CJ 352, July 2008, Domestic Terrorism: Final Exam

Terrorism in United States

Define domestic terrorism . In what ways is it functionally different from international terrorism ? Also , distinguish between domestic terrorism from above vs . domestic terrorism from below . Give examples

According to the Patriot Act domestic terrorism is the unlawful use , or threatened use of force or violence by a group of individuals based in the United States . The key phrase here is group or individuals based in the United States ' and they will be accorded the label of terrorist if they use force and violence against persons or property and

if they intimidate or coerce a government , a civilian to further political or social objectives (Addicott , 2004

International terrorism on the other hand is defined in similar terms The Patriot Act provides that definition as involving violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that violate the criminal law of the United States or any state , .or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state (Addicott , 2004 . The definition is similar to the one found above except for the fact that these violent acts are being committed outside the United States

An example of domestic terrorism is the Centennial Park Bombing in Atlanta , Georgia at the height of the 1996 Olympic Games . The pipe bomb used was assembled by Eric Robert Rudolph , a white supremacist and member of a homegrown terror group whose main goal is to advance right-wing ideals such as the destruction of abortion clinics and gay bars (Gettleman Halbfinger , 2003 . An example of international terrorism is the handiwork of an al-Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia known all over the globe as the Jemaah Islamiyah . Their most infamous terrorist act to date is the 2002 Bali bombings which transformed a beautiful resort into bloody crime scene

In light of what you 've read so far in the Hamm government report , what type of role do you think American law enforcement (especially local has in the fight against terrorism generally -- a central one or a marginal one ? What implications for resource allocation are embedded in your answer

American law enforcement agencies especially the local police should play a central role in the fight against terrorism . The operatives of the Central Investigation Agency (CIA ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI ) may have fancy titles and significant capabilities but they will never be able to duplicate what local law enforcement agencies can do . First of all local police is intimate with the area and know the people . Local police can easily identify suspicious people and they can easily gain the confidence of the local people to give them information . This level of intelligence gathering is not available for agents of the FBI or CIA

Aside from that local police can immediately make an arrest and can be in the suspect 's hideout in a relatively short time as compared to the FBI for instance who may not have an office or an agent nearby . If local...