A DEFINITION OF TERRORISM AND A REVIEW OF THE THEORY OF TERRORISM ARE FIRST PROVIDED. IT IS STATED THAT THE OBJECTIVES OF TERRORISM ARE NOT THOSE OF CONVENTIONAL COMBAT, BUT ARE INSTEAD TO GAIN SPECIFIC CONCESSIONS, TO GAIN PUBLICITY, TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD DISORDER, TO PROVOKE REPRESSION, OR TO PUNISH CERTAIN GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS, IT IS STRESSED THAT THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE CARRIED OUT BY TERRORISTS HAS BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED. ALTHOUGH TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES AND DURING SOME CONCESSIONS FROM VULNERABLE GOVERNMENTS, THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT TERRORISM HAS NOT YET HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE THE NEW TARGETS AND NEW CAPABILITIES OF TERRORISTS, THE USE OF TERRORISM BY SOME NATIONS AS A MEANS OF WAGING SURROGATE WARFARE AGAINST OTHER NATIONS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF TERRORISM. A CHRONOLOGY OF RECENT INCIDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)