Terrorism and Urban Warfare aren't normally thought of in the ancient world, and they're not well documented, but they are fascinating topics because of it. And yeah, terrorism (both from state and non-state actors) was a prevalent part of the Jewish Revolts
Technically the reason you exclude government actors is because it's a different kind of terrorism, and normally could just be called "war". "War" as we typically understand it requires a state actor to mobilize a population and economy. Hence why the term applied to governments is "state-sponsored terrorism". Because the terrorist organizations (that may exist with or without state backing) are being backed by a state to conduct operations. And that's an important factor: a terrorist group might operate independently of a state, then be paid to operate by a state to conduct a campaign, then the state might stop funding it all while the terrorist group remains.
If military units (or official paramilitary units) are engaging in unrestricted violence against a general population, we can almost move past "state-sponsored terrorism" and move straight into "war crimes", "crimes against humanity", or potentially "total war" if all sides are already doing it.
Understanding an enemy guerrilla force; motivated not by profit, power, or government; but by an ideological force, dedicated to it's destruction.
Terrorists, as a concept, do not fall under the normal categories of criminals, belligerent nations, or organized crime. They are a far more aggressive, destructive, and subversive force dedicated to the extermination of people, culture, and societies. They are an existential threat to society, while also not being a normal enemy outside of it, and they attack like traitors from the inside. They are a special caliber of enemy that must be rooted out and destroyed because they are fundamentally incompatible with the society they infest.
It is a special kind of enemy that has the aggression of a foreign state, but the infiltration of a traitor, but acts at the direction of few if any. It means that terrorists, and anyone working with them, must be hunted down and destroyed because of their threat level to both the general population as well as the institutions of the society. They're the worst of all worlds.
Yes. Not because their motivation was different, but the specific actor is almost impossible to be a lone wolf, and is far more likely to be the extension of further idealogues that intend on replicating more attacks.
Regular criminals aren't suicide bombers. Suicide Bombers are people who were recruited, groomed, trained, equipped, funded (and their families compensated) to conduct a terrorist attack. Further attacks will occur until the terrorist organization is destroyed.
Even in the event of what appears to be a lone wolf attack, we have to find out whether or not the specific terrorist was groomed into launching in attack. The point here is not that the attacks are bad, but that the entire society is currently at war with a hostile subversive & belligerent force, seeking any available avenue of attack to kill people and destroy the society.
Terrorism and Urban Warfare aren't normally thought of in the ancient world, and they're not well documented, but they are fascinating topics because of it. And yeah, terrorism (both from state and non-state actors) was a prevalent part of the Jewish Revolts
Technically the reason you exclude government actors is because it's a different kind of terrorism, and normally could just be called "war". "War" as we typically understand it requires a state actor to mobilize a population and economy. Hence why the term applied to governments is "state-sponsored terrorism". Because the terrorist organizations (that may exist with or without state backing) are being backed by a state to conduct operations. And that's an important factor: a terrorist group might operate independently of a state, then be paid to operate by a state to conduct a campaign, then the state might stop funding it all while the terrorist group remains.
If military units (or official paramilitary units) are engaging in unrestricted violence against a general population, we can almost move past "state-sponsored terrorism" and move straight into "war crimes", "crimes against humanity", or potentially "total war" if all sides are already doing it.
What benefit does society derive from using the category of terrorist?
Understanding an enemy guerrilla force; motivated not by profit, power, or government; but by an ideological force, dedicated to it's destruction.
Terrorists, as a concept, do not fall under the normal categories of criminals, belligerent nations, or organized crime. They are a far more aggressive, destructive, and subversive force dedicated to the extermination of people, culture, and societies. They are an existential threat to society, while also not being a normal enemy outside of it, and they attack like traitors from the inside. They are a special caliber of enemy that must be rooted out and destroyed because they are fundamentally incompatible with the society they infest.
It is a special kind of enemy that has the aggression of a foreign state, but the infiltration of a traitor, but acts at the direction of few if any. It means that terrorists, and anyone working with them, must be hunted down and destroyed because of their threat level to both the general population as well as the institutions of the society. They're the worst of all worlds.
Should a criminal be treated differently if we determine their motivation was “terrorism” versus “regular criminality”?
Yes. Not because their motivation was different, but the specific actor is almost impossible to be a lone wolf, and is far more likely to be the extension of further idealogues that intend on replicating more attacks.
Regular criminals aren't suicide bombers. Suicide Bombers are people who were recruited, groomed, trained, equipped, funded (and their families compensated) to conduct a terrorist attack. Further attacks will occur until the terrorist organization is destroyed.
Even in the event of what appears to be a lone wolf attack, we have to find out whether or not the specific terrorist was groomed into launching in attack. The point here is not that the attacks are bad, but that the entire society is currently at war with a hostile subversive & belligerent force, seeking any available avenue of attack to kill people and destroy the society.