Terrorism is characterized by violent acts of war and mass destruction to intimidate noncombatant civilians. The aim is to instill fear and terror in pursuit of political gain through victimization and destruction of property. Lives are lost when terrorism-related incidents are witnessed with violent extremism.
Do you believe that domestic terrorism is still a threat to the United States? Why or why not?
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Yes, domestic terrorism has become a threat to the lives of Americans due to its prevalent nature over recent years in the United States. Cases of mass shootings have become common; raising the question of how secure the country is from homegrown terrorists who continue taking lives of innocent civilians. It has become an issue of concern particularly from young people who have access to short guns. Not a month has ever ended without reported cases of shootings in schools, churches, and places of entertainment.
Domestic terrorism is indeed a big threat to the country of America. It drives away potential investors, local and international tourism, as well as the pride of the American heritage. American citizens no longer feel secure in their own country. Citizens may become less productive since they live in fear due to uncertainties regarding where the next shooting would take place. The perpetrators of domestic terrorism are lone individual cases who are hard to detect their intentions prior to committing the heinous acts. Domestic terrorism denies the country the opportunity to become a major investment hub and a global tourist destination center due to increased cases of mass shootings (Coggins, 2015). It threatens the country’s interest abroad and serves as an intimidation to the government through mass destruction and assassinations.
Which do you believe is more dangerous to the American public, domestic terrorism, or international terrorism?
International terrorism poses more danger compared to domestic terrorism. It is more organized with lethal weapons of mass destruction that might kill so many people at once. International terrorism targets crowded places, and large buildings to ensure complete destruction and massive loss of lives (Harper, 2016). It is associated with international terrorist groups who have agents in almost every country who coordinate together to hit hard the target areas. The impact of global terrorism can extend to future generations as a result of harmful effects of atomic bombing take place. The nuclear impact of the bomb explosions may spread to children born later by the survivors with certain intellectual and physical defects.
International terrorism is committed by perpetrators who have a strong networks. The perpetrators keep using different tactics, which may be hard to track down. Their methods and motives are evolving in ways that are complex to understand, analyze, and collect data about their movements and strategy. Coggins (2015) asserts that emergence of a new breed of terrorists who intend to cause mass destruction does not align well with the current security of the US interests. The terrorists can strike anywhere, any time, and have a wide global reach with a high degree of proficiency and sophisticated weapons.
What role does the federal government and its' law enforcement agencies play in combating or encouraging the formation of domestic terrorist cells and or organizations?
The federal government shares information with local security agencies through well-coordinated procedures that have led to establishment of homeland security department. The local security agencies receive additional training and monetary funding from the federal government to combat both domestic terrorism. Community policing has also been put in place to promote police-community relationships that facilitate prevention and detection of a possible domestic terrorist attack (Kellner, 2015). The federal government facilitates increased intelligence, extensive information gathering, community involvement, and collaboration with all state agencies. The primary measures put in place by the federal government and its enforcement agencies help combat domestic terrorism.
References
Coggins, B. L. (2015). Does state failure cause terrorism? An empirical analysis (1999–2008). Journal of Conflict Resolution , 59 (3), 455-483.
Harper, N. (2016). FISA's Fuzzy Line between Domestic and International Terrorism. The University of Chicago Law Review , 81 (3), 1123-1164.
Kellner, D. (2015). Guys and guns amok: Domestic terrorism and school shootings from the Oklahoma City bombing to the Virginia Tech massacre . Routledge.
