International Terrorism

What is International Terrorism?

In law, international terrorism is defined as the activities that involve violent acts that are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population. International terrorist groups partake in acts which are dangerous to human life and are a direct violation of the criminal laws of the United States, or any State.

International terrorist groups operate throughout the world and are not limited to a given region or location. International terrorist groups, because of their widespread operation, are regarded as the most violent and dangerous forms of terrorist organizations.

The goal of International terrorist groups is to influence the policy of a particular governing body through the delivery of violent or intimidating actions. Through the use of such malicious actions, an International terrorist group will attempt to affect the conduct of a government structure, and thus, the society of the underlying State. International terrorist groups accomplish such goals through assassination, kidnapping, or the mass murder of an area’s civilian population.

Typically International terrorist groups operate outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States of America, or transcend national boundaries. International terrorist organizations are typically motivated by ideology that differs from the norm of their intended target. International terrorist organizations are fueled through religious beliefs or political sentiments. They express their beliefs and their differences through violent actions and intimidating practices.

The basic characteristic of an International terrorist group is that the organization practices their ideology and develops their violent attacks in a foreign country. Typically these organizations are not natives to the country in which they formulate or practice.