Terrorism

Most people think of terrorism as a issue for large cities with high visibility targets and a large population.  Many terrorist incidents do occur in large cities, but terrorism also has ties to communities just like ours.  When examples such as the Unabomber, Rajneeshee, ELF and more it illustrates that our community could very well become a target.

What is Terrorism

Terrorism Attacks 1970-2015

Terrorism is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).  While there are many definitions for terrorism, we’ll use the FBI’s since they are the lead law enforcement agency for terrorism in the United States.  The FBI further delineates terrorism as either Domestic Terrorism or International Terrorism based on the following criteria.

Domestic Terrorism

Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.

Examples of domestic terrorism include:

International Terrorism

International terrorism involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws 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. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. International terrorist acts occur outside the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.

Examples of international terrorism include: