This book explores the component elements of terrorism and tries to answer six basic questions: what terrorism is, why people commit terrorist acts, what groups are engaged in terrorism, what their sources of support are, how terrorists plan and carry out their attacks, and how governments can organize to combat terrorism. The author focuses on the actors who are directly and indirectly involved in terrorism. He introduces the financial, political, and emotional supporters of terrorism as well as terrorists' victims and their families. The major role the media play in terrorists' overall strategy for maximizing public awareness of their political objectives is analyzed. The author concludes that without clear and reasoned intragovernmental communication, the United States will be unable to induce the international cooperation necessary to fight terrorism.