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Hoffman And Terrorism

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Hoffman And Terrorism
The subject of terrorism is both complicated and emotive. It is complex because it combines so many varied aspects of human experience, including arenas such as politics, social discourse, psychology, philosophy, military strategy, and history, to name a few. Terrorism is also emotive both because experiences of terrorist acts arouse tremendous feelings, and because those who see terrorists as justified often have strong feelings concerning the morality of the use of violence. Without a doubt, terrorism evokes strong feelings whenever it is discussed. Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is easily recognised yet difficult to define. Academics across the world describe it according to their political and socio-economic conditions; therefore …show more content…
There is a seemingly endless bevy of varying definitions of terrorism, yet all of these definitions lead towards terrorism as a concept and have certain common features. One primary concept is evident in all descriptions; terrorism is fundamentally and inherently political. This key characteristic of terrorism is absolutely paramount to understanding its aims, motivations and purposes and is critical in distinguishing it from other types of violence, such as organised …show more content…
‘Terrorism', per se, may not always be proscribed by legislation, however, criminal acts such as hijacking, kidnapping, extortion, arson, robbery, killing and conspiracy to commit such offences are prohibited under statute laws. In judicial defence, Terrorists may often argue that they are being persecuted for supporting certain political or religious causes, and that the ensuing trial is that of a political trial rather than that of a criminal justice case. This in turn raises concerns for law enforcement agencies that are challenged to plan for contingencies that are not well defined and have not been inventoried. A universally imposed legal definition will allow governments to apply a different standard of law to that of criminal law on the basis of a unilateral
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