How does a war on terrorism differ from a conventional war against another country?
My answer: A war based upon terrorism differs from a conventional war against another country due to the enemy's objectives. For example, some terrorist groups want territory or want to attack government policies.
I think you've missed the point.
In a conventional war, everyone knows who the enemy is. It is a nation led by a legitimate government. The leaders make it known what they want. For instance in World War II, Germany and Japan fought against Britain, France, the Soviet Union, China, the U.S., and other nations. Enemies are identified by their uniforms, and markings on planes, ships, and vehicles.
Terrorist groups are not officially sponsored by any nation or government. Members of terrorist groups can only be identified by their actions and sometimes by their propaganda. When the U.S. declared "war on terrorism" after the tragedies of 9/11, no one knew who the enemy was. It certainly was not an identifiable nation or government.
Whom do we fight?
A war based upon terrorism differs from a conventional war against another country because terrorists act in secret and can move from country to country while pursuing their objectives, which include their wanting of territory and to attack government policies?
Terrorists do not want territory. Countries want territory. Terrorists apparently want to punish those people or countries whom they don't like.
My textbook states that "some terrorist groups want territory, like Palestinian extremists who use violence trying to gain a homeland in Southeast Asia. Other terrorist, such as the domestic terrorists who bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, want to attack government policies."
Ohh, OK. True. The Palestinians are the the only group I can think of who want territory.
But you must also state that countries at war usually want territory also.