Terrorist Attacks and National Political Convention

Abstract 

Starting from the 1980s, there have been increased destructive terrorist attacks targeting the U.S., both at the national and international scope. Although terrorism activities within the U.S. border have significantly declined over the last decade, its interests abroad are still vulnerable as they have been attacked repeatedly by the terrorists. The main goal with these terrorism groups is to send a message to the U.S. to remove all its influences on Muslim countries, which, when done, could leave the country more vulnerable to attacks. As the U.S., our presence in these Muslim countries disrupts terrorists’ networks to ensure that the world is in a safer place. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing some of the terrorism activities that have occurred over the years, some successful and others foiled, to reveal the trends in these attacks and how they coincide with the U.S. national biennial political campaigns. As this review reveals, most of these terrorist activities are executed during the campaigns to favor certain political factions or remind the incoming leaders that their interests have not ceased. Thus, by studying these trends, the Americans can anticipate future terrorist attacks and deter them, which will enhance our security domestically and internationally. 

Introduction

This brief examines Al Qaeda planned and actual biennial attacks and operations patterns that coincide with the US national biennial political campaigns. More specifically, it examines Al Qaeda planned and actual biennial attacks in the six months and in the immediate eight-week period preceding the biennial elections. The counterterrorism brief starts by looking at some of these planned and actual biennial attacks from August 1998 to September 2012. The report then analyzes these terror group incidents and how they coincide with the US biennial attacks. Secondary information sources have been reviewed in this report to provide valuable insights on the terror groups' activities outside the US borders, which coincide with US national biennial political campaigns. The federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners could use the insights gained to plan and prepare for security and counterterrorism efforts for upcoming National Political Conventions in the US. 

August 1998: Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Tanzania Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Kenya 

The bombing of U.S. East African Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania was a planned terrorist attack on August 7, 1998. The first bomb went off in the US Kenyan-based embassy in Nairobi, while the second detonated in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian capital, where the U.S. embassy was located (History.com Editors, 2010). These coordinated attacks occurred almost simultaneously, four minutes apart, leaving 224 people dead and over 4,500 injured (History.com Editors, 2010). These attacks were executed by Usama Bin Ladin's organization, al-Qaeda, also known as the Base (PBS, 1998). It is important to note that the attacks occurred during the 8 th anniversary since the U.S. deployed its troops in Saudi Arabia (History.com Editors, 2010). Thus, these attacks were aimed at forcing the U.S. to withdraw its troops from this region. 

Nairobi Attacks Planning and Execution 

According to FBI records, the planning for the Nairobi attacks started in Spring 1998, when several persons of interest moved to East Africa (PBS, 1998). These persons were identified as “Harun, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (Saleh), Abdul Rahman (Rahman), Odeh, Fahad Mohammed Ally (Ally), Mohammed Rashed Daoud Al-Owhali, (Al-Owhali), and Jihad Mohammed Ali (Azzam). Harun is considered the mastermind behind these attacks (PBS, 1998). After moving to Nairobi in In May 1998, he rented an isolated home in Runda Estates. The home had high walls and a large driveway for trucks to drive by (PBS, 1998). It is alleged that the truck bomb used in the Nairobi attack was constructed in Harun's home. After an adequate reconnaissance of the embassy building, On August 7, 1998, Harun escorted the truck bomb from his Runda estate in a pick-up truck. The truck bomb, loaded with 2,000 pounds of TNT, entered the embassy through the back entrance (History.com Editors, 2010). Azzam, the driver, detonated it, leading to the destruction of property, deaths of 213 (201 Kenyan civilians and 12 Americans) people, and left thousands wounded. 

Dar es Salaam Attacks Planning and Execution 

Approximately one month after Harun had settled in Nairobi, Khalfan Khamis Mohammed (Khamis) rented a home in Dar es Salaam's Ilala District. Like the one Harun had rented in Nairobi, the house had high walls and a large driveway to accommodate a truck. This is the place the bomb used in the Tanzanian attacks was constructed and stored. Key persons of interest in this attack were Ally, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani (Ghailani), Ahmed Salim Swedan (Swedan), and Khamis (PBS, 1998). Saleh was also implicated in masterminding this attack. 

