The USA PATRIOT Act also known as the “Patriot Act” is a statute signed by President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act is an acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The Patriot Act increases the authority of law enforcement agencies to search telephone, email communications, medical, financial, and other records of citizens by utilizing electronic surveillance. According to Jonathan White the Patriot Act, “Creates funding for counterterrorist activities, expands technical support for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), expands electronic intelligence-gathering research, and defines presidential authority in response to terrorism.” Another feature of the Patriot Act is it expands the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism. Some of the provisions in the Patriot Act were supposed to end after 4 years from the passage of the law, but instead legislators sought to revise certain parts to include the protection of civil liberties. In July 2005 the United States (US) Senate passed a reauthorization bill that included changes of certain sections of the act, but at the same time most of the original language was kept intact. The main controversy over the Patriot Act has been the fact that it infringes the civil liberties of US citizens, and increases the authority of the executive branch.
The most sensitive aspect of the Patriot Act has to do with intelligence gathering and sharing of information according to Jonathan White. Many groups such as constitutional conservatives and civil libertarians are concerned with the fact that the Patriot Act restricts US citizens’ rights to civil liberties. The founding fathers of American democracy created the Bill of Rights and Constitution in order to create a foundation of government based on civil liberties of its citizens. With the Patriot Act increasing the ability of the government to collect information increases the executive branch power, and also infringes on citizens civil liberties. “When the criminal justice and national security agencies gather information about organizations and people, they do so as an extension of the executive branch of government “(Jonathan White). Another problem arises where in the Constitution the three branches of government are separated in order for there to be checks and balances to the amount of power given to each branch. Senator Leahy believes that the passage of the Patriot Act as a counterterrorist measure threatens the system of checks and balance, and gives too much power to the executive branch.
Another controversial issue of the Patriot Act is that it restricts the civil liberties of US citizens. The Patriot Act allows law enforcement agencies such as the FBI have increased abilities to look into the affairs of American citizens. Civil Rights attorney Nancy Chang believes, “By allowing the government to blur the distinction between defense intelligence and criminal evidence, the Patriot Act tramples on reasonable expectations of privacy. The Patriot Act deprives citizens of their 4th Amendment right of privacy, because law enforcement agencies can spy on citizens and define the purpose as a counterterrorist measure.
After the 9/11 attacks the US went into a panic mode and enacted the USA Patriot Act as a means to protect the US from terrorist attacks. But what the Bush administration failed to realize is the effects that the Patriot Act would have on the three branches of government and the American citizens. The Patriot Act has in a way defeated the founding fathers purpose in creating the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The act has disintegrated the three branches of government, where the executive branch has increased authority and defeats the checks and balance of all three branches. Also the Patriot Act has in a way made American citizens feel like they no longer have a reasonable right to privacy, because government have the right to spy on them on behalf of countering terrorism. Is the USA Patriot Act of 2001 unconstitutional? If presented to our founding fathers for approval would they consider it constitutional?
USA Patriot Act of 2001 document:
http://epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html
Spying on the Home Front PBS Video:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02n474q6d
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
BLOG POST #7
In the years since the 9/11 attacks there has been much discussion of Homeland Security. Homeland Security has become an important part of the American society that in 2002 the federal government created a department in the Cabinet titled the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the same time Americans aren’t really sure what the meaning of Homeland Security is. Because it seems to mean something less then military action because the Department of Defense is separate from the DHS. The meaning of this department becomes even more confusing because the leadership consists of retired military personnel, and they control the United States Coast Guard which has a military role. In order to understand the major role that DHS plays in the American society we must look at its purpose and meaning.
In the United States (US) the development of homeland security began after the 9/11 attacks where several government agencies and entities were extended and recombined. Some of these agencies and entities that were recombined were the US National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, and many others. DHS was created by George W. Bush administration as a result of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. There are some agencies that are involved in homeland security activities that are not part of DHS such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect the US from domestic and foreign threats. According to Congress in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, “The primary mission of the Department is to--(A) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; (B) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; (C) minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States.” In the beginning the general purpose and meaning of DHS was to prevent and protect the US from terrorist attacks. According to Jonathan White as the years have gone by the mission and role of DHS has expanded to not only counterterrorism but to other functions. One example of this is one group of internal organizations responsible for health and policy in the DHS responds to natural and human disasters.
