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.
April 19, 1995 at 9:02, in Oklahoma City a bomb exploded; destroying buildings, injuring and killing innocent citizens. Many questions of the city would go unanswered; including who made it, who didn’t, along with who did it and why. All of these citizens deserve answers to the simple questions. The world was in shock and worried about what was going to happen next. This terrorist attack would then be noted as the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices – secretaries, businessman and women, military and federal workers. Moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet unyielding anger.
Many say the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing was one of the most devastating attacks in American history. Timothy McVeigh’s actions shook the American society by desecrating Oklahoma City.
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.
Walsh, Julie. "September 11 Terrorist Attacks." In Campell, Ballard C., Ph.D., Gen. Ed. Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=DACH0197&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 6, 2014).
On September 11th of 2001 Islamist terrorists hijacked four planes and drove two of the planes into the World Trade Center buildings, also known as the ‘Twin Towers’. Many lives on this day were lost; 9/11 goes down as one of the most tragic days in American history, but also a day that created many safety changes. As the World Trade Center was being terrorized by two planes, Flight 11 and Flight 175; a third plane was flown into the ‘Pentagon’, Flight 77 as another plane, Flight 93, followed crashing into the field of the Pentagon. America decided to take action for society’s safety and create many organizations and laws that would be endeavoring to protect all.
Timothy McVeigh was just another man until he changed the lives of many forever. “The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, was the most severe incident of terrorism ever experienced on American soil” (“Psychiatric” 755). This explosion created a widespread panic in Oklahoma and across the United States. Adults and children lost their lives due to an unethical act, and it did not go unnoticed. Parents had to bury their babies,
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.
"1993 World Trade Center bombing." Encyclopedia of New York State. Syracuse University Press, 2005. 1723. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
The Oklahoma City Bombing was a terrorist truck bombing on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 19, 1995. The people responsible were Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the explosion took the lives at least 168 people, injured more than 680 others, and destroyed one-third of the building. All the damages together add up to $652 million worth of repairs. Until the 2001 September 11 attacks, this bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil and remains the deadliest incident of domestic terrorism in United States history. There is no doubt that this tragedy greatly affected America socially, economically, and politically.
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