Legal Definitions - international terrorism

Definition: International terrorism is the use or threat of violence to intimidate or cause panic, especially as a means of affecting political conduct, that occurs primarily outside the territorialjurisdiction of the United States or that transcends national boundaries by the means in which it is carried out, the people it is intended to intimidate, or the place where the perpetrators operate or seek asylum.

Examples:

• A bombing at an airport in Europe that was carried out by a group from the Middle East.
• A shooting at a tourist attraction in Asia that was planned by a group from Africa.
• A cyber attack on a government agency in South America that was orchestrated by a group from Europe.

These examples illustrate international terrorism because they involve acts of violence or threats of violence that were carried out by groups from different parts of the world and were intended to intimidate people or governments in other countries.