Is Countering Global Terrorism a Form of Global War

摘要

Developing theories about counterterrorism and counterterrorism strategy is made more difficult by problems of definitions (what is terrorism), lack of consensus on the fundamental nature of terrorism (is it an ideology in and of itself, or a tactic), and differing threat perceptions (is terrorism indeed a global problem). In this paper, the author argues that the increased lethality, reach, and overall expanded competencies of terrorist groups means that all nations must confront terrorism in concert and without regard to an individual state's threat perception, and while terrorism and counterterrorism indeed do constitute a form of international war, application of military force as the principal counterterrorism measure is not necessarily feasible, suitable, or acceptable.