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Political Motivation Separates Violence and Terror

When determining if a violent act fits the criteria of a terrorist attack, identifying the perpetrator’s motivate is a key element. Individuals inspired by violent ideologies to commit heinous acts are also billed as terrorists even if that person never had direct contact with a member from a designated terrorist group. The U.S. also has laws prohibiting individuals from attempting to support terrorist organizations, and several U.S. citizens have been arrested on terrorism-related charges. The Cipher Brief’s Bennett Seftel sat down with Mitch Silber, former Director of Intelligence Analysis at the NYPD to discuss his definition of terrorism and the policy ramifications of such a definition.

The Cipher Brief: How do you define terrorism?

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