One of the defining characteristics of terrorist groups is that they are non-state actors. There are other characteristics � for instance, the use of violence, targeting innocents, seeking political objectives � but they are always outside the context of sovereignty that governs relationships between states, or the much longer Treasury Department list of Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entities (SDGTs). You�ll find terror groups, guerilla armies, crooked banks, fake charities, corrupt businesses, and very, very bad men � but you won�t find sovereign governments, their armies, their spy agencies, or other instruments of foreign security.