The war within the war : a uniformed definition of terrorism

Abstract

September 11,2001 changed the United States' perception of security and prompted rapid and massive changes in order to combat terrorism. The lack of a unified definition domestically in the United States and internationally among the United States' allies leads to an ineffective "Global War on Terrorism." In this paper I cover the three definitions utilized by the United States: the US Code, the USA PATRIOT ACT, and the definition provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. In order to demonstrate the conflicts that arise from the absence of a unified definition, I also compare the United States' allies' definitions of terrorism.