Is terrorism against international law?

Definition. International law provides no clear definition for the term terrorism . It has political and ideological connotations. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

How does the United Nations define terrorism?

A UN panel, on March 17, 2005, described terrorism as any act “intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.”

What are the three key elements to terrorism?

This customary rule requires the following three key elements: (i) the perpetration of a criminal act (such as murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking, arson, and so on), or threatening such an act; (ii) the intent to spread fear among the population (which would generally entail the creation of public danger) or directly …

What does international humanitarian law say about terrorism?

IHL prohibits in war most acts that would be called “terrorist” if committed in peacetime. In this context, IHL applies both to armed forces and to non-State armed groups. Acts of terrorism in other situations may be subject to other bodies of law, in particular domestic criminal law.

What is UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism?

The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) is a proposed treaty which intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, arms, and safe havens.

Why is it hard to define terrorism?

The difficulty in assigning a truly comprehensive definition to terrorism lies in the fact that, not only is it challenging to be specific when motives, targets and methods differ so broadly from case-to-case, but the complexity of untangling the overlaps within each of these categories makes the task virtually …

Why is it important to define terrorism?

Accurate legal definition of terrorism is important for society and for governance to enable successful investigation and prosecution of terrorists within the established judicial system.

What does the Geneva Convention say about civilians?

Civilians in areas of armed conflict and occupied territories are protected by the 159 articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Civilians are to be protected from murder, torture or brutality, and from discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, religion or political opinion.

Is terrorism a response to perceived occupation?

This body of research argues that international terrorism is often a response to perceived occupation of an area. Groups see terrorism as a method to dislodge the occupying force. This argument has been refined by other scholars, who have presented conditions or extensions of this argument.

Does foreign policy matter for international terrorism?

Research has generally demonstrated that states with active foreign policies are more likely to experience international terrorism, particularly democracies and the United States.

Can foreign aid address the threat of terrorism?

Foreign aid has been seen as a policy that can address the threat of terrorism. Aid has been argued to be able to improve local conditions and incentivize and reward local states for engaging in counterterrorism.

How should we deal with terrorism?

One potential means for dealing with terrorism is law. Americans are particularly attracted to the law as a means for repressing violence, and are committed domestically and internationally to using law to control criminal conduct and to resolve disputes.