Domestic Terrorism - Research Paper Example

Domestic Terrorism Domestic terrorism in the United s has been of significant concern to the FBI and other regulatory ities as a significant proportion of the overall terrorist attacks in the US have been classified as domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorism is defined as “the unlawful use of force or violence, committed by a group(s) of two or more individuals, against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” From the definition of the term, it is clear that domestic terrorism is the unlawful use of force by the individuals living within the country where terrorism is exercised. There can be numerous objectives of domestic terrorism and most of them have been known to be of political nature. Acts that, according to the US law, are regarded as domestic terrorism include; any acts that are dangerous to human life and that violate the criminal laws of the United States or any State, acts that appear to be intended to intimidate the civilian population, any acts that attempt to intimidate any policy of the government, acts that intend to influence the conduct of the government by mass destruction or assassination, and any of the acts that can be regarded as terrorism that occur within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. There are a number of known terrorist organizations that execute terrorist acts in order to pursue their objectives which are not met otherwise by a legitimate way. Such objectives of the terrorist organization are, in one way or the other, unlawful and the attempts of such organization to acquire their objectives include unlawful means too. Thus, domestic terrorism is perpetrated significantly by such organizations in the United States. The following paper will analyze the situation of domestic terrorism in the United States. The paper would include; the trend of domestic terrorism in the United States over the past years, the reasons behind the domestic terrorism, and the possible solutions to the problem. Domestic Terrorism in the United States There have been numerous incidences of domestic terrorism in the United States in the past few decades. According to FBI, between the year 1980 and 2000, 250 out of a total of 335 terrorist acts were regarded as domestic terrorism as they are executed by the citizens of the United States. The motives behind these attacks are mostly different and they are executed by different organizations for different purposes. Domestic terrorism is conducted through different activities such as; shooting, assaulting, assassination, bombing or other means of destruction. A number of incidents related to domestic terrorism were on the rise in the 1980s and according to FBI, most of these terrorist attacks were carried out by left-wing terrorist organizations. In the later part of the 1980s, the threats from left-wing organizations receded, therefore, the incidents of domestic terrorism declined in the 1990s as compared to the incidences that took place in 1980s. However, the right-wing organizations started to gain momentum in the 1990s and a number of domestic terrorism incidents took place in the name of anti-government movements. In the late 1990s, a rise in the activities of organizations endorsing animal rights and the environmental extremists was observed. To the surprize of the regulatory authorities, in the year 1999 8 out of the 12 terrorist incidents that occurred in the United States were attributed to the organizations endorsing animal rights or environmental extremists. One of such incidents included fire-bombing of an outlet of a clothing line. These extremists also took part in anti-corporate and anti-global activities. In order to create obstacles in the process of corporate deals and other activities, such groups also orchestrated the destruction of property in order to hinder the corporate meetings. Trends suggest that before the year 2000, the bombing was the most common terrorist activity executed by domestic terrorists, however, due to the increased security measures after the 9/11 incident, the terrorist organizations have resorted to other means of domestic terrorism. Other terrorist activities that have been observed more commonly in the recent past have been; arson, shooting, and kidnapping. Organizations Involved in Domestic Terrorism There are a number of groups and organizations that take part in terrorist activities in order to pursue their objectives. Some groups do not conform to the policies of the government while some groups consider themselves superior to others and want to attract the attention of the citizens. Recently, a rise in the terrorist activities by the group with unique objectives has been observed such as the groups trying to enforce animal rights and the environmental extremists. FBI has classified terrorist groups in accordance with their objectives and motives on a wide spectrum and the groups on the two extremes of the spectrum are called ‘left-wing organizations’ and ‘right-wing organizations’. Organizations on the extreme left perceive themselves to have a revolutionary socialist doctrine and they consider themselves as protector of people against the impacts of capitalism on the society. These groups were more active during the era of cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States. Numerous bombings and other terrorist activities were carried out by such organizations between the years 1960 and 1980. The activities of the left-wing organizations gradually declined in the 1980s as the government took active steps to stop the activities of such organizations and certain arrests and imprisonments of the leaders of such organizations were done by the government. The organizations regarded as ‘right-wing groups' are those that regard the United States government as unjust or oppressive. Such groups do not conform to the policies and procedures adopted by the government of the United States, therefore, their motive is to disrupt the activities of the government by distracting them through different means involving terrorism. One of the factors that are responsible for the origination of such organizations is racial supremacy. The prevailing destitution in the Southern states following the defeat in the Civil War and the factors such as racial superiority resulted in such an atmosphere than originated such organizations. The right-wing groups make use of their objectives and agendas to attract the larger audience. There are certain beliefs that are held by the right-wing groups. Some of the beliefs are; white Christian race holds supremacy over Jews and nonwhites, the United States government is merely a ‘new world order’ that is being run by the United Nations, true patriots are those who disagree with the federal and local laws and do not conform with the policies of the government, and that the tax laws are not interpreted correctly by the regulatory authorities. According to the reports by the FBI, there has been a significant rise in the activities of the right-wing groups since the mid-1990s. These groups have been promoting anti-government emotions among the citizens of the United States and they have been attempting to attract the attention of the citizens of the US by one way or the other. The increasing sense of sympathy for the right-wing groups and the increase in the number of right-wing activists can be said to be the direct result of the increasing prominence of the United Nations and the increasing involvement of the United States in the international matters. These groups use the internet as a tool to create propaganda against the government and to recruit new members. The Internet plays a vital role for these groups to reach to an audience and to present their views and motives to them. The propaganda created by such groups attracts the individuals that also disagree with the policies adopted by the government and in this manner, the groups grow. The right-wing organizations represent a significant threat to the government because they acquire stocks of weapons without giving any disclosure of such possession and they do not respect any laws or authorities in the country. Most of such groups do not have a proper organizational structure, therefore, they are hard to monitor or infiltrate. These are the factors that add towards the dangerous nature of such organizations. One of the reasons behind the increase in activity by the right-wing groups was the change in the structure of such organizations. In the 1990s, these organizations shifted from hierarchical organizations to a number of small cells consisting of a few members. In this manner, these groups became more difficult to monitor and more difficult to infiltrate therefore they became more capable to execute the terrorist activities and the law enforcement authorities became less capable of detecting the threats of the activities of such groups. Such groups became known in the 1990s for the increased number of armored car robberies and murders conducted by them (Quarles, 1999). Following are some of the notable organizations that conducted domestic terrorism in the United States: 1. The Order The order was an organization active in the United States in the early 1980s. The organization is known for its armored car robberies and murders. The group executed numerous robberies and they became one of the most notable groups to execute domestic terrorism in the United States. The most commonly known murder committed by this organization was that of the radio talk show host Alan Berg. 2. Animal Liberation Front Any group of individuals who take actions against animal cruelty international refers themselves as Animal Liberation Front (ALF) internationally. The objectives of this organization are; to remove animals from fur farms and laboratories, to destroy the facilities that make use of animal testing, and destruction of other animal based industries. The group is officially regarded as a domestic terrorist organization by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The organizational does not have a proper structure or leadership, therefore, it cannot be tracked by the regulatory authorities. The group has officially stated that any acts that are executed for the purpose of animal liberation and which have been executed with proper care not to endanger life can be regarded as the acts executed by Animal Liberation Front. The group proclaims to be not violent but the Department of Homeland Security has listed a number of domestic terrorist threats that can be attributed to the group. 