While the 1977 European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism does not contain a clear definition of terrorism, the Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on combating terrorism proposes an exhaustive definition: this definition being close to that of a war crime, the Council Framework Decision stipulates that “the actions of armed forces in time of armed conflict. and acts of the armed forces of a State in the exercise of their official duties are not governed by this Framework Decision` (introduction, point 11), which excludes from the scope of the Convention measures of protection taken by States in situations of civil disturbance and armed conflict. Domestic terrorism: Violent criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to promote ideological objectives derived from national influences, such as: political, religious, social, racial or environmental. The Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) maintains the United States. The government`s consolidated terrorism watch list. International terrorism: Violent criminal acts committed by individuals or groups inspired by or associated with designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored). In times of armed conflict, the term “terrorist” is not a specific legal category in humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols only allow a distinction between civilians and combatants – or between those taking part in hostilities and those who do not lay down their arms or who have since laid down their arms. In addition, humanitarian law prohibits methods of warfare aimed primarily at spreading terror among the civilian population. Persons who use such methods commit a criminal offence but remain members of the civilian population.
Therefore, the authorities responsible for these persons must prosecute and prosecute them in accordance with the rule of law. The FBI is committed to remaining agile in its approach to the terrorist threat that has evolved since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Years after those attacks, the threat landscape has expanded dramatically and international terrorism remains a serious threat. The threat of domestic terrorism also remains persistent overall, with actors crossing the line from exercising rights from the First Amendment to the commission of crimes to the promotion of violent agendas. International humanitarian law also prohibits any act or threat the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population. This applies to both international and internal armed conflicts (CPR Art. 51, APII Art. 13). No protected person may be punished for an offence that he or she has not personally committed.
Collective punishment and all measures of intimidation or terrorism are prohibited (art. 33 of the CGIV). At the 2005 World Summit, the United Nations General Assembly reiterated the need to condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and decided to develop an international strategy to combat terrorism. The strategy, known as the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, was adopted by the General Assembly on 8 September 2006 (resolution 60/288). The objective of this strategy is to prevent and combat terrorism at the national, regional and international levels through the adoption of practical measures. In its resolution, the General Assembly proposes, inter alia, strengthening the capacity of the United Nations in areas such as conflict prevention and peacekeeping; promote initiatives that promote dialogue, tolerance and understanding among civilizations; to take measures prohibiting by law incitement to commit terrorist acts; promoting better cooperation among States through the exchange of information; take measures to protect victims of terrorism; and promoting the establishment of an international counter-terrorism centre. On this basis, the International Counter-Terrorism Centre (ICCT) was established on 31 May 2010 in The Hague, the Netherlands. It is an independent knowledge centre composed of academic and governmental experts dedicated to compiling, compiling and disseminating information on preventive and international legal aspects of counter-terrorism. The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, signed on 9 December 1999, defines terrorism as “any person. An act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to a civilian or any other person not taking an active part in hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when such an act, by its nature or context, is intended to intimidate a population or to compel a Government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing an act. In peacetime, various international conventions governing mutual legal assistance in criminal matters deal with some of the measures to be taken.
Persons specifically linked to terrorism include: If such persons act as members of a non-governmental armed group or with the support of or on behalf of a State authority in the context of an armed conflict, they belong to the category of combatants or to the category of civilians directly participating in hostilities. A combatant who uses such practices may be arrested, imprisoned and prosecuted for his criminal activities. If this is the case, IHL`s safeguards of detention, interrogation and fair trial must be respected. Terrorists have no specific legal status under humanitarian law. Moreover, the jurisprudence of national courts interpreting international humanitarian law has shown that, under international humanitarian law, the so-called global war on terrorism does not constitute a third type of conflict involving “unlawful combatants” who would escape all the rules established for international and non-international armed conflicts. This has been confirmed by several judgments of the United States and the Supreme Court of Israel, which, on this issue, have rejected the doctrine developed by government agencies and jurists with regard to their management of the terrorist threat. Many factors have contributed to the evolution of the terrorist threat on the international and domestic fronts, such as: The FBI`s Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) are our nation`s front line of terrorism. What governments often call “terrorist” acts may in fact be non-international armed conflicts, when acts of violence are continuous and concerted and organized from areas that are – even partially – not under the control of national authorities. In such situations, the authorities must respect humanitarian law; it is not enough to comply with national law applicable in emergency situations and to strengthen police authority (IPAPI Art.
1). ▸ International humanitarian law ▸ Non-international armed conflict ▸ Terror Despite the efforts of the United Nations, States have not yet agreed on a definition of terrorism.