Homegrown Terror in the United States - Term Paper Example

HOMEGROWN TERROR IN THE UNITED S Michael Monkus LeCroy Domestic & International Terrorism 10 October 2009 HOMEGROWN TERROR IN THE UNITED STATES The world forever changed the morning of September 11th 2001. The attacks on the World Center represented the most serious terrorist acts ever carried out on US soil. A watershed moment in world history, that fateful morning will forever be engrained in the American national psyche. From a political, social and economic perspective, the hijackings of 9/11 were unparalleled in scope and sheer devastation. Political scientists have been wracking their brains trying to make sense the horrific violence undertaken the morning of 9/11 and further violence inspired by global jihadists bent on taking over the world. Terrorism – and the threat of terror - can have political, social, and economic ramifications. Politically, terror can sow fear, destabilize governments and provoke various forms of retaliatory measures. States of all stripes – including modern liberal democracies – have responded to terrorist threats through the curtailment of civil liberties (United States post 9/11), the imposition of martial law (Canada during the FLQ crisis of 1970) and the wholesale destruction of communities (Iraq’s genocide of the Kurds in Halabja, 1988). Full-scale retaliatory measures, such as that which was practiced at Halabja using chemical weapons (between 3,000 and 5,000 people were killed one March afternoon), often indiscriminately target, kill and maim entire populations. Terrorists today are unencumbered by geographic boundaries and are able, through the use and abuse of modern technology, to sow damage and fear on a global scale. The terrorist of today is transnational and Al-Qaeda today provides perhaps the best example of a global terrorist network. Terrorism is also inherently destabilizing and wreaks havoc both politically and economically. It remains one of the most sustained and important threats to global security and world peace. Additionally, legal changes often ensue in the wake of terrorist acts and the United States has a history of implementing controversial legislation in the wake of terrorist acts (Chaliand 101-240). Homegrown Terror What is a terrorist and how does one define terrorism? The age old adage that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” (Bergesen & Lizardo 39) remains true and the term terrorist has been notoriously difficult to define. Despite these challenges, a definition of terrorism is integral and must be defined to provide a theoretical basis to this essay. According to Dr. Mia Bloom, terrorism can be defined as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetuated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups, states or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience” (Bloom 3). We can confidently say then that a terrorist is someone who engages in the act described above. Bloom’s definition is comprehensive enough to guide our essay and complement our analysis of the homegrown terrorist phenomenon. Following the attacks of September 11th, Louis J. Freeh, Director of the Federal Bureau Investigation, outlined before the United States Senate, the major domestic terrorist threats facing this nation. His Congressional testimony has been documented and represents one of the most clear and concise descriptions of the domestic terror threats facing the United States of America in the twenty-first century. Importantly, right wing extremist groups were highlighted by Director Freeh as the domestic group most likely to engage in terrorist acts on American soil. Accordingly, The FBI views domestic terrorism as the unlawful use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual that is based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories without foreign direction and which is committed against persons or property with the intent of intimidating or coercing a government or its population in furtherance of political or social objectives. The current domestic terrorist threat primarily comes from right-wing extremist groups (Testimony of Louis J. Freeh 2001), Seeking to explore the antecedent for right wing extremist terrorism in the United States and discuss the ramifications of such terror. Is right-wing terrorism more likely in the United States than say, Islamic-inspired suicide terror? From the perspective of home-grown terror, is right-wing anti-government terror more likely to rear its ugly head again? Aim to evaluate these questions and many more, we turn to an overview of what was once the most devastating terrorist attack ever undertaken on US soil (prior to September 11th of course), an event which was successfully undertaken by right wing terrorists. Accordingly, the War on Terror led to a total reevaluation of the American justice system and the implementation of legislation which may run contrary to previous legal precedent and common ethical practice. The right to privacy, a basic value enshrined in American law for centuries, may be eroded with respect to new legislation which has been enacted in the wake of terrorist acts. Why is an exploration of the ramifications of terrorism on the US legal system important? Because significant legislative changes have been implemented and the basic rights of Americans may be eroded in the wake of anti-terror legislation in the United States. These include both the AEDPA (the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (1996), a piece of anti-terror legislation created in the wake of the Okalahoma City bombing and the infamous Patriot Act created following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since the focus here is on right-wing terror, we now turn to a complete overview of the Oklahoma city bombing of April, 1995. The Oklahoma City Bombing On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was blown up and 167 people were killed. This building was devastated by 4,800 pounds of explosives and all 50 of those standing outside of the building were hit with more than 37 tons of explosives. Although many people survived, those who did lost eyes, arms, legs and fingers after they crawled and walked away from the disaster. In the aftermath of this calamity, police officers, firemen, rescue units and civilians from all over the United States came and helped rescue people from the rubble. The victims of the attack ranged in age from four months to seventy-three years old. More