This paper analyzes the threat of domestic terrorism in the United States, distinguishing it from international terrorism through FBI classifications. It documents major domestic terrorist attacks from 2009 onward—including the Fort Hood shooting, Boston Marathon bombing, and attacks by white supremacist and anti-abortion extremists—and identifies ten designated domestic terrorist organizations operating on U.S. soil. The paper evaluates the consequences of terrorism including loss of life, property destruction, economic regression, and production delays, while arguing that despite increased post-9/11 security focus on international threats, domestic terrorism remains a significant and ongoing danger requiring citizen vigilance and regularly updated security measures.
The term terrorism, when uttered, sends shivers and chills through many people in this century. It is probably the fastest growing menace of our time. There is not a solid academic or international legal definition of this term, but according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, terrorism is the systematic use of violence for the purpose of intimidating the population or its government, thereby pushing toward religious, ideological, or political change. After the September 11 terror attacks, several indispensable measures were taken to boost security in the United States. These changes improved the surveillance and security apparatus, leading to reduced insecurity and terror attacks. For this reason, a sense of comfort and security emerged, and attention shifted from domestic terrorism to international terrorism. In this paper, I will discuss the threats posed by domestic terrorism, their impacts on American citizens, and the government at large.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation classifies terrorism into two categories: domestic or international. This classification depends on the origin, objectives, and base of the terrorists responsible for the attacks. According to the FBI, domestic terrorism is the use of, or attempted use of, violence by an individual or group of people operating solely within Puerto Rico and the U.S. without foreign command, committed against individuals or property with an intention of intimidating the population, the government, or any other segment with political or social influence. International terrorism, on the other hand, includes any dangerous act that is life-threatening and violates the United States or any state's criminal law. These acts are intended to cause intimidation or coercion to the population or policymakers through assassinations or mass killings. International terrorist acts happen outside and inside the U.S., both in terms of whom they intend to coerce and the location of their base. These definitions create a vivid picture of what terrorism in both categories entails.
Due to increased confidence in U.S. security detail, attention has recently shifted beyond U.S. borders in order to curb terror attacks in countries such as Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Former President George W. Bush's government was the first to take keen interest in international terrorism. His government sent American troops into Iraq to counter the militia and terrorist movements, which led to significant bloodshed (Combs, C, 2003). This move saw attention on terror attacks shift from the local scene to the international front. Many people questioned this decision to send U.S. troops to foreign land, where several were killed in the line of duty. During President Obama's administration, the troops were called back home from Iraq, leaving behind a country with less terrorism than before—but not for long.
Over the past five years, cases of terrorism and militia activity have risen in Syria and Iraq. A militia and terrorist group known as ISIS has recently been terrorizing Iraqi citizens and their neighbors. ISIS is also responsible for the conflict in Syria, which has sparked questions to the Obama administration about whether American troops should be sent back to these trouble spots. As this debate on whether to send troops continues, we cannot fail to note that the American government is more concerned with international terrorism than domestic terrorism. Concerned citizens claim that increased attention to foreign assistance to countries like Iraq has led to neglect on the domestic front. Indeed, these claims are arguably true: terror attacks within U.S. borders occur intermittently and sometimes catch the U.S. off guard.
This laxity, many claim, is due to overconfidence in the security system reforms made after 9/11. Moreover, terrorists have developed complex techniques to execute their strikes—not only through bombs and suicide missions, but also through letters and bioattacks (Hoffman, B, 2006). To prove this laxity in addressing domestic terrorism, I will outline domestic attacks on American soil since 2009.
The following is a chronological record of significant domestic terrorist incidents:
April 8, 2009: Malware was left in sewage systems, water systems, and power grids in an attempt to sabotage operations.
May 31, 2009: Dr. George Tiller was assassinated by Scott Roeder in a Kansas church. The suspect was later arrested and given a jail sentence of fifty years. This assassination was carried out by anti-abortion extremists who opposed the abortion procedures performed by the doctor.
May 25, 2009: Kyle Shaw threw crude explosives into a Starbucks in Manhattan, though no one was injured.
June 1, 2009: Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad killed a military recruiter and wounded another officer in protest of U.S. actions in Afghanistan. The suspect was a Muslim convert who claimed affiliation with Al-Qaeda.
November 5, 2009: Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, shot and killed thirteen people at Fort Hood, Texas. Later in court, he acted as his own attorney and stated that his actions were jihad-based and in opposition to U.S. aggression toward Muslims.
February 18, 2010: Andrew Joseph Stack flew his plane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas, leaving behind a suicide note claiming that the IRS was harsh. In this attack, he killed one employee as well as himself and injured thirteen others.
March 4, 2010: John Patrick shot and wounded police officers at the Pentagon security checkpoint in Arlington County.
September 1, 2010: A hostage situation occurred at the headquarters of Discovery Communications. This was conducted by James Lee, protesting immigration and increased population growth. He was wielding two pistols and explosive devices and took three hostages. After five hours, he was shot dead and the hostages were rescued.
August 5, 2012: White supremacist Wade Michael Page carried out a shooting at a Wisconsin Sikh temple, killing six people, including a police officer assisting victims, and injuring three others. He later committed suicide when police officers shot and immobilized him.
