ABSTRACT
War and terrorism are two forms of political violence that are salient to current debates and future challenges faced both by scholars and the wider public. As a form of organized, purposeful group action, directed against another group involving the actual or potential application of lethal force, the modern view of war prototypically conceptualises it as armed conflict between the military forces of nation-states or between factions within a state. Legitimacy in the realm of warfare depends greatly upon a discursive process that positions some forms of political violence as legitimate versus other forms as illegitimate. As a form of political communication that could be potentially employed by any actor involved in political struggle, terrorism involves the deliberate targeting of innocents in an effort to convey a message to another party. Central to political discourse as it relates to war is the need to legitimise the use of force and mobilise group support for any campaign of violence.
