The rather newly coined term "terrorism" has entered the world's political literature in recent decades. Different definitions have been presented for it, but the United States has its own special interpretation of the term.

After decades of repression in Iran, in 1979 the Islamic Revolution brought with it breaths of democracy to the country, but Iranian terrorist groups, with U.S. support, took advantage of the situation and began terrorist activities against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to statistics, over the past two decades terrorist groups have martyred more than 50,000 of the best and most devoted Iranian youths who were loyal to the Islamic Republic.

During those days, the U.S. had its own definition of terrorism because White House officials, whether Democrats or Republicans, avoided even verbally labeling these groups as terrorists.

After committing a terrorist crime and killing the best of the Iranian youth, any terrorist could flee to the West, the U.S. in particular, and receive safe haven there. Some terrorists were given refuge by the criminal Iraqi Baath regime and used its support to assassinate Iranian civilians.

The Taleban agents, who were also supported by the U.S., martyred eight of Iran's diplomats, but the U.S. refused to condemn the terrorist act.

After September 11, 2001, U.S. officials' view on terrorism changed. According to the new U.S. interpretation of the term, those threatening U.S. interests were branded as terrorists, but terrorists targeting independent countries' interests were not included on the so-called terrorist list. Isn't it time for the United Nations to hold an international conference with the aim of formulating a clear and precise definition of the term terrorism? This definition should clarify who the real terrorists are: the Palestinian nation and the people of southern Lebanon who are only defending themselves against occupiers, or people like Zionist regime Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has committed the most brutal war crimes in the Sabra, Shatilla, Deir Yasin, and Kafar Qasem refugee camps?

The UN should make sincere efforts to formulate a legal definition of terrorism, free of U.S. influence, in order to prevent misuse and misinterpretation of the term.