free law journal - volume 3, number 1 (18 january 2007)

FREE LAW JOURNAL - VOLUME 3, NUMBER 1 (18 JANUARY 2007)A PROPOSAL OF A UNIFORM CODEFOR POLITICAL CRIMES ANDTERRORISMBY DR. ANWAR FRANGI 11. There is a fundamental conflict between the way researchenvisages political crimes and its way of envisioning terrorism. Onone hand, political offense is considered to be a type of conflictwhen it involves violent action, rather than a method of warfare.On the other hand, research conceives of terrorism as a method ofwarfare, not as a type of conflict. One research seems to conflictwith the other when taken together. How to remedy this situation?2. Political crimes are acts committed by individuals or groupsagainst the government, and are generally motivated by politicalintent. Three kinds of activities may be classified as politicalcrimes: (1) illegal acts undertaken in an attempt to change theexisting structure of political power; (2) illegal efforts to seizepower, and (3) the refusal to obey the law because of political orideological beliefs. 2Terrorism involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life1 LL.M. 1994, Harvard Law School (Massachusetts, USA); LL.M. 1992,American University Washington College of Law (Washington, D.C.); Ph.D.1986, University of Poitiers Law School (France); D.E.A. 1983, University ofPoitiers Law School (France); LL.B. 1982, Lebanese University Law School(Lebanon). Dr. Frangi is professor of human rights and researcher at the HolySpirit University of Kaslik (Lebanon), and professor of international law at LaSagesse University Faculty of Law (Lebanon).2 G.M. Sykes, The Future of Crime (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government PrintingOffice, 1980) at 48, quoted in D.S. Eitzen & D.A. Timmer, Criminology: Crimeand Criminal Justice (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1985) at 322.61DR. ANWAR FRANGI - A PROPOSAL OF A UNIFORM CODE FORPOLITICAL CRIMES AND TERRORISM