Perhaps the most controversial issue surrounding terrorism is how governments should respond to it. This controversy stems from the dual nature of terrorism—it has both criminal and military aspects. In countering terrorism, governments must deal with criminals—often murderers—who may have the organization, sophistication, and capacity for violence of a military force. Effective counterterrorism, therefore, often consists of both traditional law enforcement techniques and military operations.

A good example of the law enforcement approach was the U.S. government's response to the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City on February 26, 1993, an attack that killed 6 people and injured more than 1,000 others. FBI agents handled the investigation of the bombing, and four assistant U.S. attorneys were put in charge of the prosecution. The FBI quickly apprehended 4 suspects with ties to Islamic fundamentalist groups, who were then tried and sentenced to...