective. Since World War II, there have been many groups who, when involved in a "liberation" struggle, have been called terrorist by the Western media. Later, these same militants, as leaders of the liberated nations, have been called statesmen by the same news media. Two examples are Nobel Peace Prize laureates Menachem Begin and Nelson Mandela. Sometimes states that are close allies, for reasons of history, culture and politics, can disagree over whether members of a certain organization are terrorists. For example, some branches of the United States government refused to label members of the IRA as terrorists, even though the IRA used violent methods against one of the United States' closest allies, (Britain). They were described as terrorist attacks by Quinn v. Robinson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism
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Voltaire: Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
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