What is Terrorism? Definitions, History, Causes and Types of Terrorism
From Amy Zalman, Ph.D., former About.com Guide
"Terrorism" seems to have as many definitions as the number of people who use it. Find basic information here on definitions, causes and types. Work your way down the page for more depth and detail on the history of terrorism and its variants, such as eco-terrorism, to suicide terrorism and religious terrorism.
Terrorism Basics
Start here for quick answers to your questions about terrorism basics.
Terrorism Definitions
"One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter," goes an often-quoted saying that aptly describes the difficulty of defining terrorism. Here are some of the efforts to date.
- United States Department of Defense
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism
Causes of Terrorism
The proposed causes of terrorism range from individual upbringing to economic conditions. Here are some of those ways.
- The Two Causes of Terrorism
- Why the Causes of Terrorism Are So Difficult to Identify
- Poverty as a Cause
Terrorist Tactics & Weapons
Terrorist tactics and weapons reflect the underground, unsanctioned nature of the activity. Light arms, improvised weapons and ingenious tactics are typical.