Guide Note
Often motivated by the desire to effect ideological, political or religious change, terrorist acts are threats or violent actions designed to instill fear, raise knowledge or gain support for a specific cause.1 Terrorist acts may be targeted toward a specific group or simply a means to create fear and uncertainty among civilians.
Fast Facts
- A difficult term to define, with several different definitions and connotations2
- The term was first used during the French Revolution3
- Terrorist acts include: Assassinations, hijackings, kidnappings, bombings or any threats thereof1
- The United States launched the "War on Terror" on October 7, 2001
- Terrorists may also be referred to as: Extremists, guerillas, commandos and fundamentalists2
Quotes
"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."—Noam Chomsky
"We will not be intimidated or pushed off the world stage by people who do not like what we stand for, and that is, freedom, democracy and the fight against disease, poverty and terrorism."—Madeleine Albright4
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