The same material compositions of the bomb that detonated in Nairobi were also used to make the bomb involved in the Dar es Salaam attacks. Hamden Khalif Allah Awad, also known as the German driving the bomb car, forced his way to the embassy building and manually detonated the bomb leading to property damage, eleven deaths (all Tanzanians), and dozens injured. 

October 2000: Bombing of USS COLE after failed Jan. attempt on USS Sullivans 

In October 2000, the USS Cole, a guided-missile destroyer, docked at the Yemeni port of Aden for refueling when it was attacked by al Qaeda terrorists (CNN, 2013). Using a Zodiac-type speedboat loaded with 600 pounds C4 explosives, Ibrahim al-Thawr and Hassan Awadh al-Khamri (al-Qaeda associates) approached the destroyer from the port side and detonated the explosives (Professional Magazine, 2014). The explosion ripped a 40-foot-wide hole at the destroyer that killed U.S. Navy's 17 sailors and injured 39 (CNN, 2013). The ship also took heavy damage, which required extensive repairs. 

During the investigation of the bombing, a lead suspect revealed to Yemeni authorities that they had targeted another warship, USS The Sullivans, but aborted the attack after their speedboat, loaded with C4 explosives, sunk at the beach (Professional Magazine, 2014). USS The Sullivans Navy ship had docked at a port in Yemen for refueling when the near-miss incident occurred on January 3, the same year USS Cole was attacked. 

June 2002: Bomb outside the American consulate in Karachi, Pakistan 

On June 14, 2002, a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. The blast killed eleven Pakistanis and injured 45 people, including one American (Neilan, 2002). Among the dead were two Pakistani policemen and several women in a van (Khan & Vick, 2002). The investigators stated that the attack had been conducted by Pakistani Islamic militants affiliated with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. 

October 2002: Nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia 

On October 12, 2002, two bombs went off in Kuta district, an Indonesian tourist island of Bali, killing 202 and injuring over 200 (BBC News, 2012). In the first incident, a man named Iqbal, wearing a suicide vest, detonated it at Paddy club. Shortly after, a vehicle loaded with explosives was driven at Sari Club by Jimi and blasted it. A total of citizens from twenty-one countries died in the incident; among them were eighty-eight Australians, thirty-eight Indonesians, and twenty-eight Britons (BBC News, 2012). Most of the victims were tourists. Investigations revealed that Jemaah Islamiyah (an Islamic group), an al-Qaeda-supported terrorist organization, was responsible for the bombings. 

One suspect of the attacks, Ali Imron, stated that Bali was targeted for being a favorite tourist destination for Americans and their associates (BBC News, 2012). However, Indonesia took the most fatalities indicating that the attackers were misinformed. 

June 2004: American kidnapping and execution in Riyadh, Saudi, Arabia October 

On June 12, 2004, Paul Marshall Johnson Jr., a U.S. contractor and Engineer was kidnapped by the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Johnson worked as an engineer for Lockheed Martin and had been contracted by the Saudi government to upgrade their AH-64A Apache attack helicopters. Following his kidnap, the Islamic militants threatened to murder him in seventy-two hours if their demands were not met. Among the militant's part of the bargain was for the kingdom to release their fighters from Hair, Ruweis, and Alisha prisons (MacFarquhar, 2004). According to MacFarquha (2004), the exact number of militants being held in prisons by the kingdom is not known. 

Upon his kidnapping, Lockheed Martin's spokesperson made it clear that the U.S. State Department would take responsibility for the hostage situation. The militants would later upload Johnson's footages on their website, which prompted the American and Saudi Arabian governments to react (MacFarquhar, 2004). From the engagement's onset, it was clear that these governments were not ready for negotiations with the terrorist group. To search for Johnson, "helicopters hovered over the skyline of Saudi capital late Friday as thousands of police and security officers conducted door-to-door searches" (U.S. News, 2009, p.1). Likewise, police checkpoints were installed all over the city. However, the heightened security proved ineffective, and upon the lapse of the given deadline, the militants beheaded Johnson and uploaded these horrible images on their website. 

