THE BACKGROUND OF THE TERRORISM ISSUE, THE POLITICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF TERRORISM THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES OF DIFFERENT TERRORIST GROUPS, AND THE EFFECTS OF TERROR ON INTERNATIONAL STABILITY ARE EXAMINED. THE COURSE OF PAST AMERICAN POLICY TOWARD TERROR AND TERRORISTS IS TRACED. AMERICA'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON THE ISSUE, THE HANDLING OF VARIOUS HOSTAGE SITUATIONS BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, AND AMERICAN EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE A MULTILATERAL DETERRENT TO TERROR ARE CONSIDERED. U.S. POLICY OVER EMPHASIZES THE MORAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF TERRORISM. HOWEVER, TREATING TERRORISM AS A POLITICAL PROBLEM WOULD INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF U.S. RESPONSE TO IT. THE POLICY RESPONSE OF THE UNITED STATES TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY TWO MYTHS ABOUT THE TERRORISM PHENOMENON. THE FIRST IS THAT MOST TERRORIST INCIDENTS ARE COMMITTED BY CRIMINAL OR ANTISOCIAL INDIVIDUALS; THE SECOND IS THAT TERRORISM IS A HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM. THESE AMERICAN MYTHS HAVE LED TO EFFORTS TO DETER ACTS OF TERRORISM BY 'DEPOLITICIZED' METHODS. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DETER KIDNAPPINGS BY DENYING TERRORISTS THE REWARDS THAT SUPPOSEDLY WERE THE OBJECTIVES OF SUCH KIDNAPPINGS. EFFORTS WERE ALSO MADE TO DETER TERRORIST INCIDENTS THAT DID NOT INVOLVE THE TAKING OF HOSTAGES BY SUPPORTING MULTILATERAL CONVENTIONS THAT TREAT TERRORIST INCIDENTS AS ORDINARY CRIMES. THESE AND OTHER AMERICAN EFFORTS HAVE BEEN LARGELY UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ASSUME THAT TERRORISM IS A POLITICAL PHENOMENON. TERRORISM IS A RATIONAL STRATEGY OF ACHIEVING POLITICAL GOALS THROUGH VIOLENCE AND SHOULD BE SO REGARED IN THE UNITED STATES. REFERENCE NOTES, APPENDIXES, TABLES, FIGURES, AND AN INDEX ARE INCLUDED IN THE BOOK. (LWM)