Terrorist Threat example essay topic

Although the people of the United States are still concerned with the threat of international terrorists attacking our land and citizens, there has been an alarming increase in domestic terrorism that has raised the nation's concern about this problem. This increase in terrorist activity has not been imported from other countries but has had it's start within our nations boundaries. This increased violence seems to be aimed at influencing governmental policy and public opinion. "The recent increase in domestic violence is said to be associated with the rise of anti-government sentiment and the proliferation of self-styled militia and paramilitary groups -some of which take extremist positions on race, religion, federal authority, gun control, or taxation (Fisher 1998)". One of the most devastating and well known forms of terrorism are bombings. Most of the violence associated with anti-governmental attacks takes this form.

According to a recent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) report, bombings or attempted bombings increased from 2,098 in 1990 to 3,199 in 1994 (the latest year available), a 52% increase. Property damage from bombings rose to $7.5 million, with 308 people injured and 31 killed. This does not take into account the tragic Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Some ATF experts believe that it is the ready availability of materials and easy access to instructions and explosives information on the internet that has been the reason for this increase of bombings. There are several theories in the class text that help to explain the justification behind the actions of these local terrorist in our country. H.H.A. Cooper (1977) describes one called the "doctrine of necessity".

He believes that these terrorist cannot accept the world as it is and they also reject the possibility of peaceful means for social change. This is why they become terrorist. Cooper feels most of the terrorist do not enjoy the thought of random violence and murder but that they are driven by their utter hatred of the social status quo. He believes the first step in being a terrorist is the violent rejections of normative society.

Although most terrorist do not enjoy violence or wish to adopt terrorist methods, Cooper feels that they are forced toward violence. Violence becomes necessary because there is no other alternative for correcting the injustices of contemporary society. This doctrine of necessary violence, according to Cooper, justifies acts of terrorism. This theory of Cooper's can be seen in an example from the Arson and Explosive Incident Report by the ATF.

October 11, 1995, The Arizona Desert. Unknown terrorists derail a passenger train 60 miles southwest of Phoenix. One person was killed and 80 injured when the Amtrak train jumped the track and plunged over a bridge. Saboteurs had removed a section of track and bridged the gap with wire to disable the electronic warning system. Notes found at the scene referred to the federal siege at Waco and to Ruby Ridge. Atleast one note was signed "Sons of Gestapo", a group unknown to terrorism experts.

These terrorist ultimate hatred of the status quo might have pushed them to do this deed. They made sure to leave some kind of item behind in order for the emergency personnel to know what the reason was for this meditated action. It might be possible that this incident is race related also, due to the fact the Gestapo were German military police during the Holocaust. Frederick J. Hacker (1976), was a physician who developed an expertise in terrorism and hostage negotiations. He found that terrorists seek reinforcement based on their orientation to life. There are three types of terrorists according to Hacker; criminals, crazies, and crusaders.

Crusaders are the type of terrorist that seem most related to the bombings that are occurring in our home front. According to Hacker's theory, crusaders make up the bulk of political terrorists. He describes the category as people who are using terrorism to change society. These terrorist are similar to Cooper's doctrine of necessity in that violence is accepted and justified in the name of the cause. Crusaders feel that they must be violent for society to change for the better according to Hacker. This can be seen in another example from the Arson and Explosive Incident Report.

November 13, 1995, Muskogee, Oklahoma. A self-proclaimed "anti-government prophet", Ray Willie Lampley and three others are charged with plotting a series of bombings against abortion clinics, homosexual gathering places, welfare offices and offices of the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The four members of the Oklahoma Constitutional Militia were arrested before any of their plans were carried out and charged with conspiracy to manufacture and possess bombs to blow up federal offices in several cities. Lampley and two others were found guilty of the bomb charges in April 1996. This group of terrorist seemed to have been unsatisfied with the way society has changed in recent years. They do not like things that are common in our society now like abortion and homosexuality.

It can be inferred that they are unhappy with how society has become and wants society to change by any means necessary. In this case, bombs would have made a devastating and deadly point. One final theory that I felt was very important to the matter of bombings that were occurring domestically was the Social Conditions Justification. Richard Rubenstein (1987) agreed that terrorists must ultimately justify their acts, bu the argues that instead of terrorist being psychological misfits, social and economic conditions cause terrorism to occur among this group.

This, Rubenstein believes, is used to justify acts of violence. An example of this occurring here in the United States can be seen by looking again to the Arson and Explosive Incident Report. December 18, 1995, Reno, Nevada. Two unemployed and heavily indebted construction workers, Ellis Hurt and Joseph Bailie attempted to bomb the Reno, Nevada, office of the Internal Revenue Service.

The pair placed a bomb made of about 100 pounds of fertilizer and kerosene with a lit fuse in a parking lot nest to the IRS building. However, the triggering mechanism failed and the bomb did not ignite. Authorities on the scene believe that many deaths and injuries would have occurred had it gone off. Bailie was described by an assistant U.S. Attorney as a man obsessed with the IRS, who has boasted that he had not paid taxes since 1985.

Hurst testified against Bailie and was sentenced to 10 years. Both were convicted of conspiracy, attempted destruction of a government building, and the use of an explosive device while committing a violent crime. Bailie received a 36-year sentence. Because these two men were poor and in debt, they may have felt severe frustration and hopelessness with their situation and needed someone to blame for their plot. The Internal Revenue Service seemed like a good idea because they were the ones who were constantly taxing them and taking away their money. This frustration caused these men to act out against the IRS.