3. Earth Liberation Front The groups or individuals who share the objective of sabotaging the economy in order to stop the exploitation of Earth are internationally known as Earth Liberation Front (ELF). The organization runs in a manner that is similar to the Animal Liberation Front as it does not have any proper organizational structure and it is also leaderless. ELF has conducted numerous terrorist activities since 1998. These series of acts brought the group to everyone’s attention and they have been called eco-terrorists ever since. The FBI has classified this group as the top domestic terrorist group in the United States since 2001. In the year 1999, the group caused the burning of a ski resort in Vail, Colorado. The group caused some other property destructions in the later years such as; burning of Legend Ridge mansion, burning of numerous SUVs, and destruction of a 206-unit condominium in San Diego. In 2007, the group caused the destruction of four multi-million dollar homes through explosives, and in the most recent case, burning of an excavator. Due to these significant terrorist activities, this group is posing a threat to the government, therefore, the law enforcement authorities are taking active measures to avoid any future terrorist attacks by this group. 4. Black Liberation Army Black Liberation Army was a group that was active in the 1970s and early 1980s. The objective of the group was to conduct an armed struggle for the liberation and self-determination of black people in the US. The domestic terrorism activities executed by the members of this group included numerous bombings, robberies, and prison breaks. Significant Domestic Terrorist Attacks There have been numerous incidents of domestic terrorism that have caused significant damage to life and property. The attacks have been executed in a number of ways and they have caused damages of different extents. Some attacks included the bombing of the property while others included the shooting of specific targets. Regardless of the manner of the execution of the attacks, these domestic terrorist attacks have caused significant damages. Following are some of the most notable domestic terrorist attacks: 1. Wall Street Bombing The Wall Street bombing incident was carried out in 1920 and it is believed that it was carried out by the groups following Luigi Galleani. The attack was carried out through the use of explosives that were taken to the venue by a horse drawn wagon. 100 pounds of dynamite was used in order to carry out the attack. This is one of the biggest domestic terrorist attacks carried out in the history of the United States and the damages caused by this attack were enormous. The attack claimed 38 lives and around 400 people were injured. 2. Numerous Attacks by Jewish Defense League According to the statistics provided by FBI, the Jewish Defense League was responsible for fifteen terrorist attacks between the years 1980 and 1985. The attacks by Jewish Defense League have been targeted on specific individuals. In all the attacks carried out by JDL, a total of 7 persons were killed and 22 persons were injured. Unlike so many other organizations, the attacks by JDL were not large scale attacks or they were not carried out in order to attract attention but they were carefully planned attacks in order to carry out murders of known targets. 3. Oklahoma City Bombing This domestic terrorism incident is regarded as the deadliest domestic terrorist activity in the history of the United States and it was the deadliest of any terrorist activity in the United States before the September 11 attacks. It was carried out in the year 1995. The extent of the attack can be realized from the facts that the attack claimed a mind numbing number of 168 lives and it injured more than 680 people. The intensity of the bombing was such that it damaged 324 buildings in the vicinity of the blast and it destroyed 86 cars. In monetary terms, the attack has been estimated to have caused a damage of at least $652 million. The culprits were caught within hours after the attack and it was found out that the attackers shared the motives with the right wing organizations that do not conform to the way government operates. Since the attack was the biggest in the history of the United States, an extensive investigation was carried out by the FBI in order to find out the perpetrators and in order to avoid the repetition of any attack of such intensity in the future. 4. Shooting at Fort Hood This is also one of the most significant domestic terrorist attacks as it claimed a number of lives. The mass shooting was carried out in the year 2009 at Fort Hood. A total of 13 people were killed in the attack and another 30 were injured. The suspect for the attack was a psychiatrist who was associated with the US army. This is one of the most recent domestic terrorist attacks and that too of a significant intensity. Factors Enhancing the Domestic Terrorism There are numerous reasons behind the periodic rise in domestic terrorism in the United States. Domestic terrorism has been triggered a number of times due to different historic events. After the Civil War, there was a rise in the domestic terrorism by left wing groups. During the Cold War, there was once again a rise in