Domestic Terrorism

By Carla Mooney

The FBI defines domestic terrorism as terrorism involving groups based in and operating entirely within the U.S. and its territories. According to the Global Terrorism Database, there have been 2,608 total attacks and 226 fatal attacks in the U.S. between 1970 and 2011. This thought-provoking edition focuses on issues related to domestic terrorism. It provides details on how domestic terrorism is different than other types of terrorism, the tactics that specific domestic terrorist groups use, and what can be done to prevent future attacks.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rosen Publishing
• Release date: Oct 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781420512205

Carla Mooney

Carla Mooney has written more than 70 books for children and young adults. She is an award-winning author of several books for Nomad Press, including The Chemistry of Food, The Physics of Fun, The Human Body and The Human Genome: Mapping the Blueprint of Human Life, and Globalization: Why We Care about Faraway Events. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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© 2015 Gale, Cengage Learning

WCN:01-100-101

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyrighted material.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Mooney, Carla, 1970-

Domestic terrorism / by Carla Mooney.

   pages cm. -- (Hot topics)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4205-1219-9 (hardcover)

1. Domestic terrorism--United States. 2. Domestic terrorism. I. Title.

HV6432.M649 2014

363.3250973--dc23

2014019370

Lucent Books

27500 Drake Rd.

Farmington Hills, MI 48331

ISBN-13: 978-1-4205-1219-9

ISBN-10: 1-4205-1219-6

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 18 17 16 15 14

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

What Is Domestic Terrorism?

CHAPTER 2

Islamic Terrorists in the United States

CHAPTER 3

Eco-Terrorism

CHAPTER 4

Domestic Terror Online

CHAPTER 5

Preventing Domestic Terrorism

CHAPTER 6

The Future of Domestic Terrorism

NOTES

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT

FOR MORE INFORMATION

INDEX

PICTURE CREDITS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Young people today are bombarded with information. Aside from traditional sources such as newspapers, television, and the radio, they are inundated with a nearly continuous stream of data from electronic media. They send and receive e-mails and instant messages, read and write online blogs, participate in chat rooms and forums, and surf the web for hours. This trend is likely to continue. As Patricia Senn Breivik, the former dean of university libraries at Wayne State University in Detroit, has stated, Information overload will only increase in the future. By 2020, for example, the available body of information is expected to double every 73 days! How will these students find the information they need in this coming tidal wave of information?

Ironically, this overabundance of information can actually impede efforts to understand complex issues. Whether the topic is abortion, the death penalty, gay rights, or obesity, the deluge of fact and opinion that floods the print and electronic media is overwhelming. The news media report the results of polls and studies that contradict one another. Cable news shows, talk radio programs, and newspaper editorials promote narrow viewpoints and omit facts that challenge their own political biases. The World Wide Web is an electronic minefield where legitimate scholars compete with the postings of ordinary citizens who may or may not be well informed or capable of reasoned argument. At times, strongly worded testimonials and opinion pieces both in print and electronic media are presented as factual accounts.

Conflicting quotes and statistics can confuse even the most diligent researchers. A good example of this is the question of whether or not the death penalty deters crime. For instance, one study found that murders decreased by nearly one-third when the death penalty was reinstated in New York in 1995. Death penalty supporters cite this finding to support their argument that the existence of the death penalty deters criminals from committing murder. However, another study found that states without the death penalty have murder rates below the national average. This study is cited by opponents of capital punishment, who reject the claim that the death penalty deters murder. Students need context and clear, informed discussion if they are to think critically and make informed decisions.

The Hot Topics series is designed to help young people wade through the glut of fact, opinion, and rhetoric so that they can think critically about controversial issues. Only by reading and thinking critically will they be able to formulate a viewpoint that is not simply the parroted views of others. Each volume of the series focuses on one of today’s most pressing social issues and provides a balanced overview of the topic. Carefully crafted narrative, fully documented primary and secondary source quotes, informative sidebars, and study questions all provide excellent starting points for research and discussion. Full-color photographs and charts enhance all volumes in the series. With its many useful features, the Hot Topics series is a valuable resource for young people struggling to understand the pressing issues of the modern era.

On April 15, 2013, 23,000 runners lined up for the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. The sun shone brightly as the runners made their way along the 26.2-mile (42.2km) course from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Thousands of spectators lined the course, holding signs of encouragement and cheering on family, friends, and strangers.

Amid the festivities, few people noticed two young men as they walked down Boston’s Boylston Street toward the finish line shortly after 2:30 PM The two men, one wearing a black baseball hat and the other wearing a backwards white hat, carried large backpacks. As the men walked, they stopped casually, placed the bags on the ground, and walked away.

At 2:49 PM, more than 17,000 runners had already crossed the finish line and approximately 5,700 runners were still on the course. Spectators crowded to watch the runners finish. Suddenly, the afternoon’s peace was shattered as an explosion ripped through the sidelines. Twelve seconds later, a second explosion detonated a little over 200 yards (183m) from the first. Laughter turned to screams as the crowd panicked. The wounded lay crumpled on the ground and blood stained the area. As sirens erupted, rescuers leapt into action.

First responders help the victims of two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, on Monday, April 15, 2013, in Massachusetts. Five people were killed and 267 were injured in the attack.

Minutes after the explosions, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis received a call from his superintendent-in-chief, Daniel Linskey. I’m not sure what we got, boss, Linskey said, but I think it’s bad. Davis says he knew at that moment they were dealing with terrorism. I started to operate on the premise it was an attack,¹ he says.Thousands of police officers and law enforcement from dozens of agencies jumped into action, securing the crime scene and investigating the attack. Five people died in the Marathon bombing, and 267 more were injured.

That day, the entire city of Boston was shut down. A nofly zone was enforced over the bombing sites, major sporting events were canceled, and SWAT team members with machine guns patrolled hospitals where the injured were treated. Three hours after the explosions, President Barack Obama spoke to the nation. We will find out who did this. We’ll find out why they did this, he said. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.²

Investigators Gather Clues

Over the next few days, investigators built a picture of the attack. They meticulously documented every piece of evidence found within the fifteen-block zone shut down by police. They bagged and sent the evidence to a crime lab for analysis. By examining the debris found at the bombing site, investigators determined the bombs were made from ordinary kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails, and ball bearings. The attackers hid the bombs in black backpacks and left