April 15, 2013: Boston Marathon attacks. Two bombs were detonated at the finish line of the event, killing three people and injuring one hundred and eighty others. On April 18 of the same month, an officer in a squad car was shot dead by two suspects who then carjacked a nearby SUV and fled to Watertown. After a massive police chase, a shootout occurred involving several improvised explosive devices from the suspects, which wounded a Boston officer. One of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a Russian national, was killed. His brother, Dzhokhar, fled and remained at large despite several door-to-door searches. He was later found by a resident in a boat and taken into custody after another shootout. No ties to terrorist groups were found, but a note in the boat claimed that the attack was due to crimes against Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq by U.S. intervention.
April 16, 2013: Letters laced with ricin were sent to Senator Roger Wicker in Mississippi and President Barack Obama. Fortunately, these letters were tested before reaching their destinations. On April 27 of the same month, Everett Dutschke was linked to the letters and arrested.
With these examples in mind, domestic terrorism is clearly still a threat to the United States of America. These attacks provide sufficient evidence of this threat, especially given that the list contains attacks made over a five-year period. This threat of domestic terrorist attacks has led to loss of lives, destruction of property, increased insecurity, and much more.
The FBI has identified ten domestic terrorist organizations operating on U.S. soil. These criminals are already domiciled within the U.S. and do not need to attempt border crossings, which are among the terrorist trap points. These organizations include:
Occupy Wall Street (OWS): This group is responsible for assaults, drug use, rapes, and murders during Wall Street gatherings. In addition, they are responsible for a fire at Fort Collins. They claimed to be a peaceful movement, but these actions clearly demonstrate otherwise.
Phineas Priesthood: This Christian-based organization uses violence to promote its messages. They protest against abortion, homosexuality, interracial relationships, taxation, Judaism, and multiculturalism.
Jewish Defense League: Established in 1968, this organization uses violence in an attempt to put an end to anti-Semitism.
Earth Liberation Front: This movement uses guerilla tactics and violence to stop the destruction of the environment and ecosystem.
Army of God: This group attacks gay clubs and clinics that perform abortions. Like the Phineas Priesthood, they oppose abortion and homosexuality.
Animal Liberation Front: Their attacks target laboratories and research institutions in order to free animals and advocate for animal rights.
Black Liberation Front: This group uses violence to advocate for the rights of African Americans. One of their most dangerous actions was hijacking an aircraft from Delta Airlines and demanding a one-million-dollar ransom.
Sovereign Citizens: This group believes in violence and anarchism and claims that they are not subjects of the United States government. They are known to issue threats to government officials and judges; they also refuse to pay taxes or recognize the law.
The Crips: This group was initially formed to protect the neighborhood but has recently been conducting random attacks to coerce certain people or intimidate rival gangs. The FBI views them as a group of unpredictable local terrorists.
Ku Klux Klan: This group is by far the most dangerous of all and has been terrorizing citizens since 1865. It seeks to restore white supremacy by targeting African Americans in the political and religious spheres. Today it has expanded to protest against immigration and urban crime.
These groups may have genuine grievances, but they express them in destructive ways, leading to bloodshed, loss of life, and property destruction. The FBI listed them among the top ten domestic terrorist groups for their actions on American soil. The Patriot Act was designed to protect the U.S. from terrorism. Some citizens claim that the act is yet another attack on their privacy since it allows government representatives to access citizens' medical records, transactions, travel information, and other details pertaining to location, daily activities, and movements of U.S. citizens. While this seems like a violation, it works in identifying criminals by monitoring their movements and predicting their motives (Kevin, L, 2005).
"Effects on deaths, property, economy, and production"
Death: Terrorist activities lead to the death of many innocent civilians. These victims come from all walks of life and unknowingly step into the paths of terrorists. The 9/11 attacks, for example, claimed over three thousand lives of U.S. civilians, most of whom were working in the twin towers or were simply passing by.
Destruction of Property: In most cases, terrorists use explosive devices to execute their missions, leading to extensive property damage worth billions of dollars. The World Trade Center, for example, was totally destroyed, and there were also damages to the Pentagon and other terror targets.
Economic Regression: When a terror attack occurs on American soil, the adverse economic effects are unavoidable. The value of the dollar depreciates, leading to billions of dollars in losses. The attacks also affect investing activities as foreign investors refrain from visiting the U.S. Additionally, tourists are reluctant to visit various destinations in fear of insecurity. This is another blow to the economy, since tourism is a major income earner. When insecurity deters tourists from visiting, significant losses are realized.
Lag in Production: Before the rise of terrorism, production and movement of factors of production were fast. With the current state of insecurity, security checks and inspections slow the production process. The total time spent inspecting citizens at work, train stations, and airports represents wasted time, leading to a reduction in production time. Time wasted is equivalent to money wasted.
In comparing the impact of domestic versus international terrorism, international terrorism appears to cause more damage in single incidents than domestic terrorism. The 9/11 attacks illustrate this: they resulted in the loss of three thousand lives and injured thousands more, whereas the Boston Marathon attacks led to the death of three people and 180 injured. Property worth billions was damaged in 9/11, while far less damage occurred during the Boston attacks. Additionally, the U.S. government was more adversely affected by 9/11 than by the Boston attacks.
All acts of terror, whether domestic or international, are unlawful. The people behind domestic attacks live within the U.S., and for this reason, their operational plans cannot go unnoticed, since they too have neighbors. It is the responsibility of U.S. citizens to inform the authorities about any suspicious activity in order to curb terrorism. Security systems should also be regularly updated, since terrorists have adapted to security systems over time and managed to operate unnoticed. With these precautions, we can prevent or even stop domestic terrorism.
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