TO LABEL AS A TERRORIST ANY PERSON WHO COMMITS A VIOLENT, TERRORISTIC ACT IGNORES THE POSSIBLE POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS FOR THE ACT. NUMEROUS, HIGHLY RESPECTED POLITICAL FIGURES HAVE BEEN CALLED TERRORISTS IN PREVIOUS PERIODS OF THEIR LIVES, AND DID INDEED RESORT TO VIOLENCE WHILE PROMOTING CHERISHED CAUSES. THEREFORE, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CREATE A SINGLE DEFINITION OF A NUMBER OF BEHAVIORS THAT ARE ROUTINELY LISTED AS TERRORIST BUT WHICH, UPON CLOSER ANALYSIS, PROVE TO BE DIFFERENT IN NATURE AND MOTIVE. IN THE DRAFTING OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AGAINST THE TAKING OF HOSTAGES, MANY NONALIGNED COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO AGREE TO CONVENTIONS WHICH DO NOT PRESERVE THE FREEDOM OF NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENTS. WESTERN COUNTRIES, OF COURSE, OPPOSE ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN IDENTICAL ACTS ON THE GROUNDS OF MOTIVATION. ANOTHER IMPORTANT QUESTION CONCERNS THE LIMITS TO BE OBSERVED BY COUNTRIES IN THE PROTECTION OF THEIR OWN CITIZENS. THE ISRAELI RAID ON ENTEBBE WAS SUPPORTED BY MOST WESTERN NATIONS, YET WAS SEEN AS AN ENCROACHMENT ON UGANDAN SOVEREIGNTY BY MANY AFRICAN STATES. WORLDWIDE COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM APPEARS POLITICALLY UNACHIEVABLE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. TERRORISTS, SUCH AS THE RED BRIGADE IN ITALY, ARE THE PRODUCT OF THE EUROPEAN TRANSITION FROM A SOCIETY BASED ON FAMILIES AND RELIGION TO A NEW COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF VALUES WHICH HAS YET TO BE ACCEPTED. HOWEVER, THE TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE AN INTRINSIC WEAKNESS IN THEIR REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLICITY THROUGH UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)