The attacks of 11 September 2001 represented a new terrorist trend which
targets liberal Western states. The United States and Germany both
interpreted September 11 as a declaration of war and an imminent security
threat. However, the two states adopted different counterterrorism concepts
in response to the attacks: The U.S. endorsed a "war" against terrorism,
whereas Germany delineated a "fight" against terrorism. Why do some
policy-makers understand terrorism as a war and others as a crime - while
facing the same terrorist threat? In this publication the author Vera Hanus
examines why the...