As we can see DHS was created as a response to the 9/11 attacks that were acts of terrorism against the US. DHS consists of several big agencies and entities that have different roles in the counterterrorism process. Some agencies strictly handle issues strictly dealing with terrorism, immigration, natural disasters and many more. One question that I have is shouldn’t the CIA and the FBI be a part of Homeland Security? The CIA and the FBI play a huge role in counterterrorism, therefore they shouldn’t be excluded. I think that all government agencies in the United States should be involved and a part of DHS because they each play an integral role in fighting the war on terrorism.
Websites:
Homeland Security of 2002: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/hr_5005_enr.pdf
In the United States (US) the development of homeland security began after the 9/11 attacks where several government agencies and entities were extended and recombined. Some of these agencies and entities that were recombined were the US National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, and many others. DHS was created by George W. Bush administration as a result of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. There are some agencies that are involved in homeland security activities that are not part of DHS such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect the US from domestic and foreign threats. According to Congress in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, “The primary mission of the Department is to--(A) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; (B) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; (C) minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States.” In the beginning the general purpose and meaning of DHS was to prevent and protect the US from terrorist attacks. According to Jonathan White as the years have gone by the mission and role of DHS has expanded to not only counterterrorism but to other functions. One example of this is one group of internal organizations responsible for health and policy in the DHS responds to natural and human disasters.
As we can see DHS was created as a response to the 9/11 attacks that were acts of terrorism against the US. DHS consists of several big agencies and entities that have different roles in the counterterrorism process. Some agencies strictly handle issues strictly dealing with terrorism, immigration, natural disasters and many more. One question that I have is shouldn’t the CIA and the FBI be a part of Homeland Security? The CIA and the FBI play a huge role in counterterrorism, therefore they shouldn’t be excluded. I think that all government agencies in the United States should be involved and a part of DHS because they each play an integral role in fighting the war on terrorism.
Websites:
Homeland Security of 2002: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/hr_5005_enr.pdf
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
BLOG POST #6
Today in the world suicide bombings has become the most dangerous and horrific form of terrorism. A suicide attack is an attack that intends to kill others and inflict massive damage, at the same time the attacker intends to die while performing this act. According to Scott Atran 80 percent of suicide attacks after 1968 occurred after the 9/11 attacks, and he found that there’s popular support in the Middle East for these types of attacks. Modern terrorist organizations favor this form of attack because it is very inexpensive and very easy to perform. Suicide bombings are meant to be a social expression where an individual is sacrificing their life for a particular cause. This post will explore the phenomenon of suicide attacks and its role in modern society.
Modern suicide attacks as a social and political tool can be traced back to the assassination of Czar Alexander II of Russia in 1881. While Czar Alexander II was driving he was mortally wounded by a grenade that was hand-made which led to his death. It was later revealed that the Czar was killed by a member of Narodnaya Volya a group that was against the Czar’s regime while intentionally exploding the bomb during the attack. Another major group in the evolution of suicide attacks has been the use of Japanese Kamikaze suicide bombers during World War II. The Japanese kamikaze bombers would fly their aircrafts into Allied military targets in order to cause damage and also as a result end their life. As World War II continued the Japanese became desperate the acts of kamikaze bombers became formal and ritualistic, where their aircrafts were loaded with explosives whose specific task was a suicide mission. There was social support by the Japanese people due to their cultural history, in which honorable suicide was part of samurai duty. During the Battle of Berlin the Lutwaffe flew self-sacrifice missions against the Soviet Union crashing into their bridges. The end result of this mission was the Luftwaffe lost 35 pilots and aircrafts. These significant events in history shows that as time have gone by different countries and terrorist organizations have turned to suicide attacks as a way to explain their social purpose. Many individuals have sacrificed their life in order to show their eternal dedication to what they are believe and are fighting for.
