Can Terrorism be Justified?

Someone said terrorism is justified in some case. Is it true? Most people believe that terrorism is immoral and can not be justified. However, considerable people  believe that it is a useful method of war. What is terrorism? There are many disagreements regarding the various definitions of term terrorism. The UN has been trying to define the terms of terrorism for decades, but has failed to reach the consensus on universal public opinion on terrorism. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the United Nations tried to define the definition of terrorism, but failed to narrow the gap between national freedom and self-defense in terms of violence. The United Nations launched the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, and five years later adopted the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to prevent the spread of terrorism.

Terrorism is violence or threat considered politically deliberately.(Kapitan, T. ,2011) It targets civilians. Terrorists claim that the violence they use to fulfill their ideal goals is justified. I believe violence is not the answer to solve any problem.  No matter how right the purpose is, terrorism targeting innocent people can not be justified.

First, terrorism is violence against innocent civilians. No other examples are required. Remember 9/11 terrorism. Over 16 years ago, more than 3,000 people were killed by terrorist attacks. Have any of them been directly involved in the terrorist organization? The victims died without knowing why they had to be attacked or why they had to die. Those who survived in the terrible scene had to suffer hardships in the aftermath of the traumatic stress syndrome caused by the sorrow and shock of the terrorism. At the time, Secretary of State Colin Powell accused the terrorists of trying to convey their claims by killing innocent people.

Recent terrorism, unlike the past, is not even trying to minimize the sacrifice of civilians, and is focusing more on publicity to justify their actions. In order to create the effects of fear, terrorist organizations are using ways to accelerate activities that can impact the public. More than 53% of the terrorist organizations in the global terrorism database never make a single fatality. Another trend is that terrorist organizations have set goals that have long been considered taboo to attract international media attention. The press is the center of the terrorist organization's strategy. Without a press release, no terrorist organization has even a chance to deliver their message. Paradoxically, the media is the best friend of the terrorist organization. (Ganor, B.,2009)

On the other hand, there is a claim that the standard of Just War theory should be applied to terrorism. According to Just War theory, it is argued that the activities of some terrorist organizations are legitimate.(Daskin, E. ,2016) But even in war, let us imagine that the massacre of innocent civilians is condemned and punished for being considered a war crime.  It is not appropriate to apply the theory of war to terrorism in the sense that recent terrorist tendencies are aimed at a large number of civilians rather than military or military facilities. Terrorism is not a war but a crime.

Those who claim that terrorism may be justifiable say terrorist groups fighting against foreign aggression have legitimate rights and intentions. However,  most people who are victimized by the terrorist skepticism of being invaded by foreign forces or fighting for the freedom of religion are the people of the country or those of the same religion. Terrorist attacks were committed in 106 countries in 2016, but are concentrated locally. More than 55% of the attacks are aimed in 5 countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines). Seventy-five percent of terrorist attacks are concentrated in five countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, and Pakistan). Of course, most of fatalities are innocent civilians.(Country Reports on Terrorism 2016)

In any case, terrorism can not be justified. Even if terrorist groups insist on legitimacy and legitimate war, it is only a crime if they do not try to reduce the damage to civilians. It is good to discuss how to solve the problem of terrorism, but a positive attitude toward terrorism does not help prevent the spread of terrorism.