UN Seeks Definition of Terrorism
This seems like a good step in the right direction. With a specific definition of terrorism, it will become harder to use "terrorism" as a blanket excuse to go out and destroy things. Not that anyone would do anything like that…
Their definition is: "any act intended to intimidate a population or to compel a government or an international body to act." That is pretty sensible.
But there are very tangible objections raised, mainly in the rights of civilians to take up arms against a government in order to protect their rights.
When confronted by this, Secretary General Annan's chief of staff compares the UN's move to limit terrorists to the limits placed on States by the Geneva conventions: "The argument now is that individuals who use violence for political purposes must similarly be constrained by similarly unambiguous definitions, and that there must be clear straightforwardness in condemning them."
What do you think about this definition? Is making a definition potentially as dangerous as leaving it undefined? I'm eager to see what people say.