re: #388 Athos

This is the fundamental mistake in your position. Terrorism are acts undertaken via force using illegal combatants (as defined by international treaties which stipulate the rules of war) to effect political change. States and Stateless organizations can and do declare war - and they can and do act upon those declarations. If KSM and other AQ members prefer treatment as warriors, then they need to subscribe to and follow the rules of war as legal combatants. If they did this, even if they are not signatories of the treaties, they are subject to that level of treatment as the US is a signatory.

I get it, The P.L.O., I.R.A., and Tamil Tigers use/used terrorism as a tactic in a war to reclaim what they believe is their land. That’s inspired by a form of nationalism.

What is AQ trying to take back? Or are they striking out in some religious driven fury. I don’t see a point to what they’re doing other than scaring as many people as possible. Why isn’t it more like Organized crime. I know it’s a weak analogy but didn’t the Mafia terrorize many civilians? Where they at war with the US or just indulging in criminal acts to suit their own ends?