ABSTRACT
Arguably, one of the major developments in the ‘new world order’ since the collapse of the Soviet Union has been the escalation of the phenomenon of terrorism. This does not imply that the world was free from terrorism before that period, but the subject was neither addressed nor recognized as such a major phenomenon in the international system as other major issues were during the cold war era. Yet, despite international efforts by states, institutions and academics, terrorism has still not been firmly defined. In addition, there are several demanding questions that need to be carefully considered, such as the following:
Without investigating these critical questions it will be very difficult to reach any concrete results regarding the roots of terrorism. Therefore, theoretical and operational borders between what is considered terrorism and what is not form the basis for identifying the causes of this phenomenon. This ambiguity as to the definition of terrorism, which overshadows the notion of terrorism, may contribute to different types of violence in the name of fighting or reacting to terrorism by the conflicting parties. The ‘general practice of violence’ has become the generator of the terrorism cycle in many regions, particularly in the Middle East.
