Although the United States has not been a primary target for terrorist attacks, this is likely to change. Terrorism has become part of international warfare, and as a surrogate means of warfare, it is a tool of strategic importance for hostile foreign governments. The growing lethality of terrorist methods and media attention to the subject are factors that policymakers need to consider. However, it was not until 1981 that the Federal Government perceived terrorism to be serious enough to be classified as part of American foreign policy. The Federal Government maintains special counterterrorist military forces and has taken other measures to combat terrorism. However, terrorist acts have the potential for significan influence because of the media attention they attract. The United States has no policy consensus on how to respond to terrorism and no internationally recognized commitment to firm responses to such violence. Professional terrorists could attack the United States by sabotaging the infrastructure, threatening mass destruction, or exploiting protest movements such as the antinuclear movement. The United States needs a public policy that recognizes the issue and provides useful operational guidance to those who will be dealing with specific future incidents. When an incident occurs, the response should include immediate containment, control of damage at the domestic and international levels, and use of the incident to advance national policy. Twenty-seven references are listed.