NCJ Number
167809
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Terrorist bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Federal building in Oklahoma City show that Americans are no more safe from such attacks than people in other countries.
Abstract
America's vulnerability to terrorism is increased by a societal and governmental commitment and obligation to preserve democratic principles. Open borders, the sheer size of the country, the difficulty in monitoring illegal immigrants, the right and necessity of individual access to government facilities, and a host of other factors integral to American life hamper the government's ability to control or seriously limit the terrorist threat. U.S. information, transportation, medical, and financial infrastructures are increasingly vulnerable to disruption by terrorists, both foreign and domestic. Effective steps to bolster the government's antiterrorism arsenal, including stepped-up efforts by intelligence agencies to monitor individuals and groups inside the United States, are likely to collide with American freedoms. Most Americans feel that they are safe in going about their daily routines in spite of terrorist acts such as the World Trade Center bombing and the Oklahoma City bombing, but if such acts become more frequent and widespread, the fear of terrorist acts may lead the public to press for greater governmental authority in countering terrorists, or Americans may resolve to learn to live with the threat, as Europeans have lived with it for years.