Terrorism: Assassins to Zealots

By: Sean Kendall Anderson and Stephen Sloan

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Synopsis: Studying terrorism has been complicated by a continuing debate over defining the nature and scope of terrorism. The overused saying "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" shows how subjectivity has obscured clearly identifying terrorism without which there can be no systematic study of this matter. The first common element of terrorism is the use, or threat, of violence. The intent to generate fear is the second common element that distinguishes terrorist violence from other forms of violence. Terrorism, is a form of "armed propaganda," a potent way to communicate a message in an age dominated by the mass media.