According to the Washington Quarterly the rate of suicide attacks is rapidly rising across the globe. During 2000-2004 there were 472 suicide attacks in 22 countries, killing more than 7,000 and wounding thousands of people. Most modern suicide attacks have been carried out by Islamist groups claiming Jihad or a religious motivation. According Bruce Hoffman a terrorism analyst most of the suicide attacks that occurred after the 9/11 attacks 31 of them were attacks carried out by followers of the Jihad. It is also note in the Washington Quarterly that suicide attacks keep rising as the years go by and becoming deadly. For example Iraq has an average of one attack per day, according to some military reports. It is also believed that most suicide attacks are not only because of religious motivation but also because of foreign occupation. Robert Pape believes that, “The rise in attacks correlates with U.S. Military occupation of countries whose governments tend to be authoritarian and unresponsive to popular demands.” This idea that a majority of suicide attacks is a way to tell modern democracy particularly the US to withdraw their military forces from their homeland. Since 2004-2006 there have been 18 countries that have had suicide attacks most of them being US allies linked to undemocratic regimes such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Egypt.
From all these facts I would have to say that the fact that suicide attacks continue to rise without any sign of decline is something that we all have to be worried about worldwide. The main issue may be as suggested by some scholars is the occupation of other countries homeland by democratic countries such as the US. For many of these suicide bombers like the Japanese kamikaze the act of sacrificing one’s life for a cause is in itself very honorable. Suicide attacks are acts of terror in the eyes of the Western world, while as in the eyes of the one committing the act they may be fighting against the monopolization of Western way of life and beliefs. Maybe if democratic countries such as the US were to withdraw from certain territories in the Middle East maybe there will be a slight decline in suicide attacks. But the other conflict that exists is that some of these attacks are being carried out by the actual citizens of these attacked territories. Their reason too might be a rebellion against their current political regime because of the strict laws and conflict between religious beliefs. I feel that suicide attacks might be a reaction to democratic countries trying to spread their beliefs and values and also an act of rebellion against their own regime on a religious basis. As we can see there is no singular reason of why suicide attacks occur, and for this reason it will continue to remain a phenomenon.
Websites:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/why-the-bombers-are-so-angry-at-us/2005/07/22/1121539145036.html
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/usscole/jir001020_1_n.shtml
http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0049.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/holy/cron/
Modern suicide attacks as a social and political tool can be traced back to the assassination of Czar Alexander II of Russia in 1881. While Czar Alexander II was driving he was mortally wounded by a grenade that was hand-made which led to his death. It was later revealed that the Czar was killed by a member of Narodnaya Volya a group that was against the Czar’s regime while intentionally exploding the bomb during the attack. Another major group in the evolution of suicide attacks has been the use of Japanese Kamikaze suicide bombers during World War II. The Japanese kamikaze bombers would fly their aircrafts into Allied military targets in order to cause damage and also as a result end their life. As World War II continued the Japanese became desperate the acts of kamikaze bombers became formal and ritualistic, where their aircrafts were loaded with explosives whose specific task was a suicide mission. There was social support by the Japanese people due to their cultural history, in which honorable suicide was part of samurai duty. During the Battle of Berlin the Lutwaffe flew self-sacrifice missions against the Soviet Union crashing into their bridges. The end result of this mission was the Luftwaffe lost 35 pilots and aircrafts. These significant events in history shows that as time have gone by different countries and terrorist organizations have turned to suicide attacks as a way to explain their social purpose. Many individuals have sacrificed their life in order to show their eternal dedication to what they are believe and are fighting for.
According to the Washington Quarterly the rate of suicide attacks is rapidly rising across the globe. During 2000-2004 there were 472 suicide attacks in 22 countries, killing more than 7,000 and wounding thousands of people. Most modern suicide attacks have been carried out by Islamist groups claiming Jihad or a religious motivation. According Bruce Hoffman a terrorism analyst most of the suicide attacks that occurred after the 9/11 attacks 31 of them were attacks carried out by followers of the Jihad. It is also note in the Washington Quarterly that suicide attacks keep rising as the years go by and becoming deadly. For example Iraq has an average of one attack per day, according to some military reports. It is also believed that most suicide attacks are not only because of religious motivation but also because of foreign occupation. Robert Pape believes that, “The rise in attacks correlates with U.S. Military occupation of countries whose governments tend to be authoritarian and unresponsive to popular demands.” This idea that a majority of suicide attacks is a way to tell modern democracy particularly the US to withdraw their military forces from their homeland. Since 2004-2006 there have been 18 countries that have had suicide attacks most of them being US allies linked to undemocratic regimes such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Egypt.
From all these facts I would have to say that the fact that suicide attacks continue to rise without any sign of decline is something that we all have to be worried about worldwide. The main issue may be as suggested by some scholars is the occupation of other countries homeland by democratic countries such as the US. For many of these suicide bombers like the Japanese kamikaze the act of sacrificing one’s life for a cause is in itself very honorable. Suicide attacks are acts of terror in the eyes of the Western world, while as in the eyes of the one committing the act they may be fighting against the monopolization of Western way of life and beliefs. Maybe if democratic countries such as the US were to withdraw from certain territories in the Middle East maybe there will be a slight decline in suicide attacks. But the other conflict that exists is that some of these attacks are being carried out by the actual citizens of these attacked territories. Their reason too might be a rebellion against their current political regime because of the strict laws and conflict between religious beliefs. I feel that suicide attacks might be a reaction to democratic countries trying to spread their beliefs and values and also an act of rebellion against their own regime on a religious basis. As we can see there is no singular reason of why suicide attacks occur, and for this reason it will continue to remain a phenomenon.
Websites:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/why-the-bombers-are-so-angry-at-us/2005/07/22/1121539145036.html
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/usscole/jir001020_1_n.shtml
http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0049.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/holy/cron/
BLOG POST #5
It is true to say that terrorism can be defined in many ways depending on the situation as can be seen throughout history, therefore it can be suggested that terrorism is like a method of fighting. This can also be linked to the strategies that are used to fight wars, where strategies change depending on the type of war that is getting fought. This applies to terrorism because the groups change structurally which leads to their goals changing due to the fact that they apply what they have learned from their past battles. When countries fight wars their tactics will change depending on the type of war they are fighting. According to Brian Jenkins there are six tactics of terrorism: bombing, hijacking, arson, assault, kidnapping, and hostage-taking. Currently in modern society all six of these terrorist tactics are in some shape or form influenced by the sophistication of society. In this post we will discuss two tactics that are employed by terrorist organizations
The first tactic is Cyberterrorism where computers are used to attack technological targets such as a physical attack on computer networks. The National Conference of State Legislatures defines cyberterrorism as the use of information technology by terrorists to promote a political agenda. We could say that cyberterrorism could also be considered another form of computer hacking but by terrorist groups trying to achieve a political agenda. Cyberterrorism targets: computers, computer networks, and information storage and retrieval systems. The most common cyberterrorism has been the defacement of websites. Some tactics that have been used in cyberterrorism has been Trojan horses, or malicious programs that appear harmless, can contain malevolent codes that can destroy a system by allowing terrorists to enter computer systems thought to be secure. Michael Whine believes that computers allow terrorist groups to remain connected, providing a means for covert discussions and anonymity. Cyberterrorism has made informational networks very vulnerable because terrorist groups utilize the internet more than ever to launch attacks.
Another type of tactic that terrorists utilize is Chemical and Radiological Weapons, which are also called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). There are four types of chemical agents: nerve agents, blood agents, choking agents, and blistering agents. Nerve agents enter the body through ingestion, respiration, or contact. Blood and choking agents are usually absorbed through the respiratory system, and blistering agent’s burn skin and internal tissue upon contact. While as in terms of Radiological weapons they produce short term burns and long term contamination which could later lead to health problems. According to Jonathan White chemical attack is an attractive weapon for terrorists because they are easy to control. One type of radiological WMD that is very lethal and feared by all is nuclear weapons. WMD are used worldwide by terrorists to achieve their political agenda.
As we have seen technology has become a big enhancer in the types of tactics that terrorists employ while carrying out an attack. The common forms that were discussed are cyberterrorism, chemical and radiological weapons. As society progresses and becomes sophisticated technologically so do the types of attacks that are carried out by terrorist groups. There needs to be a way that networking systems can be monitored so that sites under high security can’t be breached and attacked terrorist groups on the World Wide Web. Unlike cyberterrorism WMD is hard to monitor because any person at home can make a bomb, by buying supplies at their local hardware store. The problem that we face as a society is that not only has technology become more sophisticated so has the tactical approaches of terrorists.
Websites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cyberwar/vulnerable/threat.html
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/9184.pdf
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The first tactic is Cyberterrorism where computers are used to attack technological targets such as a physical attack on computer networks. The National Conference of State Legislatures defines cyberterrorism as the use of information technology by terrorists to promote a political agenda. We could say that cyberterrorism could also be considered another form of computer hacking but by terrorist groups trying to achieve a political agenda. Cyberterrorism targets: computers, computer networks, and information storage and retrieval systems. The most common cyberterrorism has been the defacement of websites. Some tactics that have been used in cyberterrorism has been Trojan horses, or malicious programs that appear harmless, can contain malevolent codes that can destroy a system by allowing terrorists to enter computer systems thought to be secure. Michael Whine believes that computers allow terrorist groups to remain connected, providing a means for covert discussions and anonymity. Cyberterrorism has made informational networks very vulnerable because terrorist groups utilize the internet more than ever to launch attacks.
Another type of tactic that terrorists utilize is Chemical and Radiological Weapons, which are also called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). There are four types of chemical agents: nerve agents, blood agents, choking agents, and blistering agents. Nerve agents enter the body through ingestion, respiration, or contact. Blood and choking agents are usually absorbed through the respiratory system, and blistering agent’s burn skin and internal tissue upon contact. While as in terms of Radiological weapons they produce short term burns and long term contamination which could later lead to health problems. According to Jonathan White chemical attack is an attractive weapon for terrorists because they are easy to control. One type of radiological WMD that is very lethal and feared by all is nuclear weapons. WMD are used worldwide by terrorists to achieve their political agenda.
As we have seen technology has become a big enhancer in the types of tactics that terrorists employ while carrying out an attack. The common forms that were discussed are cyberterrorism, chemical and radiological weapons. As society progresses and becomes sophisticated technologically so do the types of attacks that are carried out by terrorist groups. There needs to be a way that networking systems can be monitored so that sites under high security can’t be breached and attacked terrorist groups on the World Wide Web. Unlike cyberterrorism WMD is hard to monitor because any person at home can make a bomb, by buying supplies at their local hardware store. The problem that we face as a society is that not only has technology become more sophisticated so has the tactical approaches of terrorists.
Websites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cyberwar/vulnerable/threat.html
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/9184.pdf
">
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BLOG POST #4
The purpose of television, radios, and print news media is to disseminate information. Drama is the means used to attract viewers, listeners, and readers. Media sponsors like drama because it means more viewers will be taken by all the advertising. Early scholars have said that terrorism is a subject that is made for television drama, and radios and newspapers also cover it. Reporting perspectives have increased as new media outlets have been introduced to the non-Western world. These new media outlets have not only covered the drama but also added their own interpretations to their stories. Because of this modern terrorism has become a media phenomenon.
Terrorism involves symbolic communication which is usually aimed at an audience instead of their immediate victims of violence. According to Alex Schmid and Albert Jongman terrorism is a message generator, a method of communicating certain events. Because terrorism is such an effective communicating device, governments sometimes respond by trying to send their own message through the media. Jonathan White believes that communication develops in three primary manners. The first manner is in the reporting of terrorist events. Media exposure magnifies events and campaigns, and in return both terrorists and governments try to manipulate reports so that they are seen in the good light. The second manner is that the media plays a major role in creating the social definition of terrorism. These ideas that events that are depicted in the media assist in defining terrorism and also have society believe that they are “evil” by putting a negative stigma. The third manner of communication is that the World Wide Web has become a conduit for propaganda and ways for people to interact with each other. The media plays a key role in not only serving as a conduit but also changing societal perceptions about terrorism.
To further understand the complex relationship between terrorism and media, scholars believe that the way the media delivers news is through different frames. These news frames are assembled words and pictures that create a pattern surrounding an event. Television and other media outlets spin events so that it can be translated in the understanding of pop culture according to Jonathan White. The media takes events and create stories in order for the general public understand and also be interested. Benjamin Barber believes that the media sustains itself by one overriding factor, which is entertainment. The news is not geared towards the depth of any event, but rather it is designed to create revenue at the expense of entertaining the general public.
There have been several studies done that show that there is a close relationship between terrorism and television. Yassen Zassoursky has stated that television and the internet give terrorists an immediate international audience. Most news that is covered by television is news that will keep the audience emotionally attached and dramatic. Because of this, terrorism is very dramatic and easily fit into the purpose of television. Jonathan White states, “The growth of media outlets and competing perspectives has had a huge impact on the way the United States is viewed around the world, and this impact extends to perceptions of terrorism and America
The media plays a key role in our daily lives. I’m sure that none of us can say that a day doesn’t go by that we don’t either watch television, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, or get on the World Wide Web. Terrorism has become the new modern phenomenon of the media, because it not only creates drama but also draws the attention of everyone worldwide. It can be said that terrorism has existed since the beginning of time, but people didn’t really pay much attention to it because it was seen as the norm for some to act out. We can see that the media has slowly crept into society and become a primary outlet of information nationwide. In the past certain terrorist acts were covered in the news, but after the 9/11attacks the media served as a major informational source that fueled a change of societal opinions of the citizens of the United States United States United States would view other nations such as the Middle East as hostile?
Websites/Other Sources:
Video:
Thursday, October 1, 2009
BLOG POST #3
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the lead agency that investigates terrorist acts in the United States. The FBI divides terrorist acts into three categories:
• Terrorist incident is considered “a violent act or an act dangerous to human life in the violation of the criminal laws of the United States to intimidate or coerce a government, civilian population in order to further political or political objectives.”
• Suspected terrorist incident is a“potential act of terrorism for which responsibility cannot be attributed to a known group or suspected group. Assessment of the circumstances surrounding the act determines its inclusion in this category."
• A terrorist prevention is "a documented instance in which a violent act by a known or suspected terrorist group or individual with the means and a proven propensity for violence is successfully interdicted through investigative activity."
A total of 457 terrorist incidents have taken place in the United States from 1980 to 1999. There were 272 terrorist incidents, 55 of them were suspected to be such incidents, and the remaining 130 were prevented terrorist acts according to the FBI. 70% of the attacks involved bombings, and assassinations and arson were the second most used method of attack.
The FBI did not start tracking terrorist attacks until the mid 1970s. Most of the attacks that were committed in the 1970s and 1980s were by left-wing and anti war groups such as the Weather Underground, Black Liberation Army, Symbionese Liberation Army, and Armed Forces of Puerto Rican Liberation. Right wing extremist organizations began to make attacks in the late 1980’s, the most visible was the Ku Klux Klan. One event that will forever be remembered is the 1995 bombing of Oklohoma City federal building by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Some of these acts that were committed by such people is a symbolic act to show one’s political and social objective. As we can see there have been numerous attacks domestically within the United States that can be considered to be terrorist acts. Throughout the history of the United States there has been attacks by citizens who have felt oppressed, felt the need to act upon their political and social agenda as a means to renounce government.
Not only has terrorist attacks occurred in the United States, but also across the globe. Please draw your attention to the timeline of terrorist attacks nationwide according to the FBI:
TIMELINE OF TERRORISM WORLDWIDE
1961- May 1: The first U.S. aircraft was hijacked. Puerto Rican born Antuilo Ramierez Ortiz forced at gunpoint a National Airlines plane to fly to Havana, Cuba where he was given asylum.
1972- July 21: "Bloody Friday" occurred. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb attack killed 11 people and injured 130 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ten days later, three IRA placed three car bombs in the village of Claudy. The exploding cars left six dead.
1972- September 5: Eight Palestinian "Black September" terrorists seized 11 Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany. In a bungled rescue by West German authorities, nine of the hostages and five terrorists were killed.
1973- January 5: All passengers and carry-on luggage were required by law to be screened. X-ray machines and metal detectors began to be installed in airports.
1974- February 5: Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
1975- January 27-29: Puerto Rican nationalists bombed a Wall Street bar killing four and injuring 60. Two days later a bomb exploded in bathroom at the U.S. State Department. The Weather Underground, a dissident group, claimed responsibility.
1976- June 27: The People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine seized an Air France airliner and its 258 passengers. They forced the plane to land in Uganda. On July 3, Israeli commandos rescued the passengers.
1979- November 20: Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen were eventually released. The remaining 53 were held until their release in January 20, 1981.
1980- May: The first FBI joint terrorism task force was established in New York City.
1981- October 6: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated.
1982- January: The FBI's hostage rescue team was established.
1983- February 13: The first recorded attack of right-wing anti-government group, the Sheriff's Possee Comitatus, took place.
1983- April 18: The U.S. embassy in Lebanon was bombed with 63 dead.
1983- October 23: A 12,000-pound truck bomb destroyed military compounds in Beirut, Lebanon; 242 Americans and 58 French troops were killed. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
1984- October 31: Prime Minister Gandhi of India was assassinated by members of her security force.
1985- June 14: TWA flight 847 flying from Rome to Athens was hijacked by Two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists. The eight crew members and 145 passengers were held for 17 days. A Navy diver was killed.
1985- October 7: Four PLO terrorists seized the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea.
1986- April 5: A Berlin disco was bombed. Two soldiers were killed and 79 servicemen injured.
1988- December 21: Pan American Airlines Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland; 259 were killed.
1989- October 13: The terrorist threat warning system was established.
1993- February 26: The World Trade Center was damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic terrorists exploded in a parking garage. More than 1,000 people injured.
1995- March 20: Shinri-kyu cult members released Sarin nerve gas in an attack on subway stations in Japan.
1995- April 19: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated a truck bomb that destroyed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City; 166 were killed and 642 injured.
1996- June 25: A fuel truck carrying a bomb exploded outside the U.S. military's Khobar Towers housing facility in Dhahran, killing 19 and injuring 515.
1996- July 27: The Centennial Olympic Park was bombed: 2 killed, 112 injured.
1998- August 7: Bombs exploded nearly simultaneously at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
1998- October 16: National Domestic Preparedness Office was established.
1999- December 14: Ahmed Ressam was arrested trying to enter the U.S. from Canada with explosives for a Millennium bombing of LAX airport.
2000- October 12: a small raft loaded with explosives rammed the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen. 17 sailors were killed and 39 injured.
2001- September 11: The Attack on America. Two hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center. Another crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane, targeted for the Capital, crashed in southern Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people were killed.
After looking at the timeline it makes us question the idea of terrorism as a whole. Terrorist attacks seem to occur globally, and not just in Westernized countries such as the United States. Would it be fair to say that maybe the September 11th attack wasn’t solely targeting the United States but rather was a symbolic act to introduce the world to a well developed organization that wants to impose its ideologies globally?
Videos
BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/age_of_terror/7345967.stm
Websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/sept_11/changing_faces_04.shtml
Monday, September 21, 2009
Blog Post #2
What is Terrorism? There are numerous ways to define terrorism. According to Jonathan White terrorism is a pejorative term where it is a term that is loaded with negative and derogatory meanings. Where these negative ideas are brought into our homes through television screens, the newspapers and magazines, and sometimes we experience it in a direct manner. People never worry about the definition of terrorism until they experience terror through violence. For example when a passenger plane gets bombed it might be called acts of terrorism, but when military forces kill families in a foreign country, it is said to be a tragic mistake. Jonathan White believes because of this there is dual standards and contradictions that lead to confusion about what terrorism is.
There has been heated debates on the definition of terrorism. Social scientists, policy makers, lawyers, and security specialists are unable to come to an agreement on the definition of terrorism. H.H.A. Cooper has stated that there is "a problem in the problem definition." This idea that everyone can agree that terrorism has become a huge problem, but there is no definite agreement of what terrorism really is. The term is so difficult to define that in fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI), U.S. State Department, and the Department of Defense all define terrorism differently. Some political scientist have said that terrorism is a social construct defined by, "people within changing social and political realities." This idea that one person's terrorist may be another person or governments "freedom fighter".
The official FBI definition separates terrorism by two spectrums of domestic and international. Domestic terrorism is a violation of criminal laws of the U.S. and/or states by influencing government policy by mass destruction. International terrorism involves the same things as domestic terrorism except that it is outside of U.S. borders. The FBI definition focuses on criminal behavior, because they play an integral part of the Criminal Justice System. The FBI is one federal agency where their definition is based around the idea of the criminal behavior.
Terrorism has to be defined according to Jonathan White in the social context aspect. We can trace modern terrorism all the way back to the French Revolution in the 1780's. During the time of the French Revolution it was the French government against the people and throughout the 1800's terrorism was acts of revolutionaries. By the early 1900's terrorism was violent acts carried out by labor organizations, anarchists, nationalistic groups revolting against foreign powers and political organizations.From the late 1900's to early 80's terrorism was violent acts by left wing groups and nationalists. In the 21st century terrorism is consisted of large groups independent from states, that are violent and religiously motivated.
The reality that we have to realize is that there is no common, accepted definition of terrorism. The issues that we have seen in this post is that there are many different aspects that you can define terrorism. In way we all have to agree with Jonathan White when he describes terrorism as perojative because it makes it politically charges our reponses. The many ways that terrorism is defined has either life or death consequences. Terrorism can be defined within social and political contexts, and for this reason there will never one singular definition of terrorism.
Websites:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/modern.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19728-2004Jul27.html
Monday, September 14, 2009
Blog Post #1
The 9/11 attacks had a tremendous effect on not just the American people, but also on the world globally. According to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States there was a total of 2,995 deaths including the 19 hijackers and 2,976 victims. The casualties were distributed as follows: 246 on the four airline jets (of which none survived), 2,605 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. All of the deaths in the attacks were civilians except for 55 military personnel that were killed at the Pentagon. More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center. At least 200 people jumped to their deaths trying to escape the burning World Trade Center. A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene died as they attempted to rescue people and fight fires.
Within hours of the attacks the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) was able to use their resources to determine the names and personal information about the 19 hijackers. The FBI interrogated suspects of the USS Cole bombing, and were able to link the 19 hijackers to al Qaeda a terrorist organization in the Middle East. The FBI launched an extensive investigation into the attacks that they labeled as Operation PENTTBOM. Operation PENTBOMM was one of the largest and most complex investigation in the history of the FBI that consisted of 7,000 special agents.
A common definition of terrorism is the systematic use or threatened use of violence to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect political, religious, or ideological change. The speech that President George W. Bush delivered after the 9/11 attacks labeled the hijackers as a group of men who terrorized the American people; therefore they should be called terrorists. The President started by stating, “the evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda." The al Qaeda organization is responsible for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and also for the bombing of the USS Cole.
As a result of the 9/11 attacks the United States Congress and President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and created the Department of Homeland Security and the USA Patriot Act. The Patriot Act would be used to detect and prosecute terrorism and other crimes by way of such tools as phone tapping. Many civil liberties groups have criticized the Patriot Act because it allows law enforcement to invade people’s privacies arguing it is a violation of Constitutional rights. President Bush also implemented a secret National Security Agency operation “to eavesdrop on telephone and email communications between the United States and people overseas without a warrant. Countries across the globe supported the United States and even joined their fight that would later be called "Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom." As this fight would continue through the years it would also be known as the “War on Terrorism”. What we all have to wonder is whether the 9/11 attacks were acts of terrorism or just criminal acts of a(n) organization trying show their power.
Websites:
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/gen.bush.transcript/
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/SC7143.doc.htm
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/091401hj.htm
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/13/ret.bin.laden.videotape/
http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/ll/
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