An example

As an example of my point of view on terrorism and terrorists, I offer the following. If two people are neighbors and they have a great disagreement over something, anything, they may decide to fight over the issue. They may sue each other, or they may have a fist fight out in the street, perhaps even using weapons to "settle" their argument. One might not like to see the violence, but they are facing off, sometimes referred to as mano a mano.
On the other hand, if person one instead waits until person two has left their home to go to work, etc. and then sneaks over to the other house and murders the family of person two, person one is a terrorist, with no honor and no right to claim any of humanities defenses.
Some may view this as equivalent to the British marching in formation while the American revolutionaries hid behind trees. Is it just playing by Marquis de Queensbury rules, while your opponent wins at any cost? If this approach is embraced by the nations and societies of the world, they invite the beast into their own houses, for their is no limit to the depths this type of fighting can sink to. The American Revolutionaries did not sneak behind trees to blow up children at school or British familes while they attended church. They fought against an army to whom they were opposed.
International laws, such as the Geneva Conventions, have made this distinction for good reason. It is in no nation or societies' best interests to coddle those who care not for common decency, who intentionally injure the innocent. Those laws have allowed the summary execution of such terrorists. In the interest of protecting the innocent, I support this approach.