Terrorism

Terrorism is the unlawful use or threatened use of violence by individuals or groups to achieve political, religious, or ideological aims by intimidating an audience beyond the immediate victims. It is typically carried out by non-state actors and is distinguished from conventional warfare, insurgency, and organized crime by its irregular tactics, asymmetrical power, and broader aims. Definitions vary across legal and scholarly contexts, which affects how terrorist acts and organizations are identified and treated.

Common tactics include bombings, assassinations, hijackings, kidnappings, shootings, and cyberattacks designed to attract attention and influence public policy. Attacks may target civilians, public institutions, or symbolic sites to maximize fear and media coverage. Actors range from individuals acting alone to formal groups, sometimes with state sponsorship or external support, pursuing nationalist, religious, ethnic, or ideological goals.

Responses to terrorism involve law enforcement, intelligence cooperation, sanctions, border controls, and diplomacy, with some cases involving military operations or peacekeeping. Counterterrorism policies emphasize prevention, resilience, and addressing underlying grievances, but they also raise concerns about civil liberties, privacy, discrimination, and proportionality. The effectiveness and unintended consequences of such measures are widely debated.

The international legal framework combines UN security resolutions, counterterrorism conventions, and national laws aimed at criminalization, funding prohibition, and disruption of support networks. Definitions of terrorism remain contested, leading to ongoing debates about rights, due process, and the balance between security and freedom in democratic societies.