than two weeks after the explosion, bodies continued to be pulled out of the rubble. In addition to injuries sustained as a result of impact, many more injuries were caused by the shower of falling glass and debris, a direct effect of the blast’s sheering effects on the north face of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The blast penetrated deep into the complex, catastrophically damaging blowing away about a third of the Building. In addition to completely destroying the Murray complex, nearby buildings felt the ramifications of the blast and several buildings, including the Water Resource Board building, the Athenaeum and The Journal Record building were destroyed and/or irrevocably damaged by the explosion. Accordingly, the force of the blast was so powerful that it could be felt throughout the entire Oklahoma City downtown core. This event represented the most serious terrorist attack ever carried out on US soil and was a sustained right-wing extremist attack targeted at the United States Federal government (Reimer 3-33). At the scene, investigators searched for clues to find out who had done this and specifically, how this heinous act had been carried out. Initial speculation pointed the finger at Arab or Middle Eastern terrorists, and later at American militia groups. How were the true culprits to this crime found out? Curiously, a bank machine recorded a video in which a yellow Ryder truck was parked across the street of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building before the bombing took place. After the explosion and two blocks away from ground zero, a piece of metal and a truck axle displaying a vehicle identification were identified as belonging to a Ryder truck from Kansas. In addition, the staff where the suspect Ryder truck was rented were able to give a composite description of the two individuals who rented the truck. Where they Arabs or of Middle Eastern descent? No, they were white Americans with an extremist ideology bent on destroying the federal government. Describing them as white Americans, investigative forces turned their attentions to an analysis of a homegrown terrorist network. Further analysis of the blow-up van showed that ammonium nitrate had been mixed with fuel oil. A potent combination which proved deadly that fateful April morning (Reimer 3-33). According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the most serious and sustained domestic terror threat to the United States in the 21st century will not come from homegrown Islamic jihadists but from right wing extremist groups. Accordingly, “right-wing terrorist groups often adhere to the principles of racial supremacy and embrace antigovernment, antiregulatory beliefs...Law enforcement becomes involved when the volatile talk of these groups transgresses into unlawful action” (Testimony of Louis J. Freeh 2001). As such, Right-wing extremists continue to represent a serious terrorist threat. Two of the seven planned acts of terrorism prevented in 1999 were potentially large-scale, high-casualty attacks being planned by organized right-wing extremists. In December 1999, individuals associated with an anti-government group and who were planning to attack a large propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California, were arrested by the Sacramento Joint Terrorism Task Force. When arrested, these individuals were in possession of detonation cord, blasting caps, grenade hulls, weapons, and various chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. Also in 1999, the FBI interrupted plans by members of the Southeastern States Alliance -- an umbrella organization of militias in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and other southern states - to steal weapons from national guard armories in Central Florida, attack power lines in several states, and ambush federal law enforcement officers. The goal of this group was to create social and political chaos, thereby forcing the U.S. Government to declare martial law, an act the group believed would lead to a violent overthrow of the Government by the American people (Testimony of Louis J. Freeh 2001). Concluding Remarks It goes without saying that the attacks of September 11th 2001 were the most shocking and heinous terrorist attacks ever on American soil. While it is important to analyze the events of September 11th 2001, it is important not to forget the immense destruction caused by right-wing extremists in Okalahoma City in 1995. Accordingly, while the events of September 11th 2001 were unparalleled in sheer devastation it is important not to forget that these attacks were undertaken by non-US citizens on an American target. Homegrown terror is an entirely different phenomenon and as the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports, homegrown terror is likely to come from extremist groups and not from American Muslims. Due to its premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-state actors in a variety of settings, most famously on September 11th 2001, one naturally thinks of Al-Qaeda when describing the threats of terrorism in America. As our analysis has emphatically demonstrated, future homegrown terror will have a uniquely American bent and will most likely be undertaken by American right-wing extremist groups or disaffected former militia men like Timothy McVeigh who was put to death for the Okalahoma City bombing. While transnational terror remains an important concern in the 21st century, the unique variant of homegrown terror is unlikely to come from American Muslims or other minority groups but will come from extremist, often racist and anti-government right wing groups determined to destroy the institutions of American federal government (Bloom 50-76; see Hoffmann 1999). REFERENCES Bergesen, A. J. & Lizardo, O. “International Terrorism and the World-System.” Sociological Theory 22.1 (2004): 38-52. Bloom, M. Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. Chaliand, G. The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda. Berkley: University of California Press, 2007. Hoffman, B. Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Reimer, D. J. Oklahoma City 7 Years Later; Lesson for other Communities. Oaklahoma: CD Inc, 2002. “Testimony of Louis J. Freeh, Director, FBI”. United States Senate, Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Select Committee on Intelligence. May 10, 2001. http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress01/freeh051001.htm Read More