domestic terrorism by the left wing groups which faded in the 1980s. From the 1980s there has been the significant rise in the domestic terrorism activities of the right wing groups and the attacks continue to take place. Following are some of the reasons that make it possible for the domestic terrorism to take place: Weaknesses in the National Law Enforcement System One of the reasons behind the periodic rise in domestic terrorism is the weaknesses in the national law enforcement system. The law enforcement authorities have failed numerous times in stopping the terrorist attacks, specifically domestic terrorist attacks, from taking place. This is due to the lack of information and the factor of the unpredictability of the attacks. Another weakness is the lack of proper monitoring of the elements that cause domestic terrorism. Organizational Structure of Domestic Terrorist Groups Another factor that makes it possible for the extremist groups to carry out domestic terrorism is the structure of the groups. These groups do not have any structure and they are leaderless therefore they are difficult for the law enforcement authorities to track down or monitor. Therefore they carry out domestic terrorism without being tracked down by the law enforcement authorities. Due to the lack of any proper structure, these groups cannot be infiltrated therefore any inside information of such groups cannot be acquired by the law enforcement authorities. Therefore, the authorities are unable to predict the precise details of any attack. Insufficient Laws and Regulations From the analysis on the domestic terrorist organizations carried out earlier, it can be observed that all such groups and organizations work under some sort of motive or objective which is not shared by the government. This scenario arizes because the authorities do not take the opinion of the people into account before forming new laws and regulations. This fact can be authenticated by the fact that a large number of people are attracted towards the motives of the right wing groups that publicize themselves over the internet. Thus, it can be said that insufficient laws and regulations are one of the reasons behind the rise in domestic terrorism. Allocation of Resources for Domestic Terrorism The government allocates significant resources in the fight against international terrorism but comparatively, the resources allocated towards domestic terrorism are not significant. Due to the lack of resources, the domestic terrorist attacks are not avoided and it becomes difficult for the authorities to track down the culprits once the attacks take place. Therefore, lack of allocation of resources towards the fight against domestic terrorism may be one of the reasons that allow domestic terrorism to take place. Possible Solutions to the Problem In order to control the situation, following steps may prove to be useful in the fight against domestic terrorism: Strengthening of Legal System The government may start to consider the opinion of the people in order to avoid domestic terrorist activities by the right wing groups. The laws and regulations may be made such that the people conform to the policies of the government. Proper Allocation of Resources The allocation of resources should be made properly. The resources allocated in the fight against domestic terrorism should be sufficient for the law enforcement authorities to carry out their acts properly. If sufficient resources are available, it may be possible for the law enforcement authorities to properly monitor the activities of the domestic terrorist groups. Conclusion From the analysis of the domestic terrorism in the United States, it can be inferred that the US has witnessed significant damage due to the domestic terrorist activities than the damage faced by international terrorism. Domestic terrorism has been prevailing in the United States for decades. The intensity of terrorist activities was different in different eras. There are numerous groups or organizations that are actively involved in the domestic terrorist activities in the United States and there have been a number of notable domestic terrorist activities in the past few decades. The government should allocate more resources in order to enhance the measures being taken against the domestic terrorism and the authorities that form new laws should take the opinion of the opposing groups into account as well in order to reduce the domestic terrorist activities in the United States. Works Cited FBI. Domestic Terrorism in the Post 9/11 Era. FBI.gov, September. 2009. Internet. April 6, 2012. http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/september/domterror_090709 FBI. Putting Intel to Work against ELF and ALF Terrorists. FBI.gov, September. 2008. Internet. April 6, 2012. FBI. Domestic Terrorism: Focus on Militia Extremism. FBI.gov, September. 2011. Internet. April 6, 2012. < http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/september/militia_092211> FBI. Terror Hits Home: The Oklahoma City Bombing. FBI.gov. Internet. April 6, 2012. < http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing> Quarles, Terry L. Combating Domestic Terrorism: Our National Security Priority? Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, 1999. Print. Read More