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Terrorism and its effect
Terrorism and its effect
Terrorism and its effects on society
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Acts of terrorism are carried out due to ideologies that are followed by terrorists. These ideologies do not cease to exist with the apprehension of any particular terrorist that commits one act of terrorism. A clear example to point out is the death of Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda and their beliefs have continued full force despite the apprehension and execution of one of their top leaders. Their beliefs in their ideology will continued to fuel motives for potential acts of terrorism in the future. By understanding the motives of terrorists, societies can take precautions and measures to protect them from future acts of terrorism. “It's the human intelligence that is the answer and not the physical” that will allow us to fight back again terrorists states Wood, an international studies expert (Dahl & Thomas, 1995).
Countries will never be completely protected from all acts of terrorism. Consequently, it is up to each society to ensure that all available resources are expended to safeguard their country and its citizens. This case study researches the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. In hopes of understanding this act of terrorism the following topics are explored; the history of the terrorist act and organization portrayed in the act, logistics of the event, effect of the act, and the reaction of the intended target.
History
In April 19, 1995 an explosion occurred at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The explosion killed 168 people and additionally injured over 800 more; the victims included men, women, and children. Timothy McVeigh committed the majority of this atrocious act, his accomplices Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier, assisted in the planning of the act. Nichols received a sentence of 161 consecutive coun...
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...ernment have a prolonging effect to the nation.
Conclusion
References
Dahl, D. & Thomas J. (1995). Terrorism Has Already Left Its Mark on American Institutions. St. Petersburg Times (Florida).
Evans, M. (2013). The Times. A “Lone Wolf” Attacker is Investigators’ Best Guess.
Historical Crime Case Study #2: The Oklahoma City Bombing. Retrieved from: http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/t4t/forensicscience35-3cr/Module3/L4/M3L4P03-CaseStudyOklahoma.html
Linenthal, Edward. (2001). The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma City in American Memory. Oxford University Press.
Solomon, J. (2013). FBI Linked McVeigh to Group After Bombing. Associated Press Writer. Retrieved from: http://www.ourmidland.com/import/fbi-linked-mcveigh-to-group-after-bombing/article_22536953-36df-55b1-a7c9-9ad4abc0dee5.html
White, J. (2014). Terrorism and Homeland Security. California: Thomason-Wadsworth.
Davis, Jayna. The Third Terrorist: The Middle East Connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing. Nashville: WND, 2004. Print.
Wheeler, Tim. "McVeigh could tell some tales." People's Weekly World [New York] 26 May 2001, National
On April 19, 1995 two former US Soldiers blew up a the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing over 150 people. Bill Clinton, President of the United States at that time, wrote a speech where he shared his sympathy for the friends and family of victims and united the country through his use of parallelism, patriotic language, and inclusive wording.
A review of Timothy McVeigh and the bombing of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City reveal that McVeigh grew up the All-American boy, who grew increasingly dissatisfied with the level of governmental control of individual’s freedoms and constitutional rights specifically the Second Amendment which afforded citizens the right to bear arms. A known gun collector and survivalist, McVeigh taking direction from the novel “The Turner Diaries” grew more paranoid in his perception of the government’s stance on gun control and the anti-semitic views expressed by the novel’s neo-Nazi author William Pierce who wrote of race wars and the bombing of a federal building. (BIO).
In short, Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the worst single man act of mass murder in the United States history. McVeigh used a mixture of agricultural chemicals and diesel fuel in his homemade bomb to destroy the Oklahoma City’s Murrah Federal building on April 19th, 1995. The bombing killed 168 human lives, including 19 children. In 2001, after six years of investigations and trials, Timothy McVeigh was put to death for his evil
Jeffrey David Simon, The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism, 2nd ed. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 188-89.
On 26 February 1993 at 12:17, a yellow RYDER van detonated on level B-2 of the World Trade Center North tower. What was first believed to be a below grade transformer explosion turned into an extensive test of New York Cities Incident Command capabilities. Everyone involved had an intricate part in handling this situation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was able to get all support assets there promptly to assist in rescue operations. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered information on the vehicle used. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used all of the intelligence gathered to apprehend and convict those responsible. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted cleanup of chemical and biological hazards that were left behind from the blast. Numerous agencies worked together to solve the first terrorist attack on American soil and clean up a disaster of epic proportions.