2004: Sinai Bombings 

On October 7, 2004, three resorts in Taba, Egypt's the Sinai Peninsula, were hit by terrorists aiming at the Israeli tourists. The first explosion involving a bomb car hit Taba Hilton hotel leading to its collapse. The second explosion occurred ninety minutes later, which also involved a car bomb. This explosion occurred at Moon Island campsite, Ras Shaitan, some 45km south of Taba. The third explosion did not cause any damage. These attacks led to 34 deaths (13 Egyptians, 10 Israelis, 2 Italians, and one Russian) (HRW.Org, 2004). Further, over 100 people were injured during these attacks. Following these attacks, Egyptian security forces made mass arrests; it is estimated that more than 2500 people were detained. Most of those arrested were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. 

Egypt's Interior Ministry discredited rumors that Al Qaeda was involved in these attacks. Instead, the attacks were associated with a Palestinian refugee, Ayad Said Saleh, as the mastermind (Los Angeles Times, 2004). The attacks' main motive was not clear, but Egypt's Interior Ministry associated it with the Gaza Strip conflicts. The perpetrator died in the bomb attacks. 

August 2006: Transatlantic Airlines Plot 

Transatlantic Airlines Plot was a botched terrorist plan in August 2006 by the British government. The terrorists had targeted to blow civilian aircraft out of the skies using liquid-based explosives. According to The Guardian (2006), over ten aircrafts flying between U.S. and U.K. cities had been targeted by the terrorists. The terrorists had planned to detonate the bombs simultaneously, which could have led to over a thousand civilians' deaths. The U.S. counter-terrorism officials, following months of surveillance, acted just two days before the incident could take place. 

Following this incident, then-president Bush reminded the nation that they should remain vigilant and fight against Islamic fascists, who were determined to disrupt peace in the U.S. This incident affected over 400,000 passengers' travel as emergency restrictions were put in place (The Guardian, 2006). Passengers were also prohibited from carrying liquids or lotions while boarding flights. 

Although the British officials were hesitant to name the terror group responsible for the attacks, the U.S. made it clear that this plot mirrored al-Qaida's tactics. It was later discovered that al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan were the force behind this plot. The first arrest was made in Pakistan, where Rashid Rauf, a Birmingham-born citizen, was arrested as the mastermind. Other seven suspects would be arrested in the U.K. cell and later arraigned in court. 

September 2008: American Embassy attack in Sana’a 

American Embassy attack in Sana'a was a failed terrorist attack by the al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). In the morning hours of September 17, 2008, militants dressed in camouflage uniforms approached the U.S. Embassy compound entrance in Sana, Yemen (Worth, 2008). Upon approaching the embassy’s checkpoint, the gunmen started firing rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at the guards. The embassy guards started returning fire, which prompted the gunmen to detonate two cars that had been rigged with explosives (Worth, 2008). The blast killed sixteen people (6 Yemen guards, 4 civilians, and 6 terrorists) (Worth, 2008). However, the terrorists did not manage to breach the outer perimeter of the embassy. The attack shocked many residents in Yemen, given that it occurred during the month of Ramadan , where Muslims were expected to refrain from sinning. 

Following the attack, the Islamic Jihad, a non-popular extremist group in Yemeni, claimed responsibility for the terror attack (Worth, 2008). However, Yemeni officials refuted such claims and stated that Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch was responsible for the attacks. 

October 2010: Plot to send air cargo bomb parcels to the U.S. 

A plot to send air cargo bomb parcels to the U.S. was a failed terrorist attack in October 2010. Following a tip-off by the Saudi Arabia officials about the possibility of bombs in freight planes, on October 28, 2010, the Obama administration acted swiftly in collaboration with other nations to deter the impending disaster (BBC News, 2010). Two printer cartilage bombs were discovered on U.S.-bound planes, one in England and the other in Dubai (BBC News, 2010). The two consignments containing the bombs had been sent from Yemen and addressed to synagogues in Chicago (The Guardian, 2010). The devices contained 300-400g of PETN, which was enough to bring down the planes. According to security sources, the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was responsible for the plot and intended to blow the planes out of the skies in the U.S. airspace. There were no casualties received as the bombs were safely detonated. 

May 2012: The foiled plot to bomb U.S. bound flight(s) 

In May 2012, the U.S. foiled a plot to bomb U.S.-bound flight(s) by the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) (Miller & DeYoung, 2012b). The counter-terrorism agencies discovered a nonmetallic explosive device designed similar to another device discovered on Christmas Day 2009 in a Detroit-bound airliner (Miller & DeYoung, 2012b). Such devices were mostly used by suicide bombers affiliated with al-Qaida. However, it was not determined which flight had been targeted as the device was not seized inside airports. 

