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Terrorism and the Law

Abraham D. Sofaer
Summer 1986
Summary: 

Terrorism poses important political and diplomatic challenges. It is designed to call attention, through the use of violence, to the causes espoused by terrorists, and to bring about changes in policy favorable to those causes. The United States and its allies--and all other affected nations--must deal with this threat to civilized order with all appropriate measures, ranging from diplomatic to military.

Abraham D. Sofaer is Legal Adviser to the Department of State. Previously, he was a federal district judge in New York. This article is based on the Sulzbacher Lecture delivered at the Columbia University School of Law, April 5, 1986. Legal citations have not been included to facilitate ease of reading; they are available from the Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520.

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