When a giant explosion ripped through Alfred P. Murrah federal building April 19,1995, killing 168 and wounding hundreds, the United States of America jumped to a conclusion we would all learn to regret. The initial response to the devastation was all focused of middle-eastern terrorists. “The West is under attack,”(Posner 89), reported the USA Today. Every news and television station had the latest expert on the middle east telling the nation that we were victims of jihad, holy war. It only took a few quick days to realize that we were wrong and the problem, the terrorist, was strictly domestic. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Because America jumped to conclusions then, America was later blind to see the impending attack of 9/11. The responsibility, however, is not to be placed on the America people. The public couldn’t stand to hear any talk of terrorism, so in turn the White House irresponsibly took a similar attitude. They concentrated on high public opinion and issues that were relevant to Americans everyday. The government didn’t want to deal with another public blunder like the one in Oklahoma City. A former FBI analyst recalls, “when I went to headquarters (Washington, D.C.) later that year no one was interested in hearing anything about Arab money connections unless it had something to do with funding domestic groups. We stumbled so badly on pinpointing the Middle East right off the bat on the Murrah bombing. No one wanted to get caught like that again,”(Posner 90). The result saw changes in the counter terrorism efforts; under funding, under manning, poor cooperation between agencies, half-hearted and incompetent agency official appointees and the list goes on. All of these decisions, made at the hands of the faint-hearted, opened the doors wide open, and practically begged for a terrorist attack. So who’s fault is it? The public’s for being
September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating and horrific events in the United States history. Americans feeling of a secure nation had been broken. Over 3,000 people and more than 400 police officers and firefighters were killed during the attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon; in New York City and Washington, D.C. Today the term terrorism is known 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 (Birzer, Roberson). This term was clearly not defined for the United States for we had partial knowledge and experience with terrorist attacks; until the day September 11, 2001. At that time, President George W. Bush, stated over a televised address from the Oval Office, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” President Bush stood by this statement for the United States was about to retaliate and change the face of the criminal justice system for terrorism.
Historical Significance: The September 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, orchestrated by Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, were the events that launched the U.S. War on Terrorism. Al-Qaeda’s attack on the United States was carried out by members of radicalized Islamic groups, whose objective was to spread jihad against the secular influence of the West. This tragic event provided the historical b...
Do you remember the conflict that America had in the Persian Gulf a few years back? An incident occurred there where a man drove a truck loaded with explosives into the building where more than 100 Marines were stationed. He blew up the building, along with the Marines. The incident was published by the AP Press soon after. Now do you remember the bombing just four years ago, in Oklahoma City? Suspects Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols drove a Ryder Van loaded with 4,800 pounds of fertilizer and fuel oil to the front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, where it subsequently exploded, killing 169 people and injuring some 500 others. Of course you do. While both were massive acts of violence involving American citizens, the impact of such acts is always felt the most when it happens right here at home.
The adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the Terrorism and Homeland Security. 8th Edition. The. Wadsworth
Some terrorists may have the motivation to prove something political, while some may just inflict terror to keep control over a group, people or country. Then there are terrorists who act under the notion that they are showing support for something, as in religious regions, while others do so to show disdain for something they don't agree with. Government, individual agencies, private agencies, and academic experts have all developed, proposed, designed, and analyzed what constitutes acts of terrorism. The meaning of terrorism has definitely changed and has acquired new definitions over the years. The million dollar question is how will the future of America be affected by this act of terrorism?
Many conspiracy theories exist about the attacks. Although it is commonly held that the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda is responsible, some think it was an inside job—coming from the United States. Others acknowledge Al-Qaeda as the perpetrator, but blame the cause on past involvement of the United States in the Middle East. One such person is Amiri Baraka. In his poem, Somebody Blew Up America, Baraka points to the larger system as the root cause of violence. He never blames a single entity, but through the use of rhetorical questioning it is obvious as to whom Baraka is accusing as being the real terrorist. Using the word “who” 191 times, Baraka establishes a connection within any reader who feels empathy with victims of anonymous crimes. (IV 1) Who is to blame? Amiri Baraka’s Somebody Blew Up
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,