US National Security Requires a Legally Binding International Definition of Terrorism -- Does a Broader Definition of Terrorism Put Us in the Proper Condition to Punish Those Who Challenge Our National Security

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The term national security includes many principles. One of the fundamental principles of national security is deterrence and putting ourselves in a “proper condition to punish” those who might challenge our national security. The creation of a legally binding international definition for terrorism will give us the strongest footing for deterrence, retribution, retaliation, and punishment of those who would threaten our national security. “Preserving the national security of the United States requires safeguarding individual freedoms and other U.S. values, as well as the laws and institutions established to protect them.” “[I]n essence, national security encompasses the protection of the fundamental values and core interests necessary to the continued existence and vitality of the state.” In many cases, the definition of national security is, “asserted to mean physical security,” which is, “defined as the protection against attack on the territory and people of the United States in order to ensure survival with fundamental values and institutions intact; promotion of values; and economic prosperity.”