@boots Why couldn’t it be at the approval of a State, you ask? Because then it’s just standard military action. My point is not that a state can do no wrong. I think that there is sometimes very little difference between the actions of states and the actions of terrorist organizations. I think that this is best demonstrated when an un-recognized states’ military actions are labeled terrorism.
The difference is not that terrorists attack civilians. Terrorists can target militaries, such as with the bombing of the USS Cole. And a military may take action that many view as terrorist, such as the “shock and awe” tactics used in Iraq. So the line is blurred, and the only solid, constant difference between terrorists and militaries is that one is state-approved and the other is not.