Terrorism Essay

The criminal justice system has been confronted with a new and challenging task because of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Terrorists, foreign and homegrown, pose a serious threat to the security of the United States. From the safety of citizens to the protection of important landmarks, it is essential to be prepared for all possibilities. Reacting to terrorist threats and acts is a challenge to the criminal justice system as it relates to prevention, response, and prosecution.

To understand terrorism and how it affects the United States, some historical examples need to be explored. At the beginning of the twentieth century the United States was a booming country without any threat of domestic terrorism. However across the Atlantic in Ireland there was a “war” going on that had the attention of the United States. As England’s hold on its territories was waning, it was most prevalent in Ireland. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was waging a campaign to rid the British from their country.

The IRA began as an organization of citizens who wanted freedom from the imperialistic grip of England. After a treaty that transferred all British troops out of Ireland except for the protestant stronghold of Northern Ireland, splinter groups began forming. These groups were not happy with the agreed upon terms of the treaty. They began a campaign of bombing and assassination that were not sanctioned by the Republic of Ireland. These groups have been termed terrorists, but like most terrorists they view themselves as “freedom fighters”.

There have been multiple attacks carried out that have been claimed by the IRA. Some of the worst attacks have occurred in the past fifty years. In 2010 author, Kathryn Gregory wrote:...

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... a civilian or a street officer. That is why in many cities in the U.S. law enforcement officers are trained to be aware of certain things that may signal a terrorist attack. For example, on May 1, 2010 at Times Square in New York City, two street vendors observed an unoccupied vehicle parked on the street. The vehicle was smoking and they alerted a police officer who happened to be passing by. That officer was alert enough to realize that the smoke seemed abnormal and cleared the area of all civilian traffic. The vehicle was inspected and a bomb that failed to ignite was found in the vehicle. Two days later a suspect was arrested just before he was about to board a plane with a one way ticket to Pakistan. Without the training and alertness of the officer, the attempted bombing could have been devastating to the heavily populated area of Times Square.