Definition of Terrorism at The Ouwet Front: A Lebanese Forces Blog

Definition of Terrorism

Posted by N10452

As per one of the member’s request, here is a thread defining terrorism ( not the US definition of course).
I gathered most of the definitions i could find to have a broader and precise definition ..

What is the purpose of that post ? prove that Hezbollah is a terrorist party based on those definitions, and regardless of my political background. Now if after all those definitions, you still are not convinced HA is a terrorist party, i would be glad to associate examples of HA’s actions to prove the definitions.

Proposed Definitions of Terrorism
1. League of Nations Convention (1937):

“All criminal acts directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public”.

2. UN Resolution language (1999):

“1. Strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomsoever committed;

2. Reiterates that criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them”. (GA Res. 51/210 Measures to eliminate international terrorism)

3. Short legal definition proposed by A. P. Schmid to United Nations Crime Branch (1992):

Act of Terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime

4. Academic Consensus Definition:

“Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat- and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperilled) victims, and main targets are used to manipulate the main target (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought” (Schmid, 1988).

5.Oxford Definition
The Oxford English Dictionary defines terrorism as “a policy intended to strike with terror those against whom it is adopted; the employment of methods of intimidation; the fact of terrorising or condition of being terrorised.”

6. American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage Dictionary defines terrorism as “The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.”

7. Wikipedia
Terrorism is a term used to describe violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians by groups or persons for political or ideological goals (fear in latin).[1] Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or “terror”, are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a “madman” attack), and deliberately target “non-combatants”.
As a form of unconventional warfare, terrorism is sometimes used when attempting to force political change by: convincing a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or fear of harm, destabilization of an existing government, motivating a disgruntled population to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing
the severity of a grievance, or drawing attention to a neglected cause.

The terms “terrorism” and “terrorist” (someone who engages in terrorism) carry a strong negative connotation. These terms are often used as political labels to condemn violence or threat of violence by certain actors as immoral, indiscriminate, or unjustified.

Those labeled “terrorists” rarely identify themselves as such, and typically use other generic terms or terms specific to their situation, such as: separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel, jihadi or mujaheddin, or fedayeen, or any similar-meaning word in other languages.

Terrorism has been used by a broad array of political organizations in furthering their objectives; both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic, and religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governments.[2] The presence of non-state actors in widespread armed conflict has created controversy regarding the application of the laws of war.

Filed under: Information, Political
Posted by N10452 on 04.10.07 @ 12:07 am |

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12 Comments. Add your own...

1. lebanon | April 10th, 2007 at 9:52 am

thanks for the compliance with my request to define terrorism..however ,things won’t stop at the threshold of definitions..probably i know the evidence you will support the definitions with to prove that the definitions are best applicable to HA..i have other questions and please never think i ‘m offending anyone..there is a picture in which HA is a major role player ,but dissectig the picture and searching for details arouses some questions ..
#1:who started and who retaliated ?who occupied the lands of other people causing them to react in what is defined terrorist attacks?israel occupied a part of lebanon and violated UN resolutions for a long period of time ..res425 that forces the israeli troops to end their occupation of lebanon is issued in 1978 ..the israelis didn’t submit to the resolution(whether partially or wholly)except until 2000..isn’t violating the will of the internatioal society an act of terrorism?why are people expected to accept invasion and occupation of their lands and they are not allowed to react through what they call resistance(and international community allows acts of resistance-the lebanese gov’t adopted resistance against attacks ..to say that lebanon might have complained through diplomatic and political channels and it could have presnted its case in the corridors and assemblies of the UN ..well we all know it did and we all know in vain..
so my question here is when diplomacy doesn’t work how can people get their rights back?
to say through peace i might agree but let it be a just and fair peace ,not a peace where the invaded has to submit to the conditions of the invader..
#2:can’t states or countries be called terrorists?what is the slaughter and mankilling that is taking place in palestine and iraq with the blessing and the participation of the you_know-who?what is qana massacres 1 and 2?what is eradicating villages and killing innocent people?is this the cost of defying terrorism?
#3:where does killing of people as per of their ID’s ,bombarding places of worship, and killing whoever has a different opinion ,whoever does so ..where do these actions belong?did they not terrorize people and create a state of terror in the general public? and most parties in lebanon have blood on their hands that witnesses their terrorism..
2. ali | April 10th, 2007 at 5:22 pm

No, not quite convinced. The definitions you post can be applied against any military group, including states.

