Terrorism and the Rule of Law

Before 9/11, even the U.S. was in favour of an approach to terrorism consistent with the ROL: they intended it as a criminal act which did not have to be fought with other violence. The same view was – and is – shared by the UK, where terrorism is a civil emergency but not a war (and terrorists are considered criminals but not combatants).
However, on the international plane, the Bush administration’s rejection of an approach consistent with the ROL was express.
Soon also Blair followed Bush’s path, declaring that "the rules of the game are changing", making the U.S. and the UK more and more similar. However, there are both differences and similarities in their approach to international terrorism.