ABSTRACT
In the absence of popular support, terrorism may indeed be the one available strategy, but it is hard to see how its evils can then be excused. The refusal to make ordinary people into targets, whatever their nationality or even their politics, is the only way to say no to terrorism. If terrorists are drawing attention to genuine oppression, their enemies must work to end the oppression, thus undermining the rationale for the terrorism. Where terrorism is a possible strategy for the oppositional movement, other strategies are also possible if the movement has some significant degree of popular support. Repression and retaliation are legitimate responses to terrorism only when they are constrained by the same moral principles that rule out terrorism itself. The claim is that the campaign against terrorism has priority over every other political activity.
