Terrorism Case

Terrorism

In our modern world today, some of the most devastating and horrible events are acts of terrorism.  More times than none, there are innocent bystanders that get caught up in the crossfire of these terrorist acts.  Terrorism comes in any form that can create mass destruction of a community, when the specific target is usually the government.  Next we will be discussing some of the ongoing issues and the effort required to continue the fight against terrorism.

As we know terrorism strikes happen throughout the world while some areas seem to be attacked more often.  The reasoning for this may vary depending on security, location, the type of government, and economic status of an area.  In the years following the September 11 attacks, 33 terrorist incidents have occurred on U.S. soil. The U.K. has experienced 190, and Israel has reported numbers in the thousands (National Counterterrorism Center, 2011).  It can be understood that the United States and the United Kingdom have a little more security and resources to help deter some attacks, yet the location of the United States makes it a little harder to reach.  Israel is the religious capital of the world, dead center of the hostile areas of the world, now belonging once again to the Jewish people, so it can be imagined why they would take on so many attacks.

Terrorist know that in order for their methods to be successful, that they need to catch worldwide attention.  Knowing this the sites that are usually chosen seem to be public areas including, but not limited to, malls, transit, sporting events, and schools.  An example of transit terrorism can be seen in the Madrid commuter train bombings on March 11th, 2004.  Bombs were placed on four different commuter trains killing a total of 191 people and wounding 1,841 (BBC News).  Another thing that all terrorist activities have in common is that they are all directed towards people that the attackers believe to be guilty whether it be for their ethnicity, religion, or nationality.

While many laws, procedures, and organizations (both national and international) are on constant revision there are continuing terrorist attacks on a daily basis.  Maximum sentencing is given to individuals caught conspiring, conducting, or aiding any terrorist acts thanks to new laws and procedures.  In 2005 an American citizen Michael C. Reynolds was charged with offering to assist al-Qaida in acts of terrorism by planning attacks and aiding by describing bomb making techniques.  Thanks to the United States F.B.I. sting operation this man could face up to 80 years in prison if found guilty of the plans to destroy major oil and gas pipelines in order to disturb the nation’s economy (The New York Times, 2006).  This is a great example of a national organization preventing a terrorist act.

        When it comes to determining which laws and organizations are the most effective in counterterrorism, I think that this should be left to the intelligence communities while also under supervision by national leaders.  The intelligence organizations must use the full scope of their power to provide quick response time to any information about terrorism.  When the organization notices that an old method of counterterrorism is no longer effective it needs to be changed in agreement with bureaucracy.  The international intelligence organizations have the most effective methods due to their connections with other intelligence organizations on a global scale.  This is very necessary since today’s terrorist are using modern technology to plan and operate their worldwide plots and attacks (Central Intelligence Agency, 2003).

        In learning what these organizations are doing throughout the world, I definitely would say that the United States has both a moral obligation, and a practical reason for becoming involved in stopping terrorist activities in other countries.  Not only are we “one nation under God,” with citizens in our country from every nation of the world, but it would be gullible to think that if we just let terrorism run its course in other countries, that it would leave the U.S. and other allied nations alone.  It is important that we do get involved and unite with other countries in order to make counter-terrorism effective.