What is the legal definition of terrorism and is eco-terrorism really terrorism?
What is the legal definition of terrorism? Are sinking whaling boats to save whales (Sea Sheperd)& breaking into research labs to rescue animals and destroying equipment (at nightime when no one's around) (Animal liberation front) really acts of terrorism? Isn't it just vandalism, breaking and entering, and theft? If there were people on the boat, wouldn't it just be reckless endangerment? How is it terrorism? I don't believe that these acts are "justifiable" but I kind of disagree with certain acts and organizations being labeled as domestic terror. And is there anywhere I can get a list of the organizations labeled as domestic terrorists?
Answers:
Now days they can call anything they want terror. Sinking a boat is nothing more than a criminal act.
makin trip to a tourist place like get together
Terrorism is the commiting of a violent act for a political gain. Those commiting "vandalism" as you put it are doing so for political gain for their political cause - thus it is definitely terrorism. Is it as bad as flying a plane of innocent people into a building with more innocent people - of course not. But it is still terrorism and deserves a very harsh treatment. If their political cause is just they should make their political case with out vandalism, with out violence and if they were right they'd win. The problem is they can't win in the minds of people so they resort to this vandalism; and eventually someone will get hurt.
I don't know what the international community considers as the definition of terrorism but I would think it would be something like , using terror tactics such as destruction of property, murder, kidnapping, and or robbery to obtain ones political or religious goals. I suppose one can use the term to identify domestic party's as terroristic in nature. I'm sure you can find a website to provide the information you want. Good luck.
there is no offical defintion of terror. this is the issue. we have never discussed what a terrorist is, (are there) levels of terrorism, or what types of acts are 'terrorist acts' and which aren't (as you said only 'vandalism')
I don't know where you could find a list like that.
but you won't find an offical, legally/gov approved, defination of terror and terrorists
As others have said correctly, there is at the moment no official international legal definition of terrorism in the sense of the UN. There are however quite a few other definitions 'floating' around, both in national legislation as well as other forums. For instance you could look at the EU Framework Decision of 2002 (which defines terrorism) and the Council of Europe (which consists of 47 states!) and currently has several documents on it.
You could also try looking for a document called "The Definition of Terrorism" A Report by Lord Carlile of Berriew, Q.C. in which many legal terrorism definitions have been incorporated and which is dated March 2007. In it for instance, there is mentioning of the definition as currently used by the United States (through the PATRIOT Act of 2001) which 'operationally describes terrorism as "premeditated politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience."' available via www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/
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