There are groups challenging this label against HA in Canada, and even some in the US.

FYI, the only two countries (Israel excluded), who have labeled it as such are the US and Canada (with AIPAC’s big red stamp on both you can be sure). England and Australia differentiate between the military and social wings, but the rest of the world thinks otherwise.

Please post the actions, with proof of course. I am sure pro-Zionist organization are dying to convince the rest of the world that it is.

You’ll make their job easier if you can supply both argument and evidence.

Let us know.
3. Get over it | April 10th, 2007 at 11:46 pm

10452 ; I learned something from you , Now on , Im going to curse and provok others in a polite way :D…..by the way good work LEBANON & ALI.
thank you fellas ….
4. Get over it | April 11th, 2007 at 1:55 am

10452;
looool, another truthfull comment was deleted by truthless people , I really dont care anymore if you do post my comments. As long as you are SWALLOWING it , im happy and satisfied!
Again, your definitions represent OUWET more than anyone else !
Also, lfers aren’t any better than other lebanese, and your few hundred of supporters around achrafiyeh w bchiri are not going to lead the country , their best deals are ;
1, Leave the country like their veterans!
2,commit sucide coz none of your dreams are reality !
3, Stand behind general lebnen!

Thank you for planting the hatred in between our youth ,but why ? Dindt we learn? Dont you need to apologize for your people b4 you go up on stage and talk EMPTY WORDS? WORDS you failed to achieve when you had more than one chance to do so? DR,samir , we aren’t scared of anyone , so stop cursing others ACHEN LI BAYTO MIN EZEZ MA BIRECHI2 BIL HJARA! We had enough , we dont wanna play and old game , DR samir YA BTIMCHE YA BTIMCHE !! anyone got it?
Thank you for your time and sorry to switch the subject ,but 10452 didnt post my original! Ta7iye 3wniye…
5. S.M.S. | April 11th, 2007 at 9:37 am

HA is banned in Australia as well, because it is a terrorist organisation. Anyone known to be associated with it can be arrested.
6. Mohammad | April 11th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

Get over it,

Sho ya 7abibi, seret 3m testa3mel jemal el soureyyeen? Haydy “Ya Byemshi Ya Byemshi” sta3malo el soreyyeen ma3 president Amin when he refused el Etefaq el Tholathy.
walaw, kheles el dictionary taba3 el FPM?
7. N10452 | April 11th, 2007 at 4:23 pm

Getoverit,
I already made it clear, any replies that are disrespectful to the LF and to other members will be deleted, stop victimizing urself, we’ve had enough of those tricks..

I delete on a daily basis shamefuk posts by FPMers that trust me u dont wanna see, but if u insist i will post them la yichouf el kell the ‘injustice’.

If u need anger management courses, ask ur general, sar ma3o phd fiyoun.
8. lebanon | April 11th, 2007 at 6:42 pm

my comment now wouldn’t be related to the main topic..i think the thread is about terrorism…oh wait..it is related to terrorism..
the ways guys are attacking each other and threatening them is another face of terrorism..
please guys post things that we can benefit from and don’t wear scary faces and use harming words..no curses and no demeaning words..
respect thyself so that others respect you..
we need to come together and not fight again..
and like i said before everybody is what they say..
9. ali | April 11th, 2007 at 7:19 pm

We are still waiting for the examples you promised…
10. About Terrorism .. at The&hellip | April 11th, 2007 at 11:14 pm

[...] posted two days ago about several definitions of terrorism and why is it that Hezbollah is a terrorist [...]
11. WHAT | April 12th, 2007 at 10:00 am

ail,

The majority of hASSan’s speeches contain terrorist views and attributes. Here’s an example I’m sure you are familiar with:”Al maut li Amrika”.

You want another example, how about the bombing of the US embassy where members of my family died.

One more example… How about the constant threats Christians deal with in the South of OUR country.

Last time I checked I didn’t see any US-lead “resistance” in Lebanon that threaten me when I go into a certain part of my own land.

What makes us patriots and you terrorists is that we cheer and pray for the life of our families. All you do is cheer for the death of others, others that aren’t occupying our land.
12. How Hezbollah is a terror&hellip | April 12th, 2007 at 11:56 am

[...] hope those few facts confirm what i posted earlier. If you need pictures as well to illustrate those facts, i dont mind providing them. Filed [...]