In order to learn more about the problems that our occurring on our homestead and if bombings were the most prolific avenue of destruction, I went to interview someone in the Metro Police Department in order to gain some insight into what is going on with terrorism in our city and how it is handled. After making several phone calls, I was finally able to reach the terrorism division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). But to my disappointment, the officer on the other line told me that he was not able to discuss any of the information they had concerning terrorism and their tactics with the general public. Because of this reason, I had to settle for a detective in the police department. I first asked Detective John Doe what position he held in the police department, what he did, and how long he had been working at it. I learned that John is a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, Metro division and his basic duties is to figure out what happened at a scene of a crime and who that person /'s was that committed the crime and even how it was committed.

This ranged greatly from murder, stolen vehicles, robberies, vandalism, and even missing persons. He said he has been a detective for about ten years and a police officer for about 16 years. Have you ever been involved with any cases dealing with terrorist activities? John said that he had been called to the scene of several bomb threats and suspicious packages that we relaying around. He also said that he had reported to many crimes scenes where things were either blown up or burned, bu the did not really consider them terrorist activity necessarily but more rather vandalism and arson. Where did most of these bomb threats occur?

Mostly at places such as abortion clinics and churches with specific races such as Black and Jewish. I found that this was quite interesting because it falls into the model of Cooper's idea that terrorist are driven by their utter hatred of the social status quo. How does one get involved with terrorism and what kind of training is involved? Everyone in the Police Department must first enter the Police Academy where everyone receives the same basic training. This includes the physical and mental. You have to be in shape and you have to learn how to handle certain situations that normally people are not faced with.

After the Police Academy you can pretty much decide which area of law enforcement interest you and lean toward that direction. There are several ways to get involved with terrorism though because there are so many different aspects of terrorism. There is the bomb squad, SWAT team, hostage negotiation, and even airport security. It is pretty easy to get involved if there is an interest because there is definitely a need. What type of policies are there on terrorism? There are several general policies that we follow.

But, probably the most important one is to never take any threat lightly. Thesis the reason why even if we do not believe that a bomb threat is real, we will still evacuate the building and check because there is always that 1% chance that it is real. Where do you get your information on terrorism from? Everywhere. There are many different city and federal agencies that are involved with terrorism and information is shared between these agencies. We also have many specialist and experts that range from doctors to engineers who specialize in terrorist activities.

Their research and studies gives us a lot of information. We also get information from the internet. The internet is probably the most easily accessible holders of vast amounts of information. We also have people just like you that might see or learn of something that is going around in their community.

What kind of preventative measures are taken? There are only so many things that can be done such as metal detectors and such at the airports but the best preventative measure that we have is to be very alert of any suspicious or abnormal behavior. This includes purchases of large amounts of gasoline, ammunition, or firearms. Our best help are people that are out there being alert. This guideline helps to educate people on what to look for. Any of the following events might mean danger and should be a reason for an immediate report or for seeking advice from security or law enforcement officials: Anonymous tips, phone calls, or notes of a threatening nature which may identify groups or carry extremist messages.

Surveillance by suspicious persons of federal offices or federal employees performing official duties. Unidentified or unattended packages, cans, or other containers left in or near government offices. Unattended and unoccupied vehicles parked in unauthorized or inappropriate locations, particularly those in close proximity to buildings or other structures. Requests for plans, blueprints, or engineering specification for federal buildings or commercially-owned buildings that house government offices, by those who have no official reason to have them. Unauthorized access even to unsecured areas by unknown or unidentified persons who have no apparent reason for being there.

Packages or heavy envelopes which arrive in the mail from unknown senders or which have a peculiar odor or appearance- often without a clear return address. Confrontation with angry, aggressively belligerent, or threatening persons by federal officials in the performance of their official duties. Extremely threatening or violent behavior by co-workers who indicate that they may resort to revenge against a group, company, or government agency. When a bomb threat or bombing occurs, who is first on the scene? The police are usually the first to arrive because the yare the ones that are out on the street.

Then it is the emergency medical and fire that arrives next. The police usually try to control the situation and make sure people are safe from danger. Medical and fire personnel take care of the human and non human damages. If it is a threat, they are thereon standby to be ready. Then after these two agencies have arrived, the more specific departments are called in such as the bomb squad, SWAT team and some federal agencies (FBI and ATF) if necessary. How is it coordinated?

Once the necessary agencies arrive, a command post is usually set up in an empty parking lot or such. This usually involves a mobile office vehicle that we have that has communication devices, computers, and soon for the incident. It kind of looks like a mobile home. There are usually people who are in charge of specific responsibilities that order things to happen. Traffic control, media, ground assault, surveillance, air, security and so on.

By speaking with this officer, I learned that there are many aspects of terrorism. Even though many terrorist events have not happened here in Los Angeles, there are agencies and people that have training and are prepared just in case something were to happen. There are many things that can be looked for that alert of possible terrorist threat. This terrorist threat is very real here in Los Angeles because of the society involved in Los Angeles. As in the theories discussed earlier, there are people who have bad social conditions in Los Angeles and there is also a proliferation of different races. This could cause some friction.

Also there are many who believe that Los Angeles has many morally corrupt people such as gays and lesbians. It is important to understand these theories of terrorism in a practical way in order to help save lives and understand and prevent terrorism..