In the twenty-first century, terrorism has become a common term in the

1. Lackey and Merari would be most likely to agree on what judgment regarding terrorism?

Explanation

The correct answer is option (A): That an individual soldier in a country's military would not typically commit terrorist acts in the course of duty.

The passage discusses the question of what constitutes terrorism and includes the viewpoint presented by Lackey, who argues that the targeting of "innocents" is a key component of terrorism. Lackey specifically states that the common soldier is not a terrorist because the majority of their victims are soldiers, not civilians. According to Lackey, the indiscriminate nature of bombs does not make a soldier a terrorist; it is the targeting of an area with a high ratio of non-military units to military units that constitutes indiscriminate killing.

Based on this information, Lackey would agree that an individual soldier in a country's military would not typically commit terrorist acts in the course of duty. This aligns with option (A).

Now, let's examine the other options and explain why they are incorrect:

(B) That an attack that targeted primarily civilians, rather than members of a military, would necessarily be a terrorist attack.
This option contradicts Lackey's viewpoint because Lackey argues that the common soldier is not a terrorist, even if their actions result in civilian casualties. He emphasizes that the distinction lies in the target's military status, not in the number of civilian victims.

(C) That the term terrorism is very difficult to define.
Although both Lackey and Merari acknowledge the difficulty of defining terrorism, the passage does not explicitly state that they would be likely to agree on this judgment. Therefore, this option cannot be inferred from the information provided.

(D) That terrorism can only be carried out during peacetime.
The passage mentions the controversy over whether terrorist acts must be performed during times of peace or if they can also include acts perpetrated during war. Therefore, it is clear that Lackey and Merari do not share the belief that terrorism can only occur during peacetime. This option is contradicted by the information in the passage.

(E) That a member of an elite branch of a given country's military could not be said to commit a terrorist act.
The passage does not provide any specific information or viewpoints related to this option. Lackey's argument focuses on the targeting of areas and the ratio of military to non-military units, rather than the specific branch or elite status of a military member. Therefore, this option is not supported by the passage.

In conclusion, option (A) is the correct answer because it aligns with Lackey's viewpoint that an individual soldier in a country's military would not typically commit terrorist acts in the course of duty, as their victims are primarily soldiers, not civilians.

Answer: A