“But the issue of state-sponsored terrorism may be more complex in terms of con- ceptualization and response than Bush’s absolutist rhetoric might indicate. This paper will attempt to appreciate the complexities of state-sponsored terrorism by first examin- ing some of the nuances and subjectivities inherent in its definition, and in so doing, compare it to definitions of terrorism in general. The paper will then outline the conceptual degrees of state affiliation with terrorist movements, and its strategic rationale in an effort to paint a more comprehensive picture of the term ‘state-sponsor’. Following this will be a discussion of current U.S. government thinking on the subject of state- sponsored terrorism, noting the inherently political nature of the U.S. government’s proc- ess of designating state-sponsors, and suggesting a more dynamic and ranging counter- terrorism approach than the blunt “with us, or with the terrorists” rhetoric might convey. The paper will close with a brief discussion of salient issues of state-sponsored terrorism in relation to the contemporary international security environment.”
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