Can Terrorism ever be justified? What consitutes terrorism?

[Muhammed]

Many called the Irish Republican Army terrorists, others called them freedom fighters. It's a thin line at times

It's a funny thing that can be debated for an eternity. We used guerrilla war tactics to defeat the British during the American Revolution, and history regards them as freedom fighters. You never hear the Natives Americans who attacked American settlers referred to as freedom fighters, do you?

Well did we purposefully target innocent civilians? To me, that is what terrorism is. When innocent civilians are purposefully and intentionally targeted in order to make a "statement," whether that be political, social, religious, or whatever.

This is terrorism...

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Many called the Irish Republican Army terrorists, others called them freedom fighters. It's a thin line at times

It's a funny thing that can be debated for an eternity. We used guerrilla war tactics to defeat the British during the American Revolution, and history regards them as freedom fighters. You never hear the Natives Americans who attacked American settlers referred to as freedom fighters, do you?

Well did we purposefully target innocent civilians? To me, that is what terrorism is. When innocent civilians are purposefully and intentionally targeted in order to make a "statement," whether that be political, social, religious, or whatever.

This is terrorism...

Yeah, that was not necessary.

 

[Muhammed]

Many called the Irish Republican Army terrorists, others called them freedom fighters. It's a thin line at times

It's a funny thing that can be debated for an eternity. We used guerrilla war tactics to defeat the British during the American Revolution, and history regards them as freedom fighters. You never hear the Natives Americans who attacked American settlers referred to as freedom fighters, do you?

Well did we purposefully target innocent civilians? To me, that is what terrorism is. When innocent civilians are purposefully and intentionally targeted in order to make a "statement," whether that be political, social, religious, or whatever.

This is terrorism...

Yeah, that was not necessary.

Just thought I'd put things into perspective.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Many called the Irish Republican Army terrorists, others called them freedom fighters. It's a thin line at times

It's a funny thing that can be debated for an eternity. We used guerrilla war tactics to defeat the British during the American Revolution, and history regards them as freedom fighters. You never hear the Natives Americans who attacked American settlers referred to as freedom fighters, do you?

Well did we purposefully target innocent civilians? To me, that is what terrorism is. When innocent civilians are purposefully and intentionally targeted in order to make a "statement," whether that be political, social, religious, or whatever.

This is terrorism...

Yeah, that was not necessary.

Just thought I'd put things into perspective.

I read a book about the Dresden bombings once, a lot of politics were behind the decision to do it

 

[ChrisL]

Many called the Irish Republican Army terrorists, others called them freedom fighters. It's a thin line at times

It's a funny thing that can be debated for an eternity. We used guerrilla war tactics to defeat the British during the American Revolution, and history regards them as freedom fighters. You never hear the Natives Americans who attacked American settlers referred to as freedom fighters, do you?

Well did we purposefully target innocent civilians? To me, that is what terrorism is. When innocent civilians are purposefully and intentionally targeted in order to make a "statement," whether that be political, social, religious, or whatever.

This is terrorism...

Bombing of Dresden in World War II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Immediate German propaganda claims following the attacks and post-war discussions[5] on whether the attacks were justified has led to the bombing becoming one of the moral causes célèbres of the war.[6] A 1953 United States Air Force report defended the operation as the justified bombing of a military and industrial target, which they claimed was a major rail transport and communication centre, housing 110 factories and 50,000 workers in support of the German war effort.[7] Several researchers have asserted that not all of the communications infrastructure, such as the bridges, was targeted, nor were the extensive industrial areas outside the city centre.[8] Critics of the bombing argue that Dresden was a cultural landmark of little or no military significance, and that the attacks were indiscriminate area bombing and not proportionate to the commensurate military gains.[9][10]

Large variations in the claimed death toll have fueled the controversy. In March 1945, the German government ordered its press to publish a falsified casualty figure of 200,000 for the Dresden raids, and death toll estimates as high as 500,000 have been given.[11][12][13] The city authorities at the time estimated no more than 25,000 victims, a figure that subsequent investigations, including a 2010 study commissioned by the city council, support.[14]