A soldier, a terrorist, an assassin - do they differ?

No, it was terrorism. Calling it an "Act of War" signifies a changing of tactics in response to said terrorism - no longer treating it as an isolated criminal act, but using a military response instead.

Dictionary.com is of very limited use with their 1 sentence definitions.

The 9/11 pilots were "serving" in Al-Qaeda.

Oh, and by "assassin" I mean "CIA assassin".

ter·ror·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (tr-rzm)
n.
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

sol·dier ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sljr)
n.
One who serves in an army.
An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.
An active, loyal, or militant follower of an organization.

as·sas·sin ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-ssn)
n.
One who murders by surprise attack, especially one who carries out a plot to kill a prominent person.
Assassin A member of a secret order of Muslims who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders and others.

Please also consider 1 thing: Hiroshima

The US military killed ON PURPOSE hundreds of thousands of civilians to break their will.

How does that differ from terrorism?

terrorism http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=terrorism

Quote:

ter·ror·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (tr-rzm)
n.
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

soldier http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=soldier

Quote:

sol·dier ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sljr)
n.
One who serves in an army.
An enlisted person or a noncommissioned officer.
An active, loyal, or militant follower of an organization.

assassin http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=assassin

Quote:

as·sas·sin ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-ssn)
n.
One who murders by surprise attack, especially one who carries out a plot to kill a prominent person.
Assassin A member of a secret order of Muslims who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders and others.

I would say that based upon the dictionary definitions, soldiers aren't terrorists, but can be assassins; assassins can be either terrorists or soldiers; and terrorists aren't real soldiers because they are unlawfully using violence and force, and soldiers are generally following legal protocol when using violence and force... At the times they are behaving unlawfully, they can be terrorists.

Again are you saying that an American soldier is no better than a terrorists?

cannistershot wrote:

Again are you saying that an American soldier is no better than a terrorists?

Since we haven't found a clear difference yet, I would even say that the position of a soldier is even WORSE, since they are FORCED to kill and die UNVOLUNTARILY.

Where is the difference in sending a soldier to drop a bomb over Hiroshima, or sending a terrorist to bomb a train?

Same thing do far....

knnknn wrote:

Please also consider 1 thing: Hiroshima

The US military killed ON PURPOSE hundreds of thousands of civilians to break their will.

How does that differ from terrorism?

And you think that sending millions of soldiers to their deaths during an invasion was a better option? Do you realize that America has not made a single new purple heart since ww2? We are still using the ones that we made for a possible invasion of Japan. Did any of your family fight in WW2? Would you even be here if we had of invaded instead of bombing?

And you think that sending millions of soldiers to their deaths during an invasion was a better option?

I guess the difference is you have to decide who is right and who is wrong.

I wanted also to add, that 9/11 was NOT terrorism, as stated by Bush himself. It was an "Act of war". Thus the 9/11 pilots were not terrorists.

Section 8.


The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repeal Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Had Bin Laden officially declared war against the U.S.?

You need to be a country in order to declare war, don't you?