4 ms·

Generally speaking the definitions of terrorism preclude state actors from being included (kind of a cop out, but they literally have carve-outs for the state).

Generally speaking the definitions of terrorism preclude state actors from being included (kind of a cop out, but they literally have carve-outs for the state). See the US legal definition of terrorism: premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents Title 22 Chapter 38 U.S. Code § 2656f Generally speaking, wartime actions by one state against another don't seem to be included in this group. That being said, there's not exactly an agreed upon definition of terrorism, the best I can come up with is "acts of political violence that don't fall into the category of war" A good place to start for more reading on the differences between the legal definitions of terrorism in different countries is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_terrorism#In_national_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_terrorism#In_nat... It's not just the US, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_terrorism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_terrorism

Aeolun 6y ago
Isn’t the part that makes it less like terrorism that you ‘declare war’ on a different nation first? That’s why pearl harbor is seen more like terrorism, and the rest of the war more like war.
- fbarred 6y ago
  Pearl Harbor is not seen as terrorism. It's seen as a military attack on the United States, and an act of war. United States hasn't declared war since 1942: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_Unit... "The last time the United States formally declared war, using specific terminology, on any nation was in 1942, when war was declared against Axis-allied Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, because President Franklin Roosevelt thought it was improper to engage in hostilities against a country without a formal declaration of war. Since then, every American president has used military force without a declaration of war."
- bawolff 6y ago
  The rules that apply to countries is different than those that apply to non countries. Declaring war doesn't change much. Many terrorist groups declare war before blowing stuff up, it doesn't let them off the hook.

Aeolun 6y ago

Isn’t the part that makes it less like terrorism that you ‘declare war’ on a different nation first? That’s why pearl harbor is seen more like terrorism, and the rest of the war more like war.

fbarred 6y ago
Pearl Harbor is not seen as terrorism. It's seen as a military attack on the United States, and an act of war. United States hasn't declared war since 1942: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_Unit... "The last time the United States formally declared war, using specific terminology, on any nation was in 1942, when war was declared against Axis-allied Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, because President Franklin Roosevelt thought it was improper to engage in hostilities against a country without a formal declaration of war. Since then, every American president has used military force without a declaration of war."
bawolff 6y ago
The rules that apply to countries is different than those that apply to non countries. Declaring war doesn't change much. Many terrorist groups declare war before blowing stuff up, it doesn't let them off the hook.