Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a financial, political, religious or ideological aim.[1] It is used in this regard primarily to refer to violence against peacetime targets or in war against non-combatants.[2] The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century[3] but gained mainstream popularity during the U.S. Presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981–89) after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings[4] and again after the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. in September 2001[5][4][6] and on Bali in October 2002.[4]
There is no commonly accepted definition of "terrorism".[7][8] Being a charged term, with the connotation of something "morally wrong", it is often used, both by governments and non-state groups, to abuse or denounce opposing groups. Broad categories of political organisations have been claimed to have been involved in terrorism to further their objectives, including right-wing and left-wing political organisations, nationalist groups, religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments.[12] Terrorism-related legislation has been adopted in various states, regarding "terrorism" as a crime.[13][14] There is no universal agreement as to whether or not "terrorism", in some definition, should be regarded as a war crime.[14][15]
According to the Global Terrorism Database by the University of Maryland, College Park, more than 61,000 incidents of non-state terrorism, resulting in at least 140,000 deaths, have been recorded from 2000 to 2014.
The first meaning of the word 'terrorist' was then: adherent or supporter of the Jacobins.[18] Apparent from the context given in an article in the Guardian, the indication 'Jacobins' in that Oxford definition bears on the group around Maximilien Robespierre, also called 'Montagnards', that after 1794 were held responsible by some commentators for the repressive and violent government over France between June 1793 and July 1794, a period analogously labeled 'Reign of Terror' by commentators.[18] The given definition in Oxford Dictionary shows, the term 'terrorist' in its first use was meant as abusive term for someone's political or historical ideas or allegiances, not as description of his personal actions.[18]
In December 1795, Edmund Burke used the word "Terrorists" in a description of the new French government called 'Directory':
"At length, after a terrible struggle, the [Directory] Troops prevailed over the Citizens (…) To secure them further, they have a strong corps of irregulars, ready armed. Thousands of those Hell-hounds called Terrorists, whom they had shut up in Prison on their last Revolution, as the Satellites of Tyranny, are let loose on the people."[19]
Clearly, in this case, Burke used 'Terrorists' as disparaging labeling of armed troops hired by a government he loathes.
French historian Sophie Wahnich(French) distinguishes between the revolutionary terror of the French Revolution and the terrorists of the September 11 attacks:
Revolutionary terror is not terrorism. To make a moral equivalence between the Revolution's year II and September 2001 is historical and philosophical nonsense . . . The violence exercised on 11 September 2001 aimed neither at equality nor liberty. Nor did the preventive war announced by the president of the United States.
