The author is a former political-military analyst with the U.S. Department of Defense and terrorism analyst with the State Department. He is currently a security consultant, focusing on the mitigation of post-Cold War patterns of terrorism and political violence. Definition of Terrorism "the unlawful use of -- or threatened use of -- force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives." -- U.S. Department of Defense publication In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., the threat of militant Islamic terrorism --...