September 2012: Benghazi U.S. Consulate Attack 

The Benghazi attack was a terrorist attack that occurred on September 12, 2012, in the American diplomatic compound and the CIA Annex located a mile apart in Benghazi, Egypt (RYAN, 2012). The first assault took place in the American diplomatic compound when attackers open fire at the consulate and gained entry to the complex, setting it ablaze (RYAN, 2012). The American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, the Foreign Service Information Management Officer, died in the assault (RYAN, 2012). However, most of the occupants managed to escape. The security staff unsuccessfully tried to regain the compound but met heavy resistance, which made them retreat. 

The second wave of attack took place in the early morning hours when the terrorists started firing mortars at the CIA Annex (RYAN, 2012). This attack led to Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty's death, Navy SEALs contracted to provide security for the staff, and ten were left injured (RYAN, 2012). The second attack had been mistaken for civilian protests; however, investigations revealed that the attack had been pre-mediated and executed by Ansar al-Sharia, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization. 

Capitol Hill Controversy 

In his testimony on October 10 hearing, the U.S. security team leader in Libya stated that there had been increased attacks on Westerners that preceded the September 11 attacks (RYAN, 2012). Consequently, he had requested more guards, but the request was declined. On the other hand, Charlene Lamb, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, testified that the team in Benghazi had more than enough personnel to handle the situation (RYAN, 2012). Further, the then vice-president Joe Biden claimed that they had not been informed about the request to send more guards to Benghazi (RYAN, 2012). Clinton would later take full responsibility for the terrorist events in Benghazi. 

Terror Groups Analysis 

Following these attacks, it is evident that although the U.S. has strengthened its security at home, its interests abroad remain vulnerable. Therefore, these attacks need close attention since they are used to evaluate U.S. relations with other countries. For instance, the U.S. has backed the Saudi-led coalition backed Saudi-led coalition for the last couple of years, which has been engaged in internal military struggles by Iran-backed Houthis, a Shiite insurgency group. These power struggles have created a vacuum in Yemen, an opportunity that has been capitalized on by the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP), an al-Qaeda affiliated group, to rebuild its disrupted operations. Therefore, the U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition has been hugely motivated by its political interests, which are to disrupt AQAP operations in Yemen to protect its interests. Consequently, in the reiteration of the U.S.'s presence, al-Qaeda-affiliated groups continue to target U.S. citizens abroad to make the nation withdraw from such regions. 

Over the years, there have been high-profile terrorists' attacks, which have had political implications to the U.S. As the records have it, it is evident that al-Qaeda is determined to influence the electoral cycle in the U.S. Since the terrorist group declared war on the U.S. decades ago, during the reign of Osama bin Laden, there has been a predictable pattern of the organization’s behaviors, which calls for the nation to remain vigilant. Most of these attacks have been executed with an intent, mainly to swing voters during elections. In fact, some of these attacks have been conducted nearing the election period to remind the U.S. citizens that the terror group is still in existence despite the reigning government's efforts to subdue it, which has influenced the electoral process in the U.S. Likewise, some of these attacks have also been conducted during the elections in the U.S. with the intent to remind the government taking power that al-Qaeda’s demands are much alive. Historically, most of these attacks have been conducted to force the U.S. to withdraw its troops from Muslim nations and stop backing pro-U.S. Muslim regimes. Therefore, terrorists execute terror actions on the Americans abroad to remind the incoming government that their demands have not ceased. 

In conclusion, although it has never been determined whether terrorist groups have affiliations with U.S. politics, it is evident that they have a hand in the outcomes of the nation's electoral cycle. A study of their pattern of behaviors evidently reveals that most of their attacks are executed during the electoral period to influence the outcomes or deliver a political message. After reviewing the terrorism trends and activities, it is clear that the current American strategies and policies have been effective in protecting the citizens within the US borders. However, attacks directed at American citizens at the international scope have been persistent, especially during the country’s electoral cycle. Therefore, the US needs to be prepared to deal with such threats. Thus, this brief could be resourceful in planning and preparing future security and counterterrorism activities during National Political Conventions in the US. 

References 

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