ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Terrorism (from Latin: terror fear) is a concept without accepted international definition. The victims of terrorist acts may be senior officials; military officials; people who serve the interests of governments; or ordinary citizens. Examples of terrorist acts against senior officials are a number of political murders committed by Russian revolutionaries at the end of the 19th century, as well as the assassinations of US presidents. Terrorist acts against military operatives overflow into guerrilla warfare. These acts, depending on the perspective, have a positive or negative charge. Someone who is considered a terrorist by one, at the same time considered a freedom fighter by another. Violence against ordinary citizens is most often condemned as a manifestation of terrorism.

Terrorist acts can be carried out by individuals, by groups, or even by countries, and for them this is an alternative to a direct declaration of war. States that assist or engage in the use of violence against ordinary citizens, use neutral or positive words to characterize their fighters, such as freedom fighters, patriots or paramilitary. Some political attacks are defined by some authors as (part of) terror.

Definitions
Although there are no definitions established by international treaties, there are scientific definitions of terrorism.

As terrorism, violence and acts of violence are understood (such as kidnappings, bombings, explosives) against political order to achieve political change. The terror serves as a means of pressure and above all must spread uncertainty or fear or create sympathy or willingness to support.. Terrorism is not a military strategy but a basic communication strategy. Although terrorists seek to change the existing order, they do not take over territory in a military way (such as guerrillo guerrilla guerrilla guerrilla), but they want to conquer thinking until 2014.

Sometimes, as terrorism, individuals or groups who commit assassinations (terrorists, terrorist organisations), e.g. in terms of international terrorism, or radical left-wing terrorism, are summarised. The concept of state terrorism denotes the imposition of fear on citizens before the monopoly of power to promote obedience to the law and state-organised acts of violence that have no legal basis.

Terms of terrorism, terrorist and terrorization were first used in the 18th century to determine a violent measure of government. In connection with the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794, terror was proclaimed on the Convention when the government killed or detained all persons declared counter-revolutionary.

According to Bockstette, terrorism is a continuous and secret struggle at all levels by consciously creating fear through severe violence to achieve its own political goals; by partial disregard for existing war conventions; there is an aspiration for a maxim