ABSTRACT
The enormous variety of responses to acts like the Palestinian suicide bombings reminds us that the whole language of "terrorism" is politically loaded. As terrorism has been so much in the news in years, many writers have reminded us that "one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter." Recognizing the intense worldwide debates on the issue, the BBC World Service—one of the world's largest news organizations—simply refuses to use the word "terrorist" for any group or individual, no matter how extreme the actions: in the view, even the September 11 attacks should not be labeled "terrorism." Within the US, long-running controversies over defining terrorism reached a new intensity following September 11, when the government declared its "war on terrorism." One common means of expanding the definition is to suggest that states are by far the worst terrorists, and that compared to their crimes, the activities of sub-state groups fall into insignificance.
