TO FIGHT OR NOT TO FIGHT – THAT IS THE QUESTION

The article focuses on the problem of antiterrorist operations and the observance of international humanitarian law. The author raises the question of the legitimacy of military-force counterterrorism in accordance with the right to self-defense. The status of terrorists in international conflicts and various definitions of the term «self-defense» are analyzed. The author proposes to specify the concept of «terrorism» since it is not defined in any legal source, as well as to identify terrorists and their organizations as the subjects of international conflicts in order to establish the legitimate basis for states to use armed force in response to terrorist attacks. It is also necessary to improve the educational, cultural and spiritual level of people to solve the terrorism problem at the global level.