Categorical terrorism, according to Jeff Goodwin, is defined as “the strategic use of violence and threats of violence, usually intended to influence different audiences, by political opposition groups against civilians or non-combatants who belong to a certain entity, religious or national group, social class or some other collectivity, regardless of their identity or individual roles." Furthermore, in terms of definition, according to a study conducted by Jeffrey Record in 2003, over 109 definitions of terrorism have been counted, covering 22 different categorical elements. In the 1970s and 1980s, the United Nations struggled to define the term, eventually arriving at the following definition: “Criminal acts intended or calculated to bring about a state of terror in the public, in a group of persons or in particular persons for political purposes are in any case unjustifiable, whatever the political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other considerations that may be invoked to justify them". Clearly, the UN definition being more general as any act of terror, revolutionary groups have been found to adopt the use of categorical terrorism because it is commonly cheaper than selective terrorism. Furthermore, Goodwin argues that categorical terrorism is used for the purpose of attacking and threatening what he calls “complicit civilians.” Complicit civilians are defined as (1) civilians who often benefit from state actions that revolutionaries oppose, (2) those who support the state, (3) or civilians who have the ability to influence the state. The primary directive of categorical terrorism is to induce complicit civilians to further support the state. By applying intense...... middle of paper ......ilians, the reward was clear. Similarly, Goodwin illustrates how the use of categorical terrorism may appear to have been used by Al-Qaeda during the 9/11 attacks. Nonetheless, it is evident that Al-Qaeda is unusual in the sense that it uses terrorism to influence the rise of unity rather than trying to overthrow an existing state. In order to instigate a pan-Islamic revolutionary movement, Al-Qaeda seeks to unite all Islamic people under one state to develop the umma, or Muslim community. Al-Qaeda's logic remained that if their "revolutionaries" succeeded in provoking a reaction from the powerful American state, resulting in oppression of the Middle Eastern region, Al-Qaeda could, consequently, unite all Muslims to counter this suggested. oppression. Although Al-Qaida's ultimate goal has clearly failed, this suggests the organization's attempt to implement categorical terrorism.