Defining Terrorism in International Law

Terrorism has never been defined in international law. This book examines the many failed attempts by the international community and the United Nations since the 1920s to define and criminalize terrorism, including heated debates about 'freedom fighters' and 'State terrorism'. It clearly explains why the international community should define and criminalize terrorism, how it should define it, and what it should exclude from the definition of terrorism. In doing so, it explores the difficult legal, ethical and philosophical questions involved in deciding when political violence is, or is not, permissible.