To me, the biggest difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, is how they acheive their goals. A terrorist deliberately targets civilians. A freedom fighter targets the other sides military and governmental agencies.
Would you say that a terrorist goes after civilian targets (merchandise and material) in order to cause economic hardship to both the government?
"One man's 'terrorist' is another man's 'freedom fighter.'"
One man believes it is never okay to deliberately murder citizens for any reason, including "making a statement."
Another man believes there does come a point in time and a cause "worthy" enough where deliberate killing of innocents is condoned. Whether the time is right or the cause worthy enough is up for debate.
Sometimes zero-tolerance can be scary, but this is one instance in which the alternative is the nightmare.