America is under the treat of a terrorist attack. Ever since the events of September 11th that idea has become a constant reality to the American public. Although terrorism is not a new concept, not even on American soil, it has become more of a reality in the resent decade. Terrorism takes many forms and threats are not always the way someone might picture them. Homegrown terrorist can have the same effect that international organizations may. Each group is attempting to achieve their own political or social goals and the only thing Americans can do is to prepare for the inevitable. The attack could come in many forms but a Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack could be devastating. These weapons have been used in the past with devastating results. Despite the treat of CBRN weapons America fails to address its vulnerabilities to this threat.
Terrorism is not a new concept and although the treat has been highlighted by the events of September 11th, there has been a history of terrorism in America leading as far back as the establishment of the country. Although the proverb of “one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter” can be true on certain accounts, there is a distinction. The CIA uses a definition outlined by Title 22 Section 2656f(d) of the US Code, which states, "terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents ” (2013). This definition has two important aspects, politically motivated violence and the targeting noncombatants. These two aspects address the motive and methods of a terrorist organization. Through the understanding of this definition it becomes clear that organizations like Al-Qaeda are ...
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On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists (with strong ties to Al Qaeda), on four separate planes, slaughtered almost 3000 civilians at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon ("9/11 Attacks"). Al Qaeda is widely known as the most feared terrorist organization. It is a global Islamic militant organization, and its location cannot be determined because of its secrecy and the fact that its militants operate all over the world. It commits acts that are considered terrorism. Terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims (Currie 70). Al Qaeda plans to do just this with the terror that they invoke. Al Qaeda did not start as an organization made for terror. Instead, it started as a legitimate military base for the training of the mujahideen, who were the group fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden started Al Qaeda with the money that his wealthy Saudi father left him when he died, when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan (Moyer). He called the invasion an attack on Islam itself. Soon enough, though, Al Qaeda grew into a group recruiting bloody jihadis, spreading fear, and punishing those against their views. (Currie 70-71)
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The FBI defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force or violence 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.gov).” By this definition, terrorism can be classified as internal or international based on the overall intent of the attack. Terrorism has been around since the beginning of time, but it’s only since 2011 that the world has come to fully understand the meaning of terrorism. The following paragraphs will highlight four different types of terrorist attacks that all took place within the United States spanning over a 40 year time period.
Within the world today, there are many organizations with varying opinions about specific ideals. But some of the organizations will take things to the extreme, and will do almost anything to prove that their view is the right one. This extreme act to further an objective is known as terrorism, but what exactly is a formal definition of terrorism? Frank Schmalleger defines it as “[a] violent act or an act dangerous to human life, in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any state, that is committed to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (Criminal Justice Today, 2013 p.560). The American way of life and other aspects such as policy and the criminal justice system have been impacted by terrorism in many ways over the course of the twenty first century.
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Finding a proper, well-accepted definition of what constitutes terror is extremely difficult. There are many challenges that confront scholars, experts, and everyday people when it comes to defining terrorism and terrorists. Differing backgrounds and cultures of those defining terror in addition to differing histories are just one of the many challenges facing those that wish to define terror. Furthermore, labeling a group or an individual as a terrorist could be considered offensive, especially in today’s politically correct environment, potentially damaging those in the political arena. However, on the flip side, labeling someone as a terrorist can also serve a political purpose as in the case of being propaganda towards a war effort, or to help define an enemy. Nevertheless, the main problem with not being able to have a widely accepted definition of terrorism is that “It is impossible to formulate or enforce international agreements against terrorism” (Ganor, 300).
Herman, E. & Sullivan, G. O.1989. The Terrorism Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror. New York: Pantheon.
What is the likelihood of a cyber terrorism attack? Are critical infrastructures vulnerable to an attack and are te...
Michael D. Greenberg, Peter Chalk, Henry H. Willis, Ivan Khilko, Davis S. Ortiz, “Maritime Terrorism: Risk and Liability,” (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2006)
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,
Terrorism has many forms, and many definitions. “Elements from the American definitional model define terrorism as a premeditated and unlawful act in which groups or agents of some principal engage in a threatened or actual use o...
“We deliver fact-based, actionable solutions grounded in rigorous analysis” (About, 2016). The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Boeing developed a terrorism risk modeling tool in which the RAND organization helped evaluate. “The Risk Management Analysis Tool, or RMAT, simulates terrorist behavior and success in attacking vulnerabilities in the domestic commercial air transportation system, drawing on estimates of terrorist resources, capabilities, preferences, decision processes, intelligence collection, and operational planning” (Aviation, 2012). The RMAT is an important tool in simulating many different attacks and describing just how well the layers of aviation security are likely to perform. It produces particular data allowing analyst to understand the possible damage produced by the different attacks and calculates expected losses and