[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Firstly, I should clarify that the US government defines terrorism as
those who kill OR disrupt society OR strike fear in large groups of
people. You don't actually have to commit violent acts to be officially
labeled as a terrorist.
Actually, to quote from the Council On Foreign Relations...
The State Department defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience."
In another useful attempt to produce a definition, Paul Pillar, a former deputy chief of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, argues that there are four key elements of terrorism:
1. It is premeditated—planned in advance, rather than an impulsive
act of rage.
2. It is political—not criminal, like the violence that groups such
as the mafia use to get money, but designed to change the existing
political order.
3. It is aimed at civilians—not at military targets or combat-ready
troops.
4. It is carried out by subnational groups—not by the army of a country.So... by this definition, the US Army can't commit acts of terrorism.
Please don't shoot the messenger.
Russ _______________________________________________ EUGLUG mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.euglug.org/mailman/listinfo/euglug
