Essay on United States and Terrorism

The United Nations as of today does not have a single and universally accepted definition of Terrorism. Under the Code of Federal Regulations terrorism is defined as the “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).  On the other hand, the FBI defines domestic terrorism as the “unlawful use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the US 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.” (“Congressional Testimony”, 2002, p.1) 

A more recent and expanded definition of domestic terrorism can be found under Section 802 of the USA Patriot Act which states that domestic terrorism are those acts which: "(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended— (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

United States as Target of Terrorism

Theorists say that the United States is the prime target of terrorism.  A testament to this is the fact that the United States has been the site of various bombings since early in the 1990s until the present.  From the 1993 World Trade Center bombing which culminated in the September 11 2001 attack against the United States territory, until now it is considered the most attractive target for terrorism.  So long as the United States is the world’s symbol of democracy, freedom and equality, our nation will continue to become target of terrorists. 

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Now, years after the 9/11 attack, threat of domestic and international terrorism still looms in the air.  The United States is still under threat from terrorist attacks.  It can be recalled that at the time of the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama there were speculations that the event was under terrorist threat.  According to intelligence sources, the presence of dignitaries and the significance of the swearing of America’s first black president makes the inauguration vulnerable to attacks (“Obama Inauguration Attractive Target for Terrorist Attacks,” 2009). 

Terrorism and the Bush Administration

Until the ascension to office by President Obama, the United States has extensively utilized military solution in addressing terrorism.  During the Bush administration a massive military campaign against terrorists was launched.  For them, the solution to fight terrorism was a long-term offensive against terrorists.  As a result, the United States spent billions of dollars on better intelligence, more cruise missiles, special forces, surveillance and reconnaissance aircrafts and nuclear submarines (Schmitt and Shanker, 2001). 

Now, the world has realized that terrorism cannot simply be addressed by direct military combat.  Launching bombs against them will not also solve this problem.  As long as these terrorists find support from the people around them recruitment will be easy and ration of food and ammunition will be continuous.  It must be stressed that these terrorists are funded by wealthy businessmen and wealthy governments.  Terrorism is a very complex issue that a simplistic solution will not be enough. 

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