Over on Public Address System, a couple of loons are valiantly trying to excuse and minimise the murder of abortion doctor Dr George Tiller, arguing that it isn't terrorism. Of course it is. Tiller was murdered by a "pro-lifer" (quotes for the obvious irony) to advance a religious cause, with the clear aim of inducing terror in a civilian population - namely other abortion providers. That would meet our definition under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002, and it certainly meets the United States'.
One of the minimising tactics is to claim that this is an "isolated incident" and a single murder. But it is neither. Since 1977, there have been 8 murders, 17 attempted murders, 179 assaults, 4 kidnappings, 659 bioterror threats, 41 bombings, 175 arsons, and 96 attempted bombings or arsons against abortion providers in the US. That's a sustained, but low-level campaign, driven by an organised movement which incites murder by publishing hate lists and "wanted posters", with the underlying aim of pointing random armed nutjobs at people who carry out a lawful medical procedure.
The bodycount may be low - largely I think because the US's anti-abortion nutjobs don't have access to rocket-propelled grenades and semtex - but this is unquestionably a terrorist campaign. And we should be honest enough to call it that.
Meanwhile, I'm just pleased that I live in a sane country, which does not have a right-wing culture of eliminationism, and where killing people for their political views is absolutely beyond the pale.
