THE THREAT OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Description

The Threat of Domestic or “Homegrown” Terrorism A major terrorist attack conducted by a U.S. citizen against the Homeland was the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, on April 19, 1995. Watch Oklahoma City Bombing Animation to see the bombing in action (this silent video is over 2 minutes). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EphsWl6ZbEQ This attack, perpetrated by U.S. Army veteran Timothy McVeigh, killed 168 persons, injured more than 680, and caused the destruction of the Federal Building and destroyed or damaged more buildings. The financial impact of the bombing itself has been estimated to be at least $652 million. In the days and months that followed, numerous investigations sought to determine who perpetrated the attack and if McVeigh has any links to domestic and/or foreign terrorist groups. Other investigations examined how McVeigh was able to build the massive bomb used in the attack, to include the materials used, and how he was able to obtain them without alerting authorities. These questions have largely been answered and today there is a great deal of publicly available information that makes it possible to understand this act of domestic terrorism and its impact on Homeland Security. Case Assignment In this Case, your task is to: Define the methods used by Timothy McVeigh to conduct his attacks, the results of the bombing, his motivation(s), and how he was able to conduct his attack against the Murrah Federal Building without detection by the FBI or other domestic law enforcement organizations. From your reading, How Government Agencies Fight Terrorism (2017), briefly discuss which federal agencies are most directly responsible for ensuring that such a domestic terrorism attack does not occur in the future. Remember to include more than one source in your References. Assignment Expectations Length: This Case Assignment should be 3-5 pages, not counting the title page and references. References: At least two references should be included from academic sources (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles). Required readings are included. Quoted material should not exceed 10% of the total paper (since the focus of these assignments is critical thinking). Use your own words and build on the ideas of others. When material is copied verbatim from external sources, it MUST be enclosed in quotes. The references should be cited within the text and listed at the end of the assignment in the References section (preferably in APA format). Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to questions.Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. Required Reading Did you know? Four ways DHS is working to prevent terrorism at home. (2017). DHS. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/blog/2017/08/16/did-you-know-four-ways-dhs-working-prevent-terrorism-home Domestic terrorism: An overview. (2017). EveryCRSReport.com. Retrieved from https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R44921.html Definitions of terrorism in the U.S. Code. (2017). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition How government agencies fight terrorism. (2017). eLearners. Retrieved from https://www.elearners.com/online-degrees/legal-studies/homeland-security/fighting-terrorism/ Mayer, M., & Downing, M. (2013). Preventing the next lone wolf terrorist attack requires stronger federal-state-local capabilities. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/terrorism/report/preventing-the-next-lone-wolf-terrorist-attack-requires-stronger-federal-state Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, Oklahoma City Murrah building bombing after action report. (n. d.). Retrieved from https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/oem/documents/bombing-after-action-report.pdf Required Websites Federal Bureau of Investigation: National Security Branch: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/nsb RAND: Domestic Terrorism: http://www.rand.org/topics/domestic-terrorism.html The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States: http://www.9-11commission.gov U.S. State Department: Foreign Terrorism Organizations (FTO): http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm Required Videos Thwarted train attack raises lone-wolf fears in US (2015). Fox News. Retrieved from https://video.foxnews.com/v/4441450774001/#sp=show-clips Oklahoma City bombing animation (2013). Driskill, M. You Tube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EphsWl6ZbEQ