ABSTRACT
Among the many debates raised by 11 September 2001, some concern the specific issue of military involvement in counter-terrorism. Has the ‘war against terrorism’, the latest of the paradigms derived from the more encompassing theory of ‘asymmetric conflicts’, upset the routine of the modern soldier once focusing on peacekeeping and now involved in more important missions?2 The involvement of the armed forces in counterterrorism, in fact their essential role in the ‘war on terror’, may have changed their political, organizational and even social role as well as their relationship with law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. In the long run, the anti-terrorist fight could trigger a progressive merging of policerelated activities and military ones. A question then arises: what position should the armed forces adopt towards this new fight against terrorism now that they are undeniably already involved in it?3 If terrorism is global, threatening and over-armed, what should the appropriate answer be within the national boundaries?
