America is under the treat of a terrorist attack. Ever since the events of September 11th that idea has become a constant reality to the American public. Although terrorism is not a new concept, not even on American soil, it has become more of a reality in the resent decade. Terrorism takes many forms and threats are not always the way someone might picture them. Homegrown terrorist can have the same effect that international organizations may. Each group is attempting to achieve their own political or social goals and the only thing Americans can do is to prepare for the inevitable. The attack could come in many forms but a Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack could be devastating. These weapons have been used in the past with devastating results. Despite the treat of CBRN weapons America fails to address its vulnerabilities to this threat.
Terrorism is not a new concept and although the treat has been highlighted by the events of September 11th, there has been a history of terrorism in America leading as far back as the establishment of the country. Although the proverb of “one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter” can be true on certain accounts, there is a distinction. The CIA uses a definition outlined by Title 22 Section 2656f(d) of the US Code, which states, "terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents ” (2013). This definition has two important aspects, politically motivated violence and the targeting noncombatants. These two aspects address the motive and methods of a terrorist organization. Through the understanding of this definition it becomes clear that organizations like Al-Qaeda are ...
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terrorist acts of a more homegrown variety. Stern interviews American terrorists here in the United
Jeffrey David Simon, The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism, 2nd ed. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 188-89.
Hoffman makes the argument that this “characteristic of self denial distinguishes the terrorist from other types of political extremists,” in that, under duress, even those extremists whose identification with their cause could prove illicit or disreputable, would admit to those appellations for themselves; however, this is not the case for the terrorist––Hoffman claims that those dubbed terrorists will “go to great lengths to evade and obscure any such inference or connection… The terrorist will always argue that it is society or the government or the socio-economic `system' and its laws that are the real `terrorists', and moreover that if it were not for this oppression, he would not have felt the need to defend either himself or the population he claims to represent,” (Hoffman 20). This is evinced by an anecdote offered by Terry Anderson, an American journalist taken hostage by Shiite Hezbollah militants for nearly seven years, wherein he details a conversation with one of his captors: upon reading a newspaper’s characterizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, the guard’s visceral reaction is a disassociation from the term, indignantly responding that “we are not terrorists, we are fighters” (Politifact). On the surface, the guard’s statement offers no tangible conclusion other than there exists a connotative
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Terrorism represents a continuing threat to the United States. It is the most significant threat to our national security. Terrorist attacks have left many concerned about the possibility of future incidents of terrorism in the United States. Since the events of September 11, 2011, Americans and much of the world have been afraid. Americans are at war with terrorism and no longer feel comfortable.
While specific intelligence of a looming attack would be ideal, when it comes to calculating a vulnerability assessment, we are more likely to be forced to assume risks and weigh those risks amongst many factors. Every student should understand the procedures involved in determining an overall likelihood score of a terrorist attack utilizing the Threat and Vulnerability Assessment. This paper will cover the assets with the highest likelihood scores, as well as those with the lowest scores. Additionally, it will cover the methods in which these scores were obtained and whether I agree with the final outcome, including any biases I may have observed.
Herman, E. & Sullivan, G. O.1989. The Terrorism Industry: The Experts and Institutions That Shape Our View of Terror. New York: Pantheon.
The quest to establish a universal definition of terrorism is entangled in questions of law, history, philosophy, morality, and religion by nature, a subjective one that eludes large-scale consensus. Terrorism is defined differently by different countries, nations and even department’s federal or state law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism 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 (NIJ).
Jeremy Firestone & James Corbett, Combating Terrorism in the Environmental Trenches: Responding to Terrorism: Maritime Transportation: A Third Way for Port and Environmental Security.
This original product provides perspective and understanding of the nature and capacity of an emerging threat against the United States. This assists federal, state, local and tribal government agencies and authorities, and other entities develop priorities for protective measures and understanding relating to an existing or emerging threat to the national security of the United States.
To prevent tragedies like 9/11 from taking its toll on the United States, terrorism needs to be thought about still to this day. One quote that proves this point is, “In 2001, the federal commission warned that terrorists could get weapons that could cause mass destruction. Congress needs to work on the integrated governmental structures to better the nation's security” (Augustine). The nation's security can help with the destruction of weapons that are dangerous to the U.S. This can cause more attacks like 9/11 and create a larger threat to the population.
Throughout the 21st century, various politicians have attempted to define terrorism. Yet, terrorism is a broad topic and having searched for the true meaning of terrorism, the universal definition of terrorism does not exist. The UN Security Council Resolution 1566 (2004) gives a definition of terrorism as “criminal acts…against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons..” Also, the United States have defined terrorism under the Federal Criminal Code, Title 18. It defines and lists the crimes associate with terrorism . Section 2331 of Chapter 113(B), defines terrorism as, “activities
In recent years, terrorism seems to be at a new high rate, and attacks are more violent than in the past. Many groups operate within a single nation or region. Others have branches and operations in many other countries. Because terrorists generally cannot match the strength of conventional military forces, they often rely on guerrilla warfare. New groups are sprouting all over the place and “terrorism being so secretive and having no for...