Legal Definitions - Terrorism

The term terrorism refers to violent acts or threats of violence committed by individuals or groups for political, ideological, religious, or other reasons. There is no universally agreed-upon definition of terrorism, but it typically involves the use of violence against civilians or non-combatants to achieve a political goal or to intimidate a population.

Examples of terrorism include:

• The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which were carried out by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.
• The 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which was carried out by domestic terrorists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols and resulted in the deaths of 168 people.
• The 2015 Paris attacks, which were carried out by the terrorist group ISIS and resulted in the deaths of 130 people.

These examples illustrate the use of violence against civilians or non-combatants to achieve a political goal or to intimidate a population. Terrorism is a complex and controversial issue, and there is ongoing debate about how to define it and how to respond to it.