The Difference between Terrorism and Domestic Terrorism Essay

The terms terrorism and domestic terrorism are very similar concepts. There are, however, slight differences in each. Entities that are apart of the Government have slightly different ways of explaining what they believe to be the correct definition of terrorism and domestic terrorism. In this paper the author will offer definitions of the two terms and state which one they agree with the most. The author will also state how the two terms are best differentiated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism on the basis of three characteristics. In order for an act to be considered terrorism, it needs to be (1) a violent act, or acts dangerous to human life that violates laws; (2) appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or†¦show more content†¦They elucidate that terrorism is a â€Å"premeditated, politically motivated, violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups of clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience,† (National Institute of Justice). All of the definitions that the author has presented tend to share a common theme. In each of the previous definitions, the use of force that is intended to coerce or sway a course of action that furthers a social, or political goal. In most cases, the FBI definition is the one most widely used and accepted by law enforcement entities (National Institute of Justice). The author seconds that the FBI definition is the one that she agrees with the most. The FBI definition seems like the only one that doesn’t leave anything out. It is the most descriptive, and unlike the American Heritage definition, it broadens the scope of terrorists from being a certain type of group to the possibility of it being just one man or woman. The FBI also gives a definition of domestic terrorism that is very similar to its definition of terrorism, but has a minor difference. Like terrorism, there are three characteristics that need to be met in order to define an act as domestic terrorism. The first characteristic is that it needs to involve acts that are dangerous to human life that violate federal or state laws. The second characteristic is it needs to appear intended to (i) intimidate or coerce civilian population; (ii) influence policies of aShow MoreRelatedTerrorist Attacks On The World Trade Center1170 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent than the dangers of terrorism at a global scale: domestic terrorism. 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