In sheer legalistic terms, the criminal deed consists of
- The harming act (Actus Reus
The criminal *Intention (Mens Rea

Now, some acts of war may harm civilians or civil constructions, yet they may lack the intentional component
On the other hand, civil terrorism is at first hand meant to slaughter civilians and to inflict spectacular bloodshed per ce, and as such it includes the Mens rea component
Hence, according to norms of the international community and international law, such acts fall in a different category from this of regularized acts of war .

A few weeks before ordering an escalation of the Vietnam War, President Nixon matter-of-factly raised the idea of using a nuclear bomb. His national security adviser, Henry A. Kissinger, quickly dissuaded him.