Domestic terrorism in the United States can be dated back to 1865 with the organization of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the South following the Civil War, when white supremacist used violence to intimidate and harm African Americans and supporters of the freed slaves. The organization was labeled a terrorist organization and outlawed in 1871, however small groups still exist today. (Zalman, 2011) The 1920’s saw a short spike in domestic terrorist attacks from Anarchist and the KKK. However, few incidents of domestic terrorism existed until the 1960’s when groups such as the Black Panthers and the Weathermen (aka The Weather Underground) formed, and the attacks have continued to grow over the years with incidents such as bombings of federal and other government buildings, military bases, Olympic stadiums, corporation facilities, and doctor’s offices. The FBI defines domestic terror as “the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives”. (FBI, 2005)
Today the FBI lists five types of domestic terrorist, the first being the lone wolf, also known as lone offender or lone ranger. Terrorist groups may inspire a lone wolf but they are a single individual that acts on his or her own without the support of organized terrorist groups. When speaking about terrorism and the threats of attacks that concerned many citizens as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approached, Vice President Biden stated that the lone ranger can be more dangerous because...
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...N. Retrieved from http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/09/vice-president-biden-does-network-morning-shows/
Anti-Defamation League. (2005). Extremism in America. Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (September 7, 2009). Domestic Terrorism: In the Post 9/11 Era. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/september/domterror_090709
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2005). Terrorism 2002-2005. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005/terror02_05.pdf
Gray, Steven. (March 29, 2010). A New Name in American Paranoia: Hutaree. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1977136,00.html
Zalman, Amy Ph.D. (2011). A Guide to Terrorism in America. Retrieved from http://terrorism.about.com/od/originshistory/a/US_Terrorism_2.htm?p=1
Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/268/540 White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and homeland security (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Federal Bureau of Investigation -Definition. (2013, August 20). FBI. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition
"USDOJ: Fact Sheet: the Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11." USDOJ: Fact Sheet: the Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11. N.p., 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. .
America has seen a rise in terrorist attacks since September 11, 2001. Preceding these attacks by Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaida an ostensibly new threat emerged on American soil. However, this apparent growing new threat of terrorism to America has been active for decades and is known as the Lone Wolf terrorist. Mark S. Hamm and Ramon Spaaj have indicated and disclosed in their research that the lone wolf terrorist has been active in 98 cases in America between 1940-2013. In their 2015 grant report after further examinations were concluded; the definition of lone wolf terrorism needs to include the following:
Being the oldest daughter of a Senior ATF Agent, I have been exposed to domestic terrorism all of my life. My father has investigated thousands of bombings, fires, and explosions for more than twenty years now. Many of these incidents were examples of the terrorism that I speak about. His experiences have taught me countless lessons and informed me of many current events. The information that I have obtained from him is far more valuable than anything that the media could ever possibly convey. Though he is always strictly guarded with the confidences of his profession, he has always provided me with a firsthand knowledge of the impact that domestic terrorism has on the citizens and law enforcement. Through him, I learn the facts of these incidents without the media’s exaggerations. Today I will share with you some of these facts. I will talk to you about the impact that domestic terrorism has on our citizens. These impacts include: the monetary damages that terrorism inflicts, along with the injuries to the victims, the shocking repercussions that are embedded into the minds and souls of the people who come to sort through the rubble to find the survivors and the remaining evidence.
Newly Released FBI Terrorism Training Materials. American Civil Liberties Union. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. .
The members of the aforementioned organizations are primarily peaceful and seek redress via nonviolent means. However, as with any highly charged political issue, the issues that drive these organizations to take to the streets has the potential to attract lone-wolf fringe individuals who may use violence to address perceived injustices. The FBI defines lone wolf attackers as “a single individual driven to hateful attacks based on a particular set of beliefs without a larger group’s knowledge or support” and that “most domestic attacks are carried out by lone offenders to promote their own grievances and agendas”. (FBI, 2009) Furthermore, it is difficult to define, categorize, or pattern such individuals, as they can “run the gamut, from hate-filled
In Module one, I learned that terrorism is a result of physical harm or deadly acts of force with the intent of a political outcome by the use of terror for coercion. There are various types of terrorism such as international terrorism and domestic terrorism. International terrorism occurs outside of the United States with a purpose to influence the policy of a government by intimidation. International and Domestic terrorism both involve violent acts dangerous to human life that violate federal and state laws. Domestic terrorism occurs within the United States with the intention of coercion or intimidation by way of mass destruction, etc. Some forms of terrorism include Improvised explosive devices (IED), kidnappings, suicide bombings and
According to the Department of Homeland Security (2015) “A domestic terrorist differs from a homegrown violent extremist in that the former is not inspired by and does not take direction from, a foreign terrorist group or other foreign power”. The Department of Homeland Security also states that home grown extremists are not bound by borders unlike domestic and international terrorism. Homegrown violent extremists may commit acts that would normally be considered terrorist actions, but are not connected to any terrorist group. Home grown violent extremists are motivated by foreign terrorist ideals but have no direct connection or support from any foreign or domestic terrorist organization. Examples of home grown violent extremists would be the Fort Hood shooter who shared beliefs and ideas of violent radical Islamic terror groups but had no known direct connection to any terror group. It is believed the Fort Hood shooter planned and conducted his attack solely on his own, and thus he is a home grown violent
12. "The Beltway Snipers, Part 2." FBI. FBI, 24 Oct. 2007. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. .
Herman, E. & Sullivan, G. O.1989. The Terrorism Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror. New York: Pantheon.
The concept of terrorism is exceedingly difficult to define. Author Gerald Seymour first said in his book Harry’s Game that, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. Each individual may view terrorism in a different light. Because of this, there is currently no universal definition of terrorism. However in recent years, it has become increasingly more important to form a definition of terrorism, especially while working in the media.
Roth, John, Greensburg, Douglas, and Wille, Serena (2004). National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States- Monograph on Terrorist Financing, National Commission of Terrorist Attacks, Retrieved from http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/911_TerrFin_Monograph.pdf.
Rothe, Dawn, and Stephen L. Muzzatti. "Enemies Everywhere: Terrorism, Moral Panic, and US Civil Society." Critical Criminology 12 (2004): 327-50.
Terrorism is one of the most extensively discussed issues of our time and at the same time it is also one of the least understood. The term itself “terrorism” means many different things to different people, cultures, and races. As a result, trying to define or classify terrorism with one universal definition is nearly impossible. The definition of terrorism used in this research is a reflection of much of the Western and American way of defining it. The definition of terrorism is,