Assignment 1: Difficulties of Defining Terrorism

Due Week 2 and worth 75 points

There is no universal agreed-upon definition of terrorism. Terrorism means different things to different people, governments, and organizations based upon context.

Write a 2-4-page paper in which you do the following:

1. Summarize, with citations, at least four different definitions of terrorism. Note: The definitions must come from sources such as U.S. government agencies (e.g., FBI, DOJ, CIA, DOD, DHS, DOS, DIA, NSA, etc.), international agencies and / or foreign governments (e.g. United Nations, England, Israel, etc.), or terrorism experts (e.g. Bruce Hoffman, Walter Laqueur, Brian Jenkins, Paul Pillar, etc.).
2. Compare and contrast two of the four definitions summarized in Question 1. Provide a rationale for the differences between the two definitions based upon the context of the people, governments, and / or organizations that developed the definition.
3. Select one of the four chosen definitions of terrorism that you believe most accurately defines terrorism. Recommend at least one change or enhancement that you would make to the definition. Provide a rationale for your response.
4. Create your own personal comprehensive definition of terrorism. Identify the key criteria inherent in your personal definition, and explain their importance.
5. Use at least three quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources.