The United States is among the countries that are most committed to tackling global terrorism. Every year, the country sets aside funds that are aimed at pursuing terrorists. The nation’s desire to weed out terrorists stems from the pain and devastation that it has endured. The US has been the victim of various terrorist attacks. The Oklahoma City bombing is among these.
The Alfred P. Murrah Building was the target of the attack (“Oklahoma City Bombing”, n.d). Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were identified as the perpetrators of the attack. The building that they targeted is located at the heart of Oklahoma City and it housed various federal agencies. These agencies included the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) (“Oklahoma City Bombing”, n.d). The fact that it housed these agencies was the main reason that this building was targeted. Following his service in the American military, McVeigh developed a suspicion of the government. Targeting the building allowed him to make his feelings about the government known. It is also believed that McVeigh attacked the building in response to the Waco siege which the ATF orchestrated.
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Bombing is the tactic that the perpetrators used. McVeigh parked a truck that contained a bomb that had been made using diesel fuel and fertilizer at the Murrah Building. The truck exploded a few minutes later. A total of 168 people were killed (“Oklahoma City Bombing”, n.d). Of these, 19 were children who had been receiving care at a day care center located in the building. The main expectation that McVeigh had was to inflict harm and damage on the government. After his arrest, he shared that had he known in advance that the building housed a day care, he would have selected a different target (Gorman, 2017). That he was adamant on striking government targets indicates that he expected to cause harm.
The Oklahoma City bombing received extensive media coverage ( Pfefferbaum, 2001) . The media shed light on the damage that the bombing had caused and the high number of fatalities. Focus was also given to the fact that the bombing was the costliest in terms of human life. Swift government response was another outcome of the bombing. Such government agencies as FEMA were involved in rescue efforts while law enforcement agencies launched a hunt for the perpetrators. The American people responded to the bombing through shock and condemnation.
While the bombing caused hundreds of deaths, it provided lessons regarding the vulnerabilities that allow attacks to occur. One of the vulnerabilities identified was the lack of proper scrutiny of people who visit federal buildings (Anteau & Williams, 1997). Had proper security checks been instituted at the Murrah Building, the attack may have been prevented. Another vulnerability was the Murrah Building was next to the road. This exposed it to attacks. Poor building materials that are unable to withstand shock were yet another vulnerability (Naylor, 2015). The government implemented a number of measures to mitigate these vulnerabilities. For example, new building codes that demand that blast-resistant glass should be used in the construction of federal buildings are now in place. Furthermore, it is also required that federal buildings be located away from roads where they are more vulnerable (Naylor, 2015). In conclusion, it appears that the US has learnt from past mistakes that have allowed for attacks to occur. There is need for the country to keep investing in the effort against domestic and international terrorism.
References
Anteau, C. M. & Williams, L. A. (1997). The Oklahoma Bombing. Lessons Learned. Critical
Care Nursing Clinics of North America, 9 (2), 231-236.
Gorman, R. (2017). 22 Years after the Oklahoma City Bombing, Timothy McVeigh Remains the
Only Terrorist Executed by the US. Retrieved 20 th July 2017 from
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/22-years-after-the-oklahoma-city-bombing-timothy-mcveigh-remains-the-only-terrorist-executed-by-the-us/article/2620658
Naylor, B. (2015). Oklahoma City Bombing A ‘Wake-Up-Call’ for Government Security .
Retrieved 20 th July 2017 from http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/04/17/400362277/oklahoma-city-bombing-a-wake-up-call-for-government-security
Oklahoma City Bombing. (n.d). Retrieved 20 th July 2017 from
http://www.history.com/topics/oklahoma-city-bombing
Pfefferbaum, B. (2001). The Impact of the Oklahoma City Bombing on Children in the
Community. Military Medicine, 166